The Explorers' Club, № DCCLXXX

Operation AXIOM: The Space Race—In Memoriam Ted Freeman
31 October 1964: Captain Theodore C. "Ted" Freeman, U.S.A.F. (1930-1964) died after ejecting from his T-38 Talon, which crashed due to a bird strike; a graduate of the Naval Academy with a Masters from the University of Michigan, Freeman earned his pilot's license at age sixteen & was selected in Astronaut Group 3 in October 1963; he was survived by his wife & their daughter, both named Faith.

Commentary: Ted Freeman was the first member of the N.A.S.A. Astronaut Corps to perish in man's conquest of space; he would not be the last, but as long as the United States still has astronauts exploring space, none of those deaths will be in vain.

Bonus! Space Race Song o' the Day: In Memoriam
The Phenomenauts, "Heroes" from For All Mankind (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Semper exploro.