David M. Walker
David Mathieson Walker was a United States Navy captain, naval aviator, test pilot, and four-flight NASA astronaut. He piloted one shuttle mission and commanded three others, including the Magellan Venus deployment flight.
- Born
- May 20, 1944
- Died
- April 23, 2001
- Birthplace
- Columbus, Georgia,United States
Flights
4
Spacewalks
0
EVA time
N/A
In space
30 days, 4 hours, 27 minutes
Bio
Walker graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1966 and served as a naval aviator, including combat flying and test pilot work. NASA selected him in the 1978 astronaut group.
He piloted STS-51-A, the satellite recovery mission flown by Frederick Hauck's crew. He then commanded STS-30, which deployed Magellan to Venus; STS-53, a Department of Defense mission; and STS-69, a Wake Shield Facility and Spartan payload mission.
Walker died of cancer in 2001. His career moved from shuttle pilot to three-time , including the planetary-science importance of Magellan and the operational significance of his satellite and payload missions.