Milt Windler, NASA flight director who helped save Apollo 13, dies at 94
Milt Windler, a legendary NASA flight director who played a critical role in the safe return of the Apollo 13 mission, has passed away at 94. He served as a key leader during the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs, as well as the Skylab mission.
Why it matters
Windler's death marks the loss of a pivotal figure in the history of human space exploration and mission control operations.
Maroon Flight, 1932-2026 Milt Windler, NASA flight director who helped save Apollo 13, dies at 94 “…we were making history.”
0 Milt Windler, "Maroon Flight," seated at the flight director's console in NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas. Credit: NASA Milt Windler, "Maroon Flight," seated at the flight director's console in NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas. Credit: NASA Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav Milt Windler, one of the four leaders of Mission Control who in 1970 directed the round-the-clock efforts to bring the Apollo 13 astronauts back to Earth safely, has died at the age of 94.
Windler died on Thursday , surrounded by his loving family, according to a brief notice posted online.
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