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Gene Kranz speaks to an audience over video stream during the Gathering of the Eagles at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. May 7, 2024. Kranz started his aeronautical journey as an F-86 pilot in the U.S. Air Force, serving in Korea. Later, he joined NASA and became one of its first and most famous flight directors, overseeing missions like Gemini 5, Apollo 11, Apollo 13, and Apollo 17. Eventually, he became NASA's mission operations director before retiring. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Evan Porter)