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Walker, Charles David

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Walker Credit: www.spacefacts.de

Status: Inactive; Active 1983-1985. Born: 1948-08-29. Spaceflights: 3 . Total time in space: 19.91 days. Birth Place: Bedford, Indiana.

Educated Purdue.

NAME: Charles D. Walker

MDC Payload Specialist

PERSONAL DATA:

Born in Bedford, Indiana, August 29, 1948. Married to the former Susan Y. Flowers, of Joplin, Missouri. One daughter. Recreational interests include photography, running, hiking, scuba diving, reading, collecting books on Space, and bonsai. His mother, Donna Lake Walker, resides in Bedford, Indiana; his father is deceased.

EDUCATION:

Graduated from Bedford High School, Bedford, Indiana, in 1966; received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Purdue University in 1971.

SPECIAL HONORS:

U.S. Patent No. 4,394,246, Electrophoresis Apparatus with Flow Control, issued 19 July 1983; NASA Space Flight Medal (1984, twice in 1985); Sagamore of the Wabash, State of Indiana (November 1984); Doctor of Science, honoris causa, St. Louis College of Pharmacy (1985); Aerospace Laurels Award, Aviation Week and Space Technology Magaine (1985); Lindbergh Award, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics - St. Louis Section (1986); NASA Group Achievement Award, as consultant to the 1987-88 Space Station Operations Task Force; Engineering Astronaut Alumnus Award, Purdue University Schools of Engineering (September 1989); Kentucky Colonel, Commonwealth of Kentucky (May 1990).

EXPERIENCE:

Following graduation from Purdue University he worked as a civil engineering technician, land acquisition specialist and forest firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service. Subsequently he was a design engineer with the Bendix Aerospace Company where he worked on aerodynamic analysis, missile subsystem design, and flight testing. He also was employed as project engineer with the Naval Sea Systems Command with responsibility for computer-controlled manufacturing systems. Mr. Walker joined the McDonnell Douglas Corporation in 1977 as a test engineer on the Aft Propulsion Subsystem for the Space Shuttle orbiters. He joined the Space Manufacturing (later named Electrophoresis Operations in Space, EOS) team as one of its original members. He shares in a patent for the McDonnell Douglas developed continuous flow electrophoresis (CFES) device. From 1979 to 1986, he was Chief Test Engineer and Payload Specialist for the McDonnell Douglas EOS commercialization project. Mr. Walker led the EOS laboratory test and operations team developing biomedical products. His contributions to the program included engineering planning, design and development, product research, and space flight and evaluation of the CFES device. He was involved with the program support activities at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, and at the Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas. He was responsible for training the NASA astronaut crews in the operation of the CFES payload on STS-4, STS-6, STS-7, and STS-8 shuttle flights during 1982 and 1983. In May 1986, Mr. Walker was appointed Special Assistant to the President of McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Company. Working in Washington, D.C. Mr. Walker has been an industry member of the NASA Microgravity Material Science Assessment Task Force, the NASA Space Station Office Quick-is Beautiful/Rapid Response Research Study Group, and the NASA Space Station Operations Task Force. He has been a member of the National Research Council's Space Applications Board. Mr. Walker was Faculty Course Advisor and lecturer for the International Space university 1988 summer session. He was a participant in the 1988 Center for Strategic and International Studies civil Space policy study. He served on the AIAA steering committee formulating the strategic plan for NASA's office of Commercial Programs. He has also served as treasurer and a board member of the Association of Space Explorers. Mr. Walkers has served as a board member of the Astronauts Memorial Foundation. He was the organizing committee chairman for the 1992 World Space Congress. He has been a national panel member of the NASA/Industry Manned Flight Awareness Program and the NASA/Industry Education Initiative. Mr. Walker advised the NASA/Purdue University space life support research center, a NASA/Penn State space commercial development center and a U.S. Department of Education/Ohio State University science education center. He is a member of the Council of Advisors to the Challenger Center for Space Science Education. Mr. Walker has served as the volunteer chairman of the board of directors of Spacecause, and is president of the National Space Society. He is a professional engineer registered in California. He has authored several papers and book contributions on the EOS electrophoresis program, space developement, commercialization, and space history. Mr. Walker has also writen columns and articles appearing in national newspapers and numerous other publications.

