Jack Swigert
- This is about the Apollo 13 astronaut. For the Apollo 9 one, see Rusty Schweickart.
John Leonard "Jack" Swigert, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Test Pilot |
| Space career | |
Time in space | 5d 22h 54m |
| Selection | 1966 NASA Group |
| Missions | Apollo 13 |
Mission insignia |  |
John Leonard "Jack" Swigert, Jr., (August 30, 1931 - December 27, 1982) was a NASA astronaut.
Born in Denver, Colorado, Swigert attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he played varsity football and earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. He served with the United States Air Force as a combat pilot in Korea and then became a test pilot.
After earning a master of science degree in aerospace science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut, Swigert was accepted into the NASA Apollo program.
Aboard Apollo 13
Swigert was one of three astronauts aboard the ill-fated Apollo 13 moon mission, which was launched on April 11 1970. The mission was the third lunar landing attempt, but was aborted after the rupture of an oxygen tank on the spacecraft's service module. Swigert and fellow astronauts Jim Lovell, and Fred Haise, returned safely to Earth on April 17 after approximately 5 days and 23 hours in space, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1970.
Swigert was originally suggested as the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project's Command Module Pilot, but was removed as punishment for his role in the Apollo 15 Postage Stamp Scandal. Swigert was not involved in the controversial Apollo 15 stamp deal, but in the investigation that followed the scandal he initially denied having any involvement in similar schemes. When evidence against him started to build up he confessed to Deke Slayton and was consequently considered to be undesirable from a public relations viewpoint.
He later became staff director of the Committee on Science and Technology of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Ill-fated election to Congress
Swigert was elected as a Republican to Colorado's newly created Sixth Congressional District in November 1982. He defeated Democrat Steve Hogan, 98,909 votes (62.2 percent) to 56,518 (35.6 percent). In the campaign, Swigert had enjoyed the strong support of a former intraparty rival, then U.S. Senator William "Bill" Armstrong of Colorado. Armstrong had defeated Swigert for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in 1978. The two thereafter became very close friends, and their reconciliation is a moving story.
Swigert died of bone cancer before he could take his oath of office. The position was hence won in a special election in 1983, by Swigert's fellow Republican Dan Schaefer (1936-2006). Schaefer also defeated Hogan, 49,816 (63.3 percent) to 27,779 (35.3 percent).
Swigert's legacy
Swigert was the first moonbound Apollo astronaut to die, and was later followed by Pete Conrad (Apollo 12), Alan Shepard and Stuart Roosa (both Apollo 14), James Irwin (Apollo 15), and Ronald Evans (Apollo 17). Donn F. Eisele, who flew on Apollo 7, did not go to the moon.
In 1995, Swigert was portrayed by Kevin Bacon in the movie Apollo 13.
In 1997 the state of Colorado submitted a statue of him to National Statuary Hall Collection.
External links
Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections, U.S. House