| Walker Joseph | ||
Personal: Male, Married, Four children. Born in Washington, Pennsylvania, USA. Killed in collision of F-104 chase plane with XB-70 bomber. NASA US Army Astronaut Career Astronaut Group: Man-In-Space-Soonest - 1958, Test Pilot (USAF). Deceased Entered space service: 1960. Left space service: 22 August 1963. Number of Flights: 3.00. Total Time: 0.0223 days. Born in Washington Pennsylvania; married, four children. Received BA degree in physics in 1942 from Washington and Jefferson College. Joined Army Air Force and flew P-38's in World War II. Joined NACA in March 1945 and served as project pilot on D-558, X-1, X-3, X-4, and X-5 before being assigned chief X-15 pilot for NASA. Obtained both USAF and FAI astronaut wings on record 108 km flight. After X-15 tested LLRV lunar module trainer. Killed when F-104 he was flying in formation with XB-70 number 2 became caught in a vortex, went out of control, colliding with the XB-70 and resulting in the destruction of both aircraft.Official NASA Biography Joseph A. Walker was a Chief Research Pilot at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center during the mid-1960s. He joined the NACA in March 1945, and served as project pilot at the Edwards flight research facility on such pioneering research projects as the D-558-1, D-558-2, X-1, X-3, X-4, X-5, and the X-15. He also flew programs involving the F-100, F-101, F-102, F-104, and the B-47. Walker made the first NASA X-15 flight on March 25, 1960. He flew the research aircraft 24 times and achieved its fastest speed and highest altitude. He attained a speed of 4,104 mph (Mach 5.92) during a flight on June 27, 1962, and reached an altitude of 354,300 feet on August 22, 1963 (his last X-15 flight). He was the first man to pilot the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) that was used to develop piloting and operational techniques for lunar landings. Walker was born February 20, 1921, in Washington, Pa. He lived there until graduating from Washington and Jefferson College in 1942, with a B.A. degree in Physics. During World War II he flew P-38 fighters for the Air Force, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with Seven Oak Clusters. Walker was the recipient of many awards during his 21 years as a research pilot. These include the 1961 Robert J. Collier Trophy, 1961 Harmon International Trophy for Aviators, the 1961 Kincheloe Award and 1961 Octave Chanute Award. He received an honorary Doctor of Aeronautical Sciences degree from his alma mater in June of 1962. Walker was named Pilot of the Year in 1963 by the National Pilots Association. He was a charter member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, and one of the first to be designated a Fellow. He was fatally injured on June 8, 1966, in a mid-air collision between an F-104 he was piloting and the XB-70. Walker Joseph Spaceflight Log
Walker Joseph Chronology 27 August 1951 - XS-1 Flight 153. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 52. Pilot familiarization. Reached mach 1.16 at 13420 m during four-cylinder run. 23 October 1951 - XS-1 Flight 155. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 54. Engine cut out after two ignition attempts; propellants jettisoned and flight completed as glide flight. Plane subsequently grounded because of possibility of fatigue failure of nitrogen spheres. 20 July 1955 - X-1A Flight 25. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 1. Familiarization. Walker attained mach 1.45 at 13725 m. Noted severe aileron buzz at mach 0.90 to 0.92. 8 August 1955 - X-1A Flight 26. Assignment: Prime Crew. Planned at NACA flight 2. Shortly before launch from B-29, X-1A suffered low-order explosion, later traced to detonation of Ulmer leather gaskets. Walker exited into B-29 bomb bay. 12 December 1955 - X-1E Flight 2. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 1. Glide flight for pilot check-out and low speed evaluation. 15 December 1955 - X-1E Flight 3. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 2. First powered flight. Engine ran at excessive pressure, 4 overspeeds of turbopump and 2 automatic shutdowns. Power terminated by pilot. 3 April 1956 - X-1E Flight 4. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 3. Mach 0.85 at 9150 m. Damping characteristics good; number 1 cylinder failed to fire. 30 April 1956 - X-1E Flight 5. