Milt Windler, NASA flight director for Apollo 13, dies at 94

Milt Windler, a former NASA flight director who played a critical role in the safe return of the Apollo 13 astronauts, has died at the age of 94.

Windler was appointed flight director in 1968, following his work on the Mercury and Gemini programs. He was one of the four leaders at Mission Control responsible for managing the crisis during the 1970 Apollo 13 mission, where an explosion in the service module necessitated rapid decision-making to bring the crew home safely.

In addition to his work on Apollo 13, Windler guided missions including Apollo 8 and Apollo 10, and contributed to the success of the Skylab space station missions. NASA Director Jared Isaacman honored his legacy, describing him as a pioneer who demonstrated NASA’s capabilities during both triumphs and crises.