Astronaut's remains launched into space to orbit Earth

Bill Pogue was born in Okemah and lived for part of his life in Sand Springs. He served in the Air Force and went on to work with NASA in the 1960s.

He worked on a major project called Skylab. Pogue and his team spent four months in space, the longest of any mission at the time. They studied the long-term effects of zero gravity. Their research helped shape space travel as we know it.

This week, officials launched his remains on board a spacecraft as a special tribute to his legacy. His ashes are now orbiting the Earth once.