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 4. Turbopump did not start; no engine operation. 11 May 1956 - X-1E Flight 6. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 5. Wind-up turns to Clmas from mach 0.69 to 0.84; also control pulses. 7 June 1956 - X-1E Flight 7. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 6. Mach 1.55 at 13725 m. Longitudinal and lateral trim changes in transonic region found annoying to pilot. 18 June 1956 - X-1E Flight 8. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 7. Mach 1.74 at 18300 m. Damaged on landing. 26 July 1956 - X-1E Flight 9. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 8. Subsonic because cylinders 3 and 4 world not fire. 31 August 1956 - X-1E Flight 10. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 9. Mach 2.0 at 18300 m. Sideslips, pulses, rolls. 14 September 1956 - X-1E Flight 11. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 10. Mach 2.1 at 18910 m. Stabilizer, rudder, and aileron pulses. 20 September 1956 - X-1E Flight 12. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 11. Brief engine power only; flight aborted, unspecified engine malfunction. 3 October 1956 - X-1E Flight 13. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 12. Only 60-sec rocket operation; intermittent pump operation. Flight aborted, turbopump and engine replaced. 20 November 1956 - X-1E Flight 14. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 13. No engine operation, ignition failure due to lack of manifold pressure. 25 April 1957 - X-1E Flight 15. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 14. Mach 1.71 at 20435 m. Aileron and rudder pulses. 15 May 1957 - X-1E Flight 16. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 15. Mach 2.0 at 22,265 m. Aileron pulses and rolls, sideslips, and wind-up turns. Plane severely damaged upon landing. 19 September 1957 - X-1E Flight 17. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 16. Planned mach number not attained, loss of power during pushover from climb. 8 October 1957 - X-1E Flight 18. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 17. Mach 2.24. 14 May 1958 - X-1E Flight 19. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 18. First flight with ventral fins; longitudinal and lateral stability and control maneuvers. Engine airstart made at 21,350 m. 10 June 1958 - X-1E Flight 20. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 19. Flight aborted after only 1 cylinder of engine fired. Plane damaged on landing. 25 June 1958 - Man-In-Space-Soonest. Assignment: Proposed Prime Crew. Flight: Man-In-Space-Soonest. In a US Air Force briefing a preliminary astronaut selection for the Man-In-Space Soonest project is made. The list consisted of USAF test pilots Robert Walker, Scott Crossfield, Neil Armstrong, Robert Rushworth, William Bridgeman, Alvin White, Iven Kincheloe, Robert White, and Jack McKay. This was the first preliminary astronaut selection in history. The project was cancelled when NASA was formed in and took responsibility for all manned space flight on 1 August 1958. Prospective contractors estimated it would take from 12 to 30 months to put the first American in orbit. In retrospect the orbital flight portion of NASA's Mercury program was paced by the availability of the Atlas booster. Therefore it is unlikely Man-in-Space-Soonest would have put an American in orbit any earlier than Mercury. 10 September 1958 - X-1E Flight 21. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 20. Stability and control investigation with ventral fins. 17 September 1958 - X-1E Flight 22. Assignment: Prime Crew. NACA flight 21. Stability and control with ventral fins and a new stabilizer bell crank permitting greater stabilizer travel. 25 March 1960 - X-15A Test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Maximum Speed - 2124 kph. Maximum Altitude - 14822 m. Roll damper malfunctioned. 19 April 1960 - X-15A Test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Maximum Speed - 2718 kph. Maximum Altitude - 18134 m. 12 May 1960 - X-15A Test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Maximum Speed - 3397 kph. Maximum Altitude - 23738 m. 4 August 1960 - X-15A Test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Maximum Speed - 3533 kph. Maximum Altitude - 23809 m. Unofficial world speed record. This topped Captain Apt's speed of 2,094 mph attained in the X-2 on September 27, 1956. 