1930-

American astronaut who was the first U.S. general in space. A Naval Academy alumnus, Stafford completed flight training and became an instructor at Edwards Air Force Base. He piloted Gemini 6 and 9 in 1965 and 1966, respectively. As commander of the 1969 Apollo 10 flight, he tested the lunar module. In 1975 Stafford was the American commander for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the first international spaceflight. He served as chief of the astronaut office and deputy director of flight crew operations.