Facts about Brian Walker
4 Good Links
Rocket Guy
An archived version of Walker's old official site, now defunctWhen Rocket Guy Dreams
Great lengthy 2000 article from the Online Floridian, including a chart of his planned flightBend, Oregon with the Rocket Guy
2008 update from some friendsPrepare for Liftoff
2006 Wired article with notes on his rocket crossbowShare this:
Brian Walker Biography
Brian Walker announced in 2000 that he was building his own manned rocket that he hoped would blast him into the upper atmosphere. Walker is an inventor whose successful toy designs include the Air Bazooka, the Celestial Seeker, and the Alien Orbiter. Walker called his planned rocket Project R.U.S.H., an acronym for “rapid up super high.” The rocket was not intended to send him into orbit but to boost him over 30 miles above the Earth. The launch, originally planned for 2001, was delayed several times and never came to fruition. In 2006, Wired magazine published a story saying that Walker had altered his plans and intended to use a giant crossbow to help launch a jet-powered craft nearly 20 miles into the atmosphere. Walker’s official site has since gone offline and he has retreated from the public eye.
Extra credit
For another contemporary inventor, see Dean Kamen. American inventors of the past nclude Thomas Edison and George Washington Carver. See also our profiles of space pioneers Neil Armstrong and Ham the Chimp.