Charles D. Walker
- STS -41 -D ( 1984)
- STS -51 -D ( 1984)
- STS 61- B ( 1985)
Charles David Walker ( born August 29, 1948 in Bedford, Indiana, United States) is a former American astronaut.
Walker received in 1971 a Bachelor in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Purdue University.
After his studies, Walker worked as a civil engineer, surveyor and forest fire fighter for the United States Forest Service. He then moved to Bendix Aerospace Company. In 1977, he came as a test engineer for drive system of the space shuttle to McDonnell Douglas. He is a member of Electrophoresis Operations in Space (EOS) team. He also holds a patent for the continuous-flow electrophoresis device ( CFES ).
Astronauts activity
From 1979 to 1986, chief engineer and payload specialist Walker in the EOS project by McDonnell Douglas. He supervised the CFES experiment and had other astronauts in the CFES - device over which the shuttle missions STS -4, STS -6, STS -7 and STS -8 flew into space. In its own space flights also accompanied him CFES equipment.
STS -41 -D
On his first space flight payload specialist Walker was on the maiden flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery on August 30, 1984. Besides the commander he and the other four crew members were all Space newbies. During the six- day mission, the three satellites SBS -D, SYNCOM IV -2 were (also known as LEASAT 2) exposed and Telstar 3 -C. In addition, the solar cell 1 ODST experiment and the experiment CFES - III were performed to investigate the crystal growth. In addition, recordings with an accompanying IMAX camera has been made. With the robotic arm of the shuttles had to be removed from the orbiter during the mission dangerous sheets of ice.
STS -51- D
On April 12, 1985 Walker started as a payload specialist aboard the space shuttle Discovery for the second time into space. Payload were the two satellites TELESAT -9 and LEASAT - third In the latter, however, the automatic startup of the antenna and the engine did not work. Despite a space exit by the astronauts Jeffrey Hoffman and David Griggs, this defect could not be corrected.
STS -61- B
On November 27, 1985 Walker started as a payload specialist aboard the space shuttle Atlantis into space. As part of this mission, the three communications satellites Morelos -B ( Mexico), AUSSAT -2 ( Australia) and SATCOM KU -2 were exposed. In two spacewalks his fellow astronaut Jerry Ross and Sherwood Spring proven method of assembling of structural elements in space.
According to the NASA
Currently, Walker is working in the space program from Boeing.
Private
Charles Walker is married and has one child.