Overview

Charles Moss "Charlie" Duke Jr. (born October 3, 1935) is an American former astronaut and retired U.S. Air Force officer. A career test pilot who later became a brigadier general, Duke is best known as the Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 16 in 1972, when he became the tenth and youngest person to walk on the Moon. For biographical summaries see the official service record and astronaut resources: USAF profile, astronaut biography, and test pilot records.

Early life and military career

Duke trained as a military pilot and advanced to roles that combined operational flying with flight testing. He served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and accumulated extensive experience in jet aircraft, progressing through assignments that prepared him for spaceflight selection. He was chosen as a NASA astronaut in the mid-1960s and moved from flight test work into the astronaut corps before participating in the Apollo program.

Apollo 16 and the Moonwalk

As Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 16, Duke joined Commander John Young and Command Module Pilot Ken Mattingly for a mission to the lunar highlands. The Apollo 16 crew carried out geological field work and returned a substantial collection of lunar samples. During the surface stays Duke conducted extravehicular activities and geological traverses; the mission is documented in NASA mission archives and historical summaries: Apollo 16 mission page. The mission made him the tenth and the youngest person to set foot on the Moon, a distinction often noted in spaceflight histories: walkers list and Moon exploration records.

Flight experience and EVA record

Throughout his flying career Duke logged thousands of flight hours. Official tallies list approximately 4,147 hours of flying time, including about 3,632 hours in jet aircraft, reflecting a long service as a military and test pilot. His time in space totals roughly 265 hours, and his extravehicular activity (EVA) time on the lunar surface is recorded as about 20 hours and 15 minutes. These figures appear in technical summaries and crew biographies: flight hours summary and EVA records.

Later career and legacy

After returning from the Moon and completing his NASA assignments, Duke continued public and professional work related to aerospace, safety, and outreach. He retired from active military service at a senior rank and remained a prominent figure in public discussions of Apollo-era exploration. His experiences are frequently cited in histories of human spaceflight and educational materials about the Apollo program.

Notable facts and recognition

  • Served as a test pilot before joining the astronaut corps; his test pilot background is often highlighted in profiles: test pilot archive.
  • Part of the Apollo 16 crew that conducted detailed geological work on the lunar surface: mission documentation.
  • Career totals include thousands of flight hours and more than twenty hours of EVA on the Moon: see flight totals and EVA totals.
  • Widely remembered as the tenth and youngest Moonwalker, a point listed in many space history compilations: Moonwalkers list and exploration records.