Joe Engle

Joe Engle

Joe Henry Engle (born August 26, 1932 in Chapman, Kansas) is a retired U.S. Air Force Major General and a former NASA astronaut. He was married to the late Mary Catherine Lawrence of Mission Hills, Kansas and has two grown children and one stepchild. He is currently married to Jeanie Carter Engle of Houston, Texas. Engle's recreational interests include flying (including World War II fighter aircraft), big game hunting, back-packing and athletics. He received a bachelor of science in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Kansas in 1955. He was a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. Engle helped to flight test the joint NASA-Air Force X-15 rocket airplane. During the course of testing, Engle earned his USAF astronaut wings, a Distinguished Flying Cross and other awards. Engle was one of the first astronauts in the Space Shuttle program, having flight tested the Space Shuttle Enterprise in 1977. He was commander of the second orbital test flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1981.