Who was Joe Engle? Last surviving NASA astronaut to pilot an X-15 aircraft and a space shuttle dies at 91

On July 10, Joe Engle, a former NASA astronaut and Major General in the United States Air Force, passed away at his Houston residence.

By Marita Pinto

Published on Jul 13, 2024 | 12:44 PM IST | 47.5K

Image Courtesy: NASA

TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains references to an individual's death.

Joe Engle, a retired NASA astronaut and Major General in the U.S. Air Force, passed away on July 10 at his Houston residence. According to NASA, Engle died with his family by his side. Engle, who was 91 years old, is the only astronaut to have flown the space shuttle and the X-15.

Joe Engle- the last surviving NASA astronaut to pilot an X-15 aircraft dies at 91

After becoming the youngest astronaut in history at age 32, Engle started his spaceflight career when he piloted the X-15 for the US Air Force. As the final surviving X-15 pilot, he was an experienced spaceflight pilot when he joined NASA's astronaut program in 1966.

Bill Nelson wrote in a tweet, "General Joe Engle helped humanity's dreams take flight—in the X-15 program, the Apollo program, and as one of the first Shuttle commanders."

Who was Joe Engle?

Joe Engle was born on 26 August 1932 in Dickinson County, Kansas. Engle attended the University of Kansas, Lawrence, where he earned a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1955. He was commissioned and awarded his pilot wings in 1958 through the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Course.

He backed the Apollo Program as a NASA astronaut and served as Apollo 14's backup lunar module pilot. He piloted the space shuttle Enterprise in 1977 when it was released for approach and landing tests using a modified Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft.

He oversaw the space shuttle Columbia's second voyage in November 1981. As the sole pilot to manually steer an aeronautical vehicle from Mach 25 till landing, he holds a unique distinction.

With more than 14,000 flight hours, Engle piloted more than 180 different types of aircraft. Among his military awards are the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal, and the U.S. Air Force Distinguished Service Medal. He was admitted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor in 1992.

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