Who played Ken Mattingly in Apollo 13? Actor pays tribute as heroic astronaut dies aged 87

Apollo 16 astronaut Ken Mattingly recently passed away on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, in Arlington, Virginia, at the age of 87. A former Navy pilot, Mattingly was known for the 1970 Apollo 13 mission, in which his efforts were instrumental in bringing back the damaged spacecraft and crew. Mattingly's death was confirmed by Cheryl Warner, a NASA spokeswoman.

Actor Gary Sinise, who portrayed Mattingly in the 1995 space docudrama film Apollo 13, paid tribute to the 87-year-old on X (formerly Twitter).

"I had the great honor of portraying Ken Mattingly in the film Apollo 13 in the 90's. A great American hero. Rest in Peace T.K. Thank you for your service to our country," Sinise wrote.

Mattingly's death was also confirmed by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on the official website of the space agency.

"We lost one of our country's heroes on Oct. 31. NASA astronaut TK Mattingly was key to the success of our Apollo Program, and his shining personality will ensure he is remembered throughout history," Nelson said.

Mattingly's cause of death has not been made public yet, and further details on the same are currently awaited.

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Ken Mattingly served in the military before joining NASA

According to his bio on NASA, Ken Mattingly was also known as Thomas K. Mattingly II. He pursued his graduation at Miami Edison High School and later enrolled at Auburn University, where he acquired his Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering.

In 1958, he joined the US Army as an Ensign, joining Attack Squadron Thirty-Five (VA-35) at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. After this, he found himself in the U.S. Air Forcе Aеrospacе Rеsеarch Pilot School.

The NASA bio states that Ken Mattingly joined the space agency in 1966 and was one of the astronaut support crews on the Apollo 8 and Apollo 11 missions. Administrator Bill Nelson's statement on NASA says that Ken was involved in the development of the spacesuit and backpack for Apollo. He also said:

"His unparalleled skill as a pilot aided us when he took on the role of command module pilot for Apollo 16 and spacecraft commander for space shuttle missions STS-4 and STS 51-C. The commitment to innovation and resilience toward opposition made TK an excellent figure to embody our mission and our nation's admiration."

Kеn was supposed to be a part of Apollo 13 as a command module pilot but was later removed from the mission after being exposed to German measles. People magazine states that during the Apollo 13 mission, the spacecraft's propeller was damaged when the oxygen tank blew up. Three astronauts were trapped in a lunar module, and Ken helped them return to Earth by guiding them from mission control.

The mission was later featured in the docudrama film Apollo 13, which was released in 1995. Gary Sinisе played the role of Mattingly, and it also featured Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Ed Harris, and Kathleen Quinlan. The film collected more than $300 million at the box office and was the recipient of a few awards.