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?
Sources
How many Apollo astronauts are still alive? As of August 2025, six Apollo astronauts are still alive: David Scott (Apollo 9 and 15), Russell Schwei
www.britannica.comMeet the Apollo astronauts still with us in 2025. Explore their stories, lessons for Artemis, and why their voices matter as humanity returns to the Moon.
apollo11space.comThe BBC checks in on "the pioneers of space exploration — the 24 Nasa astronauts who travelled to the Moon in the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s." Ken Mattingly and Frank Borman died within a few days of each other late last year. Now only eight people who have voyaged beyond the Ear...
science.slashdot.orgThe generation of NASA astronauts who traveled beyond Earth orbit is now in their 80s.
www.space.comThe generation of NASA astronauts who traveled beyond Earth orbit is now in their 80s.
www.space.comBuzz Aldrin, the second man and only one of 12 to ever walk on the moon, turns 96 today. He's just one of four living moonwalkers and the oldest remaining astronaut still making trips around the sun.
phys.orgAstronaut Thomas K. Mattingly, a rear admiral who flew on Apollo 16 and two space shuttle missions, died Tuesday, according to a NASA news release.
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