18 Facts About Walter Cunningham

Ronnie Walter Cunningham was an American astronaut, fighter pilot, physicist, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author of the 1977 book The All-American Boys.

Walter Cunningham graduated from Venice High School in Los Angeles, California, in 1950.

Thereafter, Walter Cunningham continued his education at nearby Santa Monica College until joining the US Navy in 1951.

Walter Cunningham began flight training in 1952 and served on active duty as a fighter pilot with the US Marine Corps from 1953 until 1956, flying 54 missions as a night fighter pilot in Korea.

Armistice discussions were still ongoing when Walter Cunningham initially left for Korea, and the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed just before he arrived.

Walter Cunningham married the former Lo Ella Irby of Norwalk, California, and had two children, Brian and Kimberley.

Walter Cunningham received his Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in 1960, and his Master of Arts degree with distinction in 1961, both in physics, from UCLA.

Walter Cunningham completed all requirements save for the dissertation for a Doctor of Philosophy degree in physics at UCLA during his time at RAND Corporation, where he spent three years prior to his NASA selection.

In October 1963, Walter Cunningham was one of the third group of astronauts selected by NASA.

The flight carried no Lunar Module and Walter Cunningham was responsible for all spacecraft systems except launch and navigation.

Walter Cunningham accumulated more than 4,500 hours of flying time, including more than 3,400 in jet aircraft and 263 hours in space.

In 1974, Walter Cunningham attended Harvard Business School's six-week Advanced Management Program and later worked as a businessman and investor in a number of private ventures.

Walter Cunningham was a major contributor to and foreword writer for the 2007 space history book In the Shadow of the Moon.

In 2018, Walter Cunningham joined the Back to Space organization as an Astronaut Consultant with the goal of inspiring the next generation to go to Mars.

Walter Cunningham became a radio talk-show host and public speaker, worked as a consultant to start-up technology companies, and was chairman of the Texas Aerospace Commission.

Walter Cunningham died in Houston on January 3,2023, at age 90, from complications resulting from a fall.

In 2010, Walter Cunningham published a short book titled "Global Warming: Facts versus Faith".

Walter Cunningham was a recipient of numerous national and international honors, including:.