American astronaut Thomas Stafford passed away at the age of 93 on March 18. Stafford was the commander of the Apollo 10 mission, a significant mission that was a precursor to the Apollo 11 mission, through which humans landed on the moon for the first time. He contributed significantly to many important space missions including the Gemini VI-A mission, the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project and the Gemini IX-A mission. Stafford, who was part of the US Air Force, was selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to be part of its crucial projects in 1962.