1931–1982 · NASA astronaut; command module pilot, Apollo 13
John L. “Jack” Swigert Jr. was not supposed to be aboard Apollo 13 at all. He flew on the backup crew until three days before launch, when he replaced Ken Mattingly — the prime crew had been exposed to German measles and Mattingly lacked immunity, so NASA declined to risk him. Three days into the flight, Swigert became the first human being to report the accident that crippled the spacecraft. He later left the astronaut corps and, on 2 November 1982, was elected to represent Colorado’s 6th congressional district with 64% of the vote; he died of respiratory failure on 27 December 1982, aged 51, after treatment for cancer, and never took his seat.