Apollo 15 astronaut, Colonel Al Worden, thrills space fans in Sheffield

Colonel Al Worden was the command module pilot on Apollo 15 lunar mission of 1971.

It was the ninth manned mission of NASA's Apollo program, and the fourth to land on the moon.

Colonel Worden didn't set foot on the moon, as he was piloting the command module while David Scott and James Irwin landed in the lunar module.

It takes nothing away from his achievements, and the stories he has to tell about his time as an astronaut.

They keep the memories fresh in the 85-year-old’s mind.

Sheffield kids were enthralled during his lecture at Sheffield University on Friday.

Col Worden said he enjoyed talking to the pre-teens the most.

“Those who are in their 11th or 12th year are the ones I like to talk to, because they’re at the point where they’re making decisions about what they want to do in college,” he said.

“I try and keep it really simple for the smaller kids,” he said.

The adults had their turn tonight at a meet and greet at Curzon tonight, where he spoke in front of 40 people.

He has plenty of speaking engagements to keep him busy.

"I do enjoy a lot of it, but I also get to a point where I'd just as soon quit and go home," Col Worden said.

"It's hard to keep up the energy all the time, after a long time."