posted 11-20-2016 12:50 PM               

Space Cover #392: Stapp

I've been reading "Sonic Wind – The Story of John Paul Stapp and How a Renegade Doctor Became the Fastest Man on Earth" by Craig Ryan, an excellent biography of Dr. Stapp. It brought-to-mind a cover that had lain dormant in my miscellaneous box for years. So above is Smithsonian Milestones of Flight Number 22, commemorating Dr. Stapp's record setting rocket sled ride. It was postmarked on December 10, 1974 (the twentieth anniversary of that ride) at Holloman AFB, NM (the location of that ride). Sometime in the late 1980's or early 1990's, I mailed it to Dr. Stapp for his autograph that he graciously applied.

On December 10, 1954, Air Force Lt. Col. John P. Stapp rode a rocket sled along a 3500 ft. track to a speed of 632 mph, then slammed to a halt in 1.4 seconds as metal scoops under his sled ploughed through a trough of water between the rails of the track. Stapp, an Air Force Flight Surgeon, had set a world land speed record, but the violent deceleration was the real object of the test.

During the ride, Stapp suffered two black eyes, burns from his straps, and bruises from bits of sand; and his sinuses were blocked for three days. His vision blacked out as nine rockets with a total thrust of 40,000 lbs accelerated the 1-ton sled. The blackout changed to red-out during the violent deceleration at the end of the ride.

The test was the last of a series designed to determine the effect of supersonic bailouts on airmen. Stapp hoped to show that a man could survive supersonic bailout in an ejection seat without an elaborate ejection capsule. His findings were fundamental for the ejection system designs for the X-15, SR-71, and Space Shuttle OV-101 and -102 aircraft.

During 12 years on the project (1946 to 1958), he made 29 sled rides himself, and supervised tests on other human volunteers, animals, and dummies. These tests were originally performed at Muroc Army Air Field (later Edwards AFB) and then moved to a longer track at Holloman.

Stapp also performed research on high altitude effects on humans in the Man-High balloon program in the late 1950's and early 1960's with pilots Joe Kittinger and David Simon. Despite the beatings he took in his 29 rocket sled rides, he lived until 1999, dying at the ripe old age of 89. Not a pilot, but definitely of the right stuff...

Anyone else have covers pertaining to Dr. Stapp? If so, let's post them here! As always, I'll be glad to host your cover image if you need that - just email it to me.

posted 12-07-2016 08:14 PM               

Craig is an excellent writer, and also wrote "The Pre Astronauts" that features Stapp and others at Holloman, and co-authored Joe Kittinger's biography. His book "Sonic Wind" is equally as awesome.