| Russell L. Rogers | |
|---|---|
| File:Russell Lee Rogers.jpg | |
| Born | April 12, 1928 |
| Died | September 13, 1967 (aged 39) |
| Place of birth | Lawrence, Kansas, U.S. |
| Place of death | Kadena AFB, Okinawa, Japan |
| Rank |
 Lieutenant Colonel, USAF |
Russell Lee Rogers (April 12, 1928 – September 13, 1967), (Lt Col, USAF), was an American electrical engineer, U.S. Air Force officer, test pilot, and astronaut in the X-20 Dyna-Soar program.
Early life and education[]
Rogers was born on April 12, 1928, in Lawrence, Kansas.[1] He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado in 1958.[2] He was married with five children.[3]
Test pilot[]
Rogers flew 142 missions as a fighter pilot during the Korean War.[4]:3 As a USAF Test Pilot School graduate,[5] he was an experimental test pilot at Edwards AFB, California. During this assignment, Rogers served as a key member of the team that tested the Northrop T-38 Talon jet trainer.[6] In April 1960, he was selected for the X-20 program.[2] After several years supporting the Boeing-led program as a pilot consultant,[4]:4 Rogers left the X-20 program on December 10, 1963, when it was cancelled.[7]:3[8]
After the X-20 program, he remained in the U.S. Air Force on active flight duty as a pilot[2] and was commander of the 12th Tactical Fighter Squadron with the rank of Lt. Colonel at the time of his death.[9]
Death[]
Rogers was killed when the engine of his F-105 fighter plane failed near Kadena AFB, Okinawa, Japan on September 13, 1967.[2] He ejected from his aircraft, but his parachute failed to deploy properly. He was 39 years old.
References[]
- ↑ United States Astronauts. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. 1963. p. 75. https://www.google.com/books/edition/United_States_Congressional_Serial_Set/qgs7AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Russell%20L.%20Rogers. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Astronauts and Cosmonauts Biographical and Statistical Data. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. 1975. p. 107. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Astronauts_and_Cosmonauts_Biographical_a/bacyGt0F0gwC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA107. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ↑ "Mary Ann Rogers Obituary". Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. December 29, 2001. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15925476/mary-ann-rogers-obituary/.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jury, William (November 1963). "Saddle The Dragon". Seattle, Washington: The Boeing Company. https://cdm16608.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/api/collection/p16608coll1/id/1058/download.
- ↑ Eppley, Charles V. (March 1963). "History of the USAF Experimental Flight Test School 4 February 1951 – 12 October 1961". Fort Belvoir, Virginia: Defense Technical Information Center. pp. 24–25. https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/400112.pdf. ""Rogers graduated with class 58-C""
- ↑ Miller, Ed Mack (March 1, 1961). "This Trainer Can GO, GO, GO". Arlington, Virginia: Air Force Association. https://www.airforcemag.com/article/0361talon/.
- ↑ Shayler, David J.; Snowdon, Philip W. (January 1981). "America's Forgotten Astronauts". London, England: British Interplanetary Society. ISSN 0038-6340. https://archive.org/details/Spaceflight1981.
- ↑ Shayler, David; Burgess, Colin (2017). "The last of NASA's original pilot astronauts". Springer International. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Last_of_NASA_s_Original_Pilot_Astron/GtgoDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PR25&printsec=frontcover.
- ↑ "12 Special Operations Squadron (AFSOC)". United States Air Force. October 29, 2018. https://www.afhra.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/1674927/12-special-operations-squadron-afsoc/.
External links[]
- Astronautix biography of Russell L. Rogers
- Spacefacts biography of Russell L. Rogers
- Russell L. Rogers at Find a Grave
The original article can be found at Russell L. Rogers and the edit history here.