All the Apollo astronauts were legendary test pilots (except Dr Harry Schmitt) [0]. Buzz and Neil are the ones everyone remembers, and they earned their place o

All the Apollo astronauts were legendary test pilots (except Dr Harry Schmitt) [0]. Buzz and Neil are the ones everyone remembers, and they earned their place on that mission, however it took a huge team to get them there. When Apollo 13 had the explosion, other astronauts including Ken Mattingly, and John Young, had a significant role in helping get them back home. Astronauts were not just great pilots, but they knew how to work with a team. No astronaut would get selected if they were a great test pilot, but couldn't work as a crew. One particular test pilot (Chuck ..) who never became an astronaut is a classic example of that. [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Schmitt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Schmitt