William E. Thornton

American astronaut (1929–2021)

William Edgar Thornton (M.D.) (April 14, 1929 – January 11, 2021) was an American NASA astronaut. He was born in Faison, North Carolina. Thornton was a member of the astronaut support crew for the Skylab 2, 3, and 4 missions. A veteran of two space flights, Thornton spent over 313 hours in space. He was a mission specialist on STS-8 in 1983, and STS-51B in 1985.[1]

Thornton died on January 11, 2021 in Boerne, Texas at the age of 91.[2]

References

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  1. "William Thornton NASA Biography". NASA. May 1994. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  2. Astronaut William Thornton, who invented shuttle treadmill, dies at 91