July 11 (UPI) -- Friends, family and former colleagues are mourning the death of retired astronaut Joe Engel, 91, who died in his Houston home on Wednesday, NASA announced.
Engel was a U.S. Air Force major general and the only astronaut to pilot both the X-15 fighter jet and the space shuttle.
"A natural pilot, Gen. Joe Engle helped humanity's dreams take flight -- in the X-15 program, the Apollo Program and as one of the first commanders in the Space Shuttle Program," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement.
"He was one of the first astronauts I met at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. I'll never forget his big smile, his warmth and his courage. We all will miss him."
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