Legendary Apollo astronaut John Young has died, aged 87

NASA said Young actually made seven trips to space if you count his lunar lift-off. Photo / AP

Astronaut John Young has died at the age of 87.

In an statement on Twitter, NASA paid tribute to Young, the first person to fly six times from Earth to space.

"We're saddened by the loss of astronaut John Young, who was 87," NASA wrote on Twitter.

"Young flew twice to the Moon, walked on its surface & flew the first Space Shuttle mission."

We're saddened by the loss of astronaut John Young, who was 87. Young flew twice to the Moon, walked on its surface & flew the first Space Shuttle mission. He went to space six times in the Gemini, Apollo & Space Shuttle programs. pic.twitter.com/l4nSwUCMIq

— NASA (@NASA) January 6, 2018

NASA said Young actually made seven trips to space if you count his lunar lift-off.

Astronaut John Young, who walked on the moon and later commanded the first space shuttle flight, has died. Photo / AP

He was also the ninth of 12 people to walk on the moon. In total, he spent 835 hours in space flights.

Young held a number of titles during his 42-year career with NASA, including Chief of the Astronaut Office. He retired in 2004.

John Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, leaps from the lunar surface as he salutes the US flag in April 1972. Photo / AP

Former US president George HW Bush offered his condolences in a statement.

"Barbara and I join our fellow Americans and many friends in the space community in mourning the loss of astronaut John Young," the statement reads. "John was more than a good friend; he was a fearless patriot whose courage and commitment to duty helped our nation push back the horizon of discovery at a critical time."