# R.I.P. Tom Stafford, Gemini and Apollo Astronaut

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-tom-stafford-gemini-and-apollo-astronaut/999001>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [March 18, 2024, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-tom-stafford-gemini-and-apollo-astronaut/999001 "2024-03-18T21:13:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2024, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-tom-stafford-gemini-and-apollo-astronaut/999001/1 "2024-03-18T21:13:19Z")

</div>

> **[NASA astronaut Tom Stafford, famed for U.S.-Soviet orbital handshake, has...](https://www.npr.org/2024/03/18/511919556/nasa-apollo-astronaut-tom-stafford-soyuz-died)**
>
> Tom Stafford commanded the first Apollo mission to dock with a Soviet craft in space. He also served as commander of Apollo 10 - the dress rehearsal before NASA's first landing on the moon in 1969.

I remember the Apollo-Soyuz linkup mission and Stafford’s handshake with Alexy Leonov through the airlock. It seemed like a very hopeful moment to young and impressionable me.

(As noted in the current Celebrity Death Pool thread, but thread games mentions are usually not redundant with an actual discussion thread.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2024, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-tom-stafford-gemini-and-apollo-astronaut/999001/2 "2024-03-19T03:23:03Z")

</div>

> [@gnoitall](#):
>
> I remember the Apollo-Soyuz linkup mission and Stafford’s handshake with Alexy Leonov through the airlock.

If I recall correctly, when Stafford knocked on the hatch, signaling they were ready for the Russians to open it, Leonov answered, “Who is it?”

General Stafford lived a long and eventful life. One more Apollo astronaut gone. Only a few remaining.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2024, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-tom-stafford-gemini-and-apollo-astronaut/999001/3 "2024-03-19T03:36:27Z")

</div>

RIP General Stanford. I remember you. You live on.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2024, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-tom-stafford-gemini-and-apollo-astronaut/999001/4 "2024-03-19T14:49:56Z")

</div>

He has a really cool museum. Good space memorabilia.