Milt Windler, NASA flight director who played a key role in saving the Apollo 13 mission, died at age 94. Born on Jan. 10, 1932 in Hampton, Virginia, Windler graduated from Virginia Tech in 1954 with a degree in aeronautical engineering. He joined NACA, NASA’s predecessor, before serving in the Air Force and later rejoining NACA at Langley Research Center.
Windler relocated to Houston, Texas, as the Manned Spacecraft Center (now Johnson Space Center) was established. During the Apollo 13 mission, he served as a flight director in Mission Control and was part of the team awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Richard Nixon on April 18, 1970, alongside Glynn Lunney, Gene Kranz, and Gerry Griffin. Windler also contributed to Skylab, the space shuttle program, and the Canadarm robotic arm.
After retiring from NASA, he consulted on the International Space Station’s operations and verification procedures. He is survived by his wife Betty (née Selby) Windler, three children, and eight grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at the family’s former church in Friendswood, Texas.
Reflecting on his career, Windler said, 'If I did it again, I’d probably try to do something more about trying to pay more attention.'.
Source: Ars Technica · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing