Thomas Stafford is an American astronaut and retired United States Air Force officer. He was born on July 17, 1926, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Stafford is best known for his role in the Gemini and Apollo space programs, where he participated in significant missions, including Apollo 10, which was a precursor to the first moon landing. In addition to his space missions, Stafford served as a test pilot and held various leadership positions within NASA. He was also involved in the development of the Space Shuttle program and contributed to the planning of future space exploration initiatives.