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NASA astronaut and Moon-walker John Young passes away at 87

Sunday, 07 January 2018 2:47 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 07 January 2018 2:52 AM ]

This file photo taken on April 11, 1981 shows US Astronauts Robert Crippen (L) and John Young (R) in the flight deck of Columbia of the space shuttle Columbia before the first shuttle flight at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 12, 1981. (Photos by AFP)

Astronaut John Young, who walked on the Moon and flew NASA’s first Space Shuttle mission, has passed away at the age of 87 due to complications from pneumonia.

“Today, NASA and the world have lost a pioneer. Astronaut John Young's storied career spanned three generations of spaceflight; we will stand on his shoulders as we look toward the next human frontier," said acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot in a Saturday statement.

“John was one of that group of early space pioneers whose bravery and commitment sparked our nation's first great achievements in space. But, not content with that, his hands-on contributions continued long after the last of his six spaceflights -- a world record at the time of his retirement from the cockpit," the statement added.

The demise of Young -- who was also the first astronaut to go to space six times and further took part in the Gemini and Apollo missions – prompted the release of a separate statement from NASA Johnson Space Center Director Ellen Ochoa, who called Young's work "groundbreaking."

In a televised interview with ABC News, Ochoa further emphasized that, "It would be hard to overstate the impact that John Young had on human space flight. Beyond his well-known and groundbreaking missions through three programs, he worked tirelessly for decades to understand and mitigate the risks that NASA astronauts face. He had our backs."