30 March 1961 - X-15A Alt., BCS, Aero Test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Maximum Speed - 4441 kph. Maximum Altitude - 51700 m. 25 May 1961 - X-15A Mach 5, SAS, Aero Test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Maximum Speed - 5321 kph. Maximum Altitude - 32850 m. 12 September 1961 - X-15A Mach 5, Aerodynamics, Stability test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Maximum Speed - 5821 kph. Maximum Altitude - 34840 m. Smoke in cockpit due to scorching paint. 17 October 1961 - X-15A Mach 5, Aero, Stab Test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Maximum Speed - 6275 kph. Maximum Altitude - 33100 m. 19 April 1962 - X-15A ASAS, alpha 20, M=5 Test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Maximum Speed - 6220 kph. Maximum Altitude - 46940 m. 30 April 1962 - X-15A Alt, Low q, Aero Test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Design altitude flight. Maximum Speed - 5614 kph. Maximum Altitude - 75190 m. 7 June 1962 - X-15A Local flow, M=5 Test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Maximum Speed - 5908 kph. Maximum Altitude - 31580 m. 27 June 1962 - X-15A High alpha, Mach 6 Test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Unofficial world speed record. Maximum Speed - 6603 kph. Maximum Altitude - 37700 m. 16 July 1962 - X-15A Notch/ASAS/Aero drag Test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Maximum Speed - 5911 kph. Maximum Altitude - 32670 m. 2 August 1962 - X-15A MH-96 fixed gain Test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Maximum Speed - 5532 kph. Maximum Altitude - 44040 m. 14 August 1962 - X-15A Const Theta Entry Test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Maximum Speed - 6029 kph. Maximum Altitude - 59010 m. New reentry technique using pitch angle instrument instead of AOA. 20 December 1962 - X-15A VO Stab, MH-96 Test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Maximum Speed - 6103 kph. Maximum Altitude - 48900 m. 17 January 1963 - X-15A VO Alt, IR expt Test/Technology mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: X-15 Flight 77. First civilian flight above 80 km. Maximum Speed - 5917 kph. Maximum Altitude - 82810 m. Second astronaut wings flight (USAF definition). 18 April 1963 - X-15A HT,Local flow,IR Test/Technology mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Nose landing gear failed. Maximum Speed - 6066 kph. Maximum Altitude - 28190 m. 2 May 1963 - X-15A APU,UVP,IR,flow Test/Ultraviolet Astronomy/Technolgy mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Maximum Speed - 5612 kph. Maximum Altitude - 63820 m. Carried earth background radiation instrument in support of Midas reconnsat development. 29 May 1963 - X-15A Aero heating/VO Stab Test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Inner panel of left windshield cracked. Maximum Speed - 6208 kph. Maximum Altitude - 28040 m. 25 June 1963 - X-15A Opt Deg/Trav Probe Technology mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Maximum Speed - 6293 kph. Maximum Altitude - 34080 m. 9 July 1963 - X-15A Opt Deg/TravP/RAS Technology/Test mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Maximum Speed - 5842 kph. Maximum Altitude - 69010 m. 19 July 1963 - X-15A VO,UVP,IR,HS,Balloon Test/Technology/Ultraviolet Astronomy mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: X-15 Flight 90. Maximum Speed - 5969 kph. Maximum Altitude - 106010 m. Astronaut wings flight. 80 cm diameter balloon dragged on 30 m line to measure air density. First X-15 astronaut flight (FAI definition); fourth astronaut wings flight (USAF definition). 22 August 1963 - X-15A VO,Spectrom,Photom Test/Aeronomy mission. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: X-15 Flight 91. Unofficial world altitude record. Maximum Speed - 6105 kph. Maximum Altitude - 107960 m. Second X-15 astronaut flight (FAI definition); fifth astronaut wings flight (USAF definition). 8 June 1966 - Test Pilot Joseph Albert Walker dies at age of 45 -- Killed in collision of F-104 chase plane with XB-70 bomber.. Bibliography and Further Reading
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