American test pilot, United States Air Force (USAF) pilot, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut James Alton McDivitt (June 10, 1929 – October 13, 2022) participated in the Gemini and Apollo projects. He enlisted in the USAF in 1951, and during the Korean War, he flew 145 combat missions.
After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering, first in his class, from the University of Michigan via the U.S. James McDivitt graduated from the Air Force Experimental Flight Test Pilot School (Class 59C) and Aerospace Research Pilot School (Class I), became certified as a test pilot, and then joined the Manned Spacecraft Operations Branch.
By September 1962, McDivitt had flown in jet aircraft for more than 2,000 of his more than 2,500 total flight hours. This includes participating in Robert M. White’s North American X-15 mission on July 17, 1962, in which White achieved an altitude of 59.5 miles (95.8 km), becoming the first X-15 pilot to receive Astronaut Wings. White was also involved in this trip as a chase pilot.
Was James McDivitt Vaccinated?
James A. McDivitt, a former NASA astronaut who oversaw the Gemini IV and Apollo 9 missions, passed away on October 13, 2022, at the age of 93, and he was fully vaccinated.
