Charles Moss Duke Jr. is an American former astronaut, United States Air Force (USAF) officer and test pilot. As lunar module pilot of Apollo 16 in 1972, he became the tenth and youngest person to walk on the Moon, at age 36 years and 201 days.A 1957 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he joined the USAF. He completed advanced flight training on the F-86 Sabre at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia, where he was a distinguished graduate. After completion of this training, Duke served three years as a fighter pilot with the 526th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Ramstein Air Base in West Germany. After graduating from the Aerospace Research Pilot School in September 1965, he stayed on as an instructor teaching control systems and flying in the F-101 Voodoo, F-104 Starfighter, and T-33 Shooting Star.
In April 1966, Duke was one of nineteen men selected for NASA's fifth group of astronauts. In 1969, he was a member of the astronaut support crew for Apollo 10. He served as CAPCOM for Apollo 11, the first crewed landing on the Moon. His distinctive Southern drawl became familiar to audiences around the world, as the voice of a Mission Control made nervous by a long landing that almost expended all of the Lunar Module Eagle descent stage's propellant. Duke's first words to the Apollo 11 crew on the surface of the Moon were flustered, "Roger, Twank...Tranquility, we copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again. Thanks a lot!"
Duke was backup lunar module pilot on Apollo 13. Shortly before the mission, he caught rubella (German measles) from a friend's child and inadvertently exposed the prime crew to the disease. As Ken Mattingly had no natural immunity to the disease, he was replaced as command module pilot by Jack Swigert. Mattingly was reassigned as command module pilot of Duke's flight, Apollo 16. On this mission, Duke and John Young landed at the Descartes Highlands, and conducted three extravehicular activities (EVAs). He also served as backup lunar module pilot for Apollo 17. Duke retired from NASA on January 1, 1976.
Following his retirement from NASA, Duke entered the Air Force Reserve and served as a mobilization augmentee to the Commander, USAF Basic Military Training Center, and to the Commander, USAF Recruiting Service. He graduated from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1978. He was promoted to brigadier general in 1979, and retired in June 1986. He has logged 4,147 hours' flying time, of which 3,632 hours were in jet aircraft, and 265 hours were in space, including 21 hours and 38 minutes of EVA.
Duke resides in New Braunfels, Texas, and was named Texan of the Year in 2020. He is currently on the board of directors for the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation and previously served for two years as the chairman. He is a popular motivational speaker, with NASA films and personal stories of his Apollo mission on the moon. He is a born-again Christian and he and his wife Dorothy speak to audiences regarding their faith and its effect on their marriage.
Sol turns thousands of years of human wisdom from the world’s spiritual traditions into a totally unique personality profile. To get your own profile, check compatibility with friends and much more, download the Sol App today.
Some of their strengths
Charles Moss Duke has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Practical, Diplomatic, Confident, Optimistic, Intelligent, Independent, and Energetic.
Intelligent and Inquisitive
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Charles Moss Duke is someone who is an intelligent, inquisitive, and imaginative person, who is practical, considerate, kind, and diplomatic in dealings with others. A person who is known for being a good communicator.
Adventurous and Free
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Charles Moss Duke well know them as someone who can be talented, wayward and free, like a big river or the ocean.
Independent and Organized
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Charles Moss Duke as someone who is independent, organized, inventive, and generous.
A person who is curious and a loves learning, who seems to always know what to say, who has an optimism that can overcome any difficult situation, and who seems to be able to master almost any skill.
Wise and Deep
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Charles Moss Duke is someone who tends to have an internal innate wisdom, and who people tend to see as an "old soul".
They are also someone who is creative, expressive, and insightful, and who has a pioneering spirit with self-determination and natural artistic expression.
Justice-seeking and Peaceful
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Charles Moss Duke tends to be someone who loves peace and is ready to go to any costs to achieve it. Who has a taste for the good things in life, tends to be a good organizer, has a thirst for knowledge, and who tends to have the respect of friends and acquaintances.
Some of Charles Moss Duke's challenges
While Charles Moss Duke has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Charles Moss Duke can be Arrogant, Hesitant, Narcissistic, Impulsive, Careless, Status-seeking, and Domineering.
Hesitant and Narcissistic
One of Charles Moss Duke's key challenges is that they are someone who can be hesitant and narcissistic.
Domineering and Impatient
Charles Moss Duke is someone who can be demanding, egotistical, and controlling, can have a lack of judgment regarding personal finances, be argumentative and stubborn, and who can have a tendency to be withdrawn and spend time in self-imposed isolation.
Pleasure-seeking and Indecisive
Finally, Charles Moss Duke also can put others first too much, and hem-and-haw too much when making a decision.
