aboard Apollo 7 in October 1968
The 11-day mission was the first human test flight of the new Apollo spacecraft
It paved the way for Apollo 11's landing on the lunar surface in July 1969
for the historic first moon walks by Neil Armstrong and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin
Prior to joining NASA, Cunningham served in the U.S. NAvy and Marine Corps
flying 54 missions as a fighter pilot before retiring with the rank of colonel
He died on January 3, 2023 at age 90