US astronaut Edgar Mitchell dies

Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell, who said he had an epiphany while in space and later told people he thought aliens had visited earth, has died.

Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the moon, has died in South Florida. (AAP)

Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the moon, has died in South Florida. He was 85.

Mitchell's daughter, Kimberly Mitchell, says he died on Thursday night at a West Palm Beach hospice after a short illness.

Mitchell's death coincides with the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 14 mission, from January 31-February 9, 1971. In that mission, Mitchell and Alan Shepard helped NASA recover from Apollo 13's aborted and near-fatal mission.

Mitchell later devoted his life to exploring the mind, physics and unexplained phenomena such as psychics and aliens.

He said aliens visited earth and faith healers were legit. He attempted to communicate telepathically with friends at home during his Apollo mission. He had an "epiphany" in space that focused him on studying consciousness, physics and other mysteries.

Apollo astronauts, seated from left, Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11; Richard Gordon, Apollo 12; Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14; Charlie Duke, Apollo 16; and Walter Cunningham, Apollo 7 Source: AAP