NASA EXPERIENCE:

While never an employee of NASA, he has been extensively involved in payload preparation and on-pad processing support activities at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, and in flight support at the Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas. He was responsible for training the NASA astronaut crews in the operation of the CFES payload on STS-4, STS-6, STS-7, and STS-8 shuttle flights during 1982 and 1983. Confirmed by NASA in 1983 as the first industrial payload specialist, Mr. Walker accompanied the McDonnell Douglas CFES equipment as a crew member on Space Shuttle missions 41-D, 51-D, and 61-B, accumulating 20 days of experience in space and traveling 8.2 million miles. Aboard these Space Shuttle missions Mr. Walker also performed early protein crystal growth experiments and participated as a test subject in numerous medical evaluations. Since 1986 Mr. Walker has served in various NASA study and review team capacities including as a member of the NASA Microgravity Material Science Assessment Task Force, the NASA Space Station Office Quick-is-Beautiful/Rapid Response Research Study Group, and the NASA Space Station Operations Task Force. He has served on the national panels of the NASA/Industry Manned Flight Awareness Program and the NASA/Industry Education Initiative.

CURRENTLY:

Mr. Walker is presently Senior Specialist for Advanced Space Programs Business Development with McDonnell Douglas Aerospace.

Photo Gallery

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Walker Credit: © Mark Wade

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STS-41-D Payload specialist Charles Walker works with CFES experiment Credit: NASA

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• Birth of Charles David Walker - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker. American engineer payload specialist astronaut 1983-1985. 3 spaceflights, 19.9 days in space. Flew to orbit on STS-41D (1984), STS-51D, STS-61B..

• X-15 awards. - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Crossfield, Walker, White, Robert. Program: X-15A. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Spacecraft: X-15A. Harmon International Aviator's Trophy for 1961 announced as going to three winners for the first time-X-15 rocket research airplane pilots: A. Scott Crossfield, of North American; Joseph A. Walker, of NASA, and Maj. Robert A. White, U.S. Air Force..

• STS-41-D - . Call Sign: Discovery. Crew: Coats, Hartsfield, Hawley, Mullane, Resnik, Walker. Payload: Discovery F01 / SBS 4[PAM-D] / Telstar 302[PAM-D]. Mass: 21,552 kg (47,514 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Coats, Hartsfield, Hawley, Mullane, Resnik, Walker. Agency: NASA Houston. Program: STS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: STS-41-D. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Discovery. Duration: 6.04 days. Decay Date: 1984-09-05 . USAF Sat Cat: 15234 . COSPAR: 1984-093A. Apogee: 307 km (190 mi). Perigee: 300 km (180 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 90.60 min.

  Manned six crew. First flight of space shuttle Discovery; deployed SBS 4, Leasat 1, Telstar 3C. Payloads: Satellite Business System (SBS)-D commu-nications satellite with Payload Assist Module (PAM)-D deployment, Syncom IV-2 communica-tions satellite with its unique stage deployment, Telstar (American Telephone and Telegraph) 3-C with PAM-D deployment, Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology (OAST)-1 experiments. Deployment and restowing of large solar array. Continuous Flow Electrophoresis (CFES). IMAX camera.

• Landing of STS-41-D - . Return Crew: Coats, Hartsfield, Hawley, Mullane, Resnik, Walker. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Coats, Hartsfield, Hawley, Mullane, Resnik, Walker. Program: STS. Flight: STS-41-D. STS-41-D landed at 13:39 GMT. .

• STS-51-AA (cancelled) - . Crew: Creighton, Fabian, Jarvis, Lucid, Nagel, Walker. Backup Crew: Konrad. Nation: USA. Program: STS. Flight: STS-51-AA. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Discovery. Planned shuttle mission. Cancelled due to payload delays..

• STS-51-D - . Call Sign: Discovery. Crew: Bobko, Garn, Griggs, Hoffman, Seddon, Walker, Williams, Donald. Payload: Discovery F04 / Anik C1[PAM-D] / Syncom-4 3 /Orbus. Mass: 16,249 kg (35,822 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Bobko, Garn, Griggs, Hoffman, Seddon, Walker, Williams, Donald. Agency: NASA Houston. Program: STS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: STS-51-D. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Discovery. Duration: 7.00 days. Decay Date: 1985-04-19 . USAF Sat Cat: 15641 . COSPAR: 1985-028A. Apogee: 535 km (332 mi). Perigee: 445 km (276 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 94.40 min.

  Manned seven crew. Payloads: Telesat (Canada communications satellite)-I with Payload Assist Module (PAM)-D deployment, Syncom IV-3 communications satellite deploy-ment with its unique stage (unique stage failed to ignite), Continuous Flow Electrophoresis (CFES), Phase Partitioning Experiment (PPE), student experiments, two getaway specials (GAS) Informal science studies (Toys in Space).

• Landing of STS-51-D - . Return Crew: Bobko, Garn, Griggs, Hoffman, Seddon, Walker, Williams, Donald. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Bobko, Garn, Griggs, Hoffman, Seddon, Walker, Williams, Donald. Program: STS. Flight: STS-51-D. STS-51-D landed at 13:50 GMT. .

• STS-61-B - . Call Sign: Atlantis. Crew: Cleave, Neri Vela, O Connor, Ross, Shaw, Spring, Walker. Payload: Atlantis F02 / EASE / ACCESS. Mass: 21,791 kg (48,040 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cleave, Neri Vela, O Connor, Ross, Shaw, Spring, Walker. Agency: NASA Houston. Program: STS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: STS-61-B. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Atlantis. Duration: 6.88 days. Decay Date: 1985-12-03 . USAF Sat Cat: 16273 . COSPAR: 1985-109A. Apogee: 370 km (220 mi). Perigee: 361 km (224 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 91.90 min.

  Manned seven crew. Deployed Morelos 2, Aussat 2, Satcom K2, OEX. Payloads: Deploy SATCOM (RCA-Satellite Communi-cations) Ku-2 with Payload Assist Module (PAM)-D II. Deploy Morelos (Mexico communications satellite)-B with PAM-D. Deploy AUSSAT (Australian communications satellite)-2 with PAM-D. EASE/ACCESS (Assembly of Structures— Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structures) by extravehicular activity (EVA) astronauts, Continuous Flow Electrophore-sis System (CFES), Diffusive Mixing of Organic Solutions (DMOS), IMAX camera, one getaway special (GAS), Linhof camera and Hasseblad camera.

• Landing of STS-61-B - . Return Crew: Cleave, Neri Vela, O Connor, Ross, Shaw, Spring, Walker. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cleave, Neri Vela, O Connor, Ross, Shaw, Spring, Walker. Program: STS. Flight: STS-61-B. STS-61-B landed at 21:33 GMT. .

• STS-61-M (cancelled) - . Crew: Fisher, William, Lee, O Connor, Ride, Shriver, Wood, Robert. Backup Crew: Walker. Payload: TDRS/IUS. Nation: USA. Program: STS. Flight: STS-61-M. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Challenger. Planned TDRS/IUS deployment shuttle mission. Cancelled after Challenger disaster. .

• STS-71-D (cancelled) - . Crew: Wood, Robert. Backup Crew: Walker. Payload: Communications satellites. Nation: USA. Program: STS. Flight: STS-71-D. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Columbia. Planned shuttle mission for deployment of commercial communications satellites. Cancelled after Challenger disaster. .

• Soyuz TMA-14 - . Call Sign: Altair. Crew: Barratt, Padalka, Simonyi. Backup Crew: Dyson, Surayev, Walker. Return Crew: Barratt, Laliberte, Padalka. Payload: Soyuz TMA s/n 224. Mass: 7,250 kg (15,980 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: RKA. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TMA-14. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Soyuz TMA. Duration: 198.66 days. Decay Date: 2009-10-11 . USAF Sat Cat: 34669 . COSPAR: 2009-015A. Apogee: 354 km (219 mi). Perigee: 344 km (213 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.50 min. Delivered EO-19 crew and space tourist Simonyi to ISS; returned EO-19 crew and space tourist Laliberte to earth on 11 October 2009 at 04:32 GMT..