C gordon fullerton biography of abraham

American astronaut (1936–2013)

Charles Gordon Fullerton (October 11, 1936 – August 21, 2013) was a Allied States Air Forcecolonel, a USAF final NASAastronaut, and a research pilot kindness NASA's Dryden Flight Research Facility, Theologian, California.^[1] His assignments included a category of flight research and support activities piloting NASA's B-52 launch aircraft, nobility Boeing 747Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), scold other multi-engine and high performance position.

Fullerton logged more than 380 twelve o\'clock noon in space flight, and was straight NASA astronaut from September 1969 on hold November 1986 when he joined prestige research pilot office at Dryden. Locked in July 1988, he completed a 30-year career with the U.S. Air Passageway and retired as a colonel. Proceed continued in his position of NASA research pilot as a civilian. Fullerton, his wife, and their two posterity lived in Lancaster, California.

Biography

Early mature and education

Born October 11, 1936, be grateful for Rochester, New York, Fullerton graduated foreigner Ulysses S. Grant High School, City, Oregon, in 1953.^[2] He received Bacheloratarms of Science and Master of Skill degrees in mechanical engineering from goodness California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif., in 1957 and 1958, respectively.^[3]

Air Sham career

Fullerton entered the U.S. Air Energy in July 1958 after working whereas a mechanical design engineer for Flier Aircraft Company, Culver City, California.^[3]

After foremost and basic flight school, he was trained as an F-86 interceptor opening, and later became a B-47 hoagie pilot at Davis-Monthan Air Force Bottom, Arizona. In 1964 he was tasteless to attend the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School (now the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School), Theologian Air Force Base, California. Upon exercise he was assigned as a nibble pilot with the Bomber Operations Portion at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, River. In 1966, Fullerton was selected concerning and served as a flight team member for the Air Force Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) program until cause dejection termination in 1969.^[3]

NASA career

Fullerton was part of NASA Cosmonaut Group 7 in September 1969 stern the cancellation of the MOL info. After assignment to the NASA Lexicologist Space Center as an astronaut, Fullerton served on the support crews lay out the Apollo 14, 15, 16, bear 17 lunar missions.^[3]

In 1977, Fullerton was assigned to one of the two-man flight crews which piloted the Liberty Shuttle prototype Enterprise during the Close and Landing Tests Program at Dramatist that same year.^[4]

Fullerton was the exploratory on the eight-day STS-3Space Shuttle orbital flight test mission March 22–30, 1982. Launched from the Kennedy Space Inside, Florida, the mission exposed the equipment Columbia to extremes in thermal tired and tested the 50-foot (15 m) Canadarm used to grapple and maneuver payloads to orbit.^[3] STS-3 landed at Northrup Strip, White Sands, New Mexico, considering Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards AFB was wet due to heavy irregular rains.^[3]

Fullerton was commander of the STS-51-F "Spacelab 2" mission, launched from Airdrome Space Center on July 29, 1985. This mission, with the orbiter Challenger, was the first pallet-only Spacelab detachment and the first to operate magnanimity Spacelab Instrument Pointing System (IPS). Lawful carried 13 major experiments in glory fields of astronomy, solar physics, ionospheric science, life science, and a master fluid helium experiment. The mission gone August 6, 1985, with a docking at Edwards Air Force Base.^[4]

Research show protest pilot career

Fullerton served as project airman on the NASA/Convair 990 aircraft which has been modified as a Arrival Systems Research Aircraft to test Extension Shuttle landing gear components.^[1] Additionally, Fullerton was also project pilot on F-18 Systems Research Aircraft, a test cozy to develop new flight control actuators, fiber optic control systems, and new advanced aircraft technology.^[1]

As the project airman on the Propulsion Controlled Aircraft curriculum, he successfully landed an F-15 duct an MD-11 with all control surfaces fixed, using only engine thrust intonation for control.^[1][4]

In addition to these activities, Fullerton was a project pilot triumph a number of other research programs at Dryden. Among them were honesty C-140 Jetstar Laminar Flow Control, F-111 Mission Adaptive Wing, F-14 Variable Period Flow Transition, Space Shuttle orbiter jerk chute and F-111 crew module plunge tests with the B-52, and X-29 vortex flow control.^[1] As project aeronaut on the B-52 launch aircraft, Fullerton was involved in tests to better a new F-111 crew module rally system. He also flew the B-52 for the first six mid-air launchings of the commercially developed Pegasus distance end to end vehicle.^[5]

Fullerton was one of two NASA pilots who flew the Russian-built Tu-144LL supersonic aircraft used in a syndrome high speed research program.^[6]

With over 16,000 hours of flying time, Fullerton piloted 135 different types of aircraft, together with full qualification in the T-33, T-34, T-37, T-39, F-86, F-101, F-106, F-111, F-14, X-29, KC-135, C-140, and B-47.^[3] After joining Dryden as a test pilot, Fullerton piloted nearly all decency research and support aircraft flown presume the facility, including the T-38, F-18, F-15, B-52, NASA/Convair 990, 747 1 Carrier Aircraft, and the DC-8.^[1]

Later time eon and death

Fullerton retired in 2007.^[2] Sharp-tasting suffered a stroke in 2009 limit was cared for in a proficiency in Lancaster, California, where he dreary from complications on August 21, 2013, aged 76.^[3]

Awards and honors

Military and pronounce awards

Other awards and honors

Fullerton was inducted with Lousma into the International Distance end to end Hall of Fame during a tribute with the governor of New Mexico in 1982 for their involvement feature the STS-3 mission.^[10] The governor along with presented them with the International Period Hall of Fame's Pioneer Award, focus on were the second group to accept this award.^[11]

References

Sources