Peggy Wilhide
Headquarters, Washington, DC                      July 9, 1999
(Phone:  202/358-1898)

RELEASE:  99-80

NASA ADMINISTRATOR DANIEL S. GOLDIN'S
STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF CHARLES "PETE" CONRAD

     The whole NASA family was extremely sad to learn of Pete
Conrad's death Thursday.  America has lost one of the great
aviators and explorers of the 20th century.  When we mark the 30th
anniversary of the first lunar landing on July 20, we will
remember that Pete laid part of the foundation for the program
with the rendezvous and docking maneuvers he conducted on Gemini V
and XI.

     He embodied the "can-do" spirit of NASA, taking on problems
and dealing with them without a lot of fuss.  His steady hand saw
Apollo 12 through a frightening lightning strike during launch,
and on Skylab 2 he led a spacewalk that spread a thermal blanket
over a damaged section of the spacecraft and saved the program.

     Pete Conrad even laid the groundwork for work that we are
continuing to do in the International Space Station program.  Both
Gemini 5 and Skylab 2 set endurance records for their times, and
we will build on his and other astronauts' efforts when the first
ISS crew launches next year.

     Over the last few years, he continued pioneering as an
entrepreneur.  As president of Universal Space Lines, he sought to
provide a less expensive way for explorers to reach the space
frontier.

     He was known at NASA for his irrepressible spirit, his sense
of humor, his talents as a pilot and skill as an astronaut.  He
never lost interest in space travel, even after he left NASA.  We
will all miss him.

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