Maj. Gen. Joe Henry Engle, 26 Aug. 1932 – 10 July, 2024
Maj. Gen. Joe Henry Engle with a model of the Space Shuttle STS-51-I. He commanded the mission with pilot Richard O. Covey, and Mission Specialists, James D. A. van Hoften, John M. Lounge, and William F. Fisher. Photo taken on 3 Feb. 1986 (NASA photo S86-26417).
Joe Engle was a special kind of pilot – a true “stick and rudder man.” In an Air Force and NASA career that spanned 66 years, he logged over 14,700 hours of flight time, 9,900 in jet aircraft, and 225 hours in space as a Space Shuttle astronaut. He flew 16 flights of the X-15 rocket plane, three of which went above 50 miles and qualified him for Astronaut Wings.
Engle with NASA’s X-15-A-2 rocket plane on 2 December 1965. (NASA photo S93-41062).
After his X-15 flights, Joe entered the NASA astronaut program as a member of the Group 5 pilot selection. Stationed at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, he trained largely with my Group 4 scientist-pilots. Joe provided significant assistance during the Apollo Moon landing program, including an eight-day vacuum chamber test of the Apollo Command Module, serving as a member of the support crew for Apollo 10’s lunar orbit mission, and then assignment as Backup Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 14’s landing mission.
The space shuttle test vehicle Enterprise, named for the Sci-Fi Starship, with crew 2 of the “Approach and Landing Test” series of 5 test flights. The Commander is Joe Engle (left) and pilot, Richard Truly (right) on 17 Sept. 1976. (NASA photo).
Official portrait of the orbital STS-2 crew, Joe Engle as Commander (left) and Richard H. Truly as pilot (right) on 28 Aug, 2008 (NASA photo S81-34641).
Early in its beginnings, Joe volunteered to move into the Space Shuttle flight program. He became Commander of the second Approach and Landing test of the Space Shuttle Enterprise, before flying in Earth orbit as Commander of STS-2 and STS-51-1.
Over and above his flying skills, Joe was always the consummate gentleman.
God Speed, Joe.
Copyright © 2024 by Harrison H. Schmitt