The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Walter Cunningham, Apollo 7 astronaut, dies at 90

His mission, following the deaths of three astronauts in a launchpad fire, renewed the American space program and helped lead the way to the moon landing

By
January 5, 2023 at 12:25 a.m. EST
Astronaut Walter Cunningham aboard Apollo 7 in 1968. (Nasa)
7 min

Walter Cunningham, the last surviving crew member of Apollo 7, a mission that renewed the American space program after the deaths of three astronauts in a launchpad accident and helped lead the way to the moon landing in 1969, died Jan. 3 at a hospital in Houston. He was 90.

His death was announced by NASA. A family spokesman, Jeff Carr, said Mr. Cunningham had complications from a recent fall.