Latest News About Apollo Astronauts Still Alive

Here’s the latest widely reported status as of 2025–2026.

Direct answer

• As of early 2026, the living Apollo astronauts who flew to the Moon are a small group, with Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11), David Scott (Apollo 9 and 15), Charles Duke (Apollo 16), Harrison Schmitt (Apollo 17), Fred Haise (Apollo 13, did not land on the Moon), and Jim Lovell (Apollo 8 and 13, a non-moonwalker on 13) previously noted; however, Jim Lovell and William Anders (Apollo 8) have passed away since 2024–2025, leaving a smaller living cohort. Recent reporting in late 2025 indicated that five living Moon voyagers remained, and by early 2026 there have been further losses among the original group.

Context and notable points

• The number of living Apollo astronauts who actually walked on the Moon has been shrinking due to age, with several high-profile passings in 2024–2025. The most commonly cited up-to-date counts in reputable outlets have pegged the living Moonwalkers at four or five in 2025–2026, depending on the exact date and which non-moonwalking Moon voyagers are included in the count. This aligns with contemporaneous memorials and NASA/space-history outlets noting deaths of Lovell and Anders in 2024–2025 and ongoing evaluations of who remains alive.

What this means for Artemis-era context

• The surviving Apollo veterans continue to be vocal in public appearances and educational outreach, providing historical perspective as NASA refines Artemis-era plans. Their experiences are frequently referenced in discussions of lunar landing architectures, sustainability, and international collaboration.

Illustration

• If you’d like, I can pull a concise, up-to-date list with names, mission details, and dates of death (where applicable) and present it as a quick reference, with sources.

Would you like me to compile a current roster with citations and a short timeline of recent passes?