The David Simons care team has reported to me that this former USAF flight surgeon, my hero from our days of space medicine research, is near death.
Pneumonia and kidney failure soon will take what life remains in this remarkable man who established himself with a 30 hour balloon trip to the edge of space to study galactic cosmic radiation.
This is the man who personally designed and fabricated his gondola and engineered every detail of his environmental support system to permit him and his experimental mice reasonable comfort 20 miles above the surface of Earth for 30 hours.
This was August 1957, six weeks before the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite.
Dave showed me his salt and pepper mice after his return from his historic flight. These black mice told me the story of their bodies being pierced many times by these unseen cosmic darts but only the ones to the brain would be important. Dave was a visionary always looking just over the horizon to see what was coming.
When I first met Dave, I was a newcomer to the field of space medicine and was making the rounds at the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, meeting with those who already had established themselves in this new field of medicine.
I had just vacated the office of Hubertus Strughold MD, known by all as the grandfather of space medicine. He had come over with the German contingent as part of Von Braun's team and was now a dignitary at the School. "You must see Doctor Simons' mice," he counseled me. "This young man is looking way into the future. He has already been to space."
If I had ever had an older brother, Dave Simons was the way I would have wanted him to look. He was tall and slim with body motion radiating warmth but his eyes really got you - they were looking through you.
Farewell, Dave, a friend and mentor. A true pioneering hero.
Duane Graveline MD MPHFormer USAF Flight SurgeonFormer NASA Astronaut
Retired Family Doctor
I was fortunate to be able to attend and make a presentation with Dr Simons at the 50th anniversary of his balloon ride to the edge of space, back in August 2007.
To read about and see some pictures from that day, follow this link:
