1. Joe Henry Engle: A Life in Aviation and Space
2. X-15 Program and NASA Astronaut Selection
3. Apollo Missions and Shuttle Development
4. Space Shuttle Missions
5. Retirement and Legacy
6. Personal Life

Joe Henry Engle: A Life in Aviation and Space

Early Life and Military Career

Joseph Henry Engle was born on August 26, 1932, in Abilene, Kansas. He graduated from Chapman High School and served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps during college. After graduating from Kansas University in 1955 with a degree in aeronautical engineering, he entered active duty and pursued a career as a test pilot.

X-15 Program and NASA Astronaut Selection

In 1963, Engle was selected to participate in the X-15 program, where he made three suborbital flights in 1965, exceeding 50 miles in altitude and earning him astronaut wings by Air Force standards. In 1966, he became the first person to join NASA's astronaut corps with prior spaceflight experience.

Apollo Missions and Shuttle Development

Engle was initially assigned to the Apollo 10 support crew before being promoted to the Apollo 14 backup crew and Apollo 17 lunar module pilot. However, due to the Apollo program's cancellation, he relinquished his crew seat to geologist Harrison Schmitt. Engle's X-15 experience proved invaluable in the development of the Space Shuttle program. He commanded the 1977 Approach and Landing Test flights of the Enterprise orbiter.

Space Shuttle Missions

As the commander of STS-2 in 1981, Engle piloted the first reflown crewed spacecraft and assisted in testing the Canadian robotic arm, Canadarm. In 1985, he commanded STS-51I aboard the Discovery shuttle, deploying three telecommunications satellites and repairing SYNCOM IV-3.

Retirement and Legacy

After retiring from the U.S. Air Force in 1986, Engle served in the Kansas Air National Guard and worked as an aerospace and sports equipment consultant. He remained an avid pilot, flying high-performance aircraft and vintage World War II fighter planes. Engle passed away on July 10, 2024, at the age of 91, and is remembered as the last living X-15 pilot.

Personal Life

Engle was married to Mary Katherine Laurence and had two children. His hobbies included fishing, hunting, and piloting F-15s, F-16s, and World War II fighter aircraft.

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