Edgar Mitchell

Date of Birth: September 17, 1930

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Date of Death: February 4, 2016

Biography

Edgar Dean Mitchell, an esteemed American astronaut, was the sixth person to walk on the Moon. Born in Hereford, Texas, and raised in Artesia, New Mexico, Mitchell had a keen interest in aviation from a young age. He pursued his passion for flight by earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management from Carnegie Mellon University in 1952, followed by a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautics from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1961, and a Doctor of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1964. Mitchell joined NASA in 1966 and was selected to be part of the Apollo 14 mission. On February 5, 1971, he, along with Alan Shepard, landed on the Moon’s Fra Mauro highlands, conducting scientific experiments and collecting lunar samples. His career as an astronaut was distinguished not only by his exploration achievements but also by his profound interest in the nature of consciousness and extraterrestrial intelligence. After retiring from NASA, Mitchell founded the Institute of Noetic Sciences to explore human potential and consciousness.

5 Interesting Facts about Edgar Mitchell

1. Edgar Mitchell was the sixth person to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 14 mission.

2. He spent 9 hours and 17 minutes walking on the lunar surface.

3. Mitchell founded the Institute of Noetic Sciences in 1973 to explore human consciousness.

4. He claimed to have experienced an epiphany in space, which he described as a “Samadhi” experience.

5. Edgar Mitchell was a vocal advocate for the investigation of UFOs and extraterrestrial life.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Edgar Mitchell

1. “You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it.”

2. “Instead of an intellectual search, there was suddenly a very deep gut feeling that something was different.”

3. “We went to the Moon as technicians; we returned as humanitarians.”

4. “I felt an overwhelming sense of universal connectedness.”

5. “We are not alone in the universe.”