Ronnie Walter Cunningham was an American astronaut, fighter pilot, physicist, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author of the 1977 book The All-American Boys famous for reviving NASA’s quest to put men on the moon in the wake of a launching-pad fire that killed three astronauts. He was one of three crew members on the first manned Apollo 7 mission, which completed 163 orbits of the Earth in 1968. Ronnie Walter Cunningham was born in Creston, Iowa, the eldest of five children. In 1951 he enro... moreRonnie Walter Cunningham was an American astronaut, fighter pilot, physicist, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author of the 1977 book The All-American Boys famous for reviving NASA’s quest to put men on the moon in the wake of a launching-pad fire that killed three astronauts. He was one of three crew members on the first manned Apollo 7 mission, which completed 163 orbits of the Earth in 1968. Ronnie Walter Cunningham was born in Creston, Iowa, the eldest of five children. In 1951 he enrolled in the Navy and flew Marine fighters in the Korean war. After his service he attended University of California and graduated with bachelor’s degree and a master’s in physics. After Apollo 7 he was named director of what became known as the Skylab program, which developed America’s first space station. Later in his life he became a senior executive at financial and real estate companies. He was a recipient of numerous awards including the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. He was inducted in the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1997.
