Astronaut Paul Weitz Dies At 85; Veteran Of Skylab And Shuttle Missions

American astronaut Paul J. Weitz, right, with Joseph P. Kerwin, left and Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr., center. The crew of the first manned Skylab mission is shown in May 1973.

Selected by NASA in 1966, Weitz went on to fly on the first manned Skylab mission and performed vital space walks to fix the stricken station. He later commanded the maiden flight of Challenger.

(Image credit: AP)