Iven C. Kincheloe Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Iven Carl Kincheloe Jr. July 2, 1928 |
| Died | July 26, 1958 (aged 30) Edwards Air Force Base, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Air crash |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Education | Purdue University, B.S. 1949 |
| Known for | near-space altitude record |
| Awards | Silver Star Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross (3) Air Medal (4) |
| Aviation career | |
| Air force |  United States Air Force |
| Battles | Korean War |
| Rank |  Captain |
Iven Carl "Kinch" Kincheloe Jr.[a][2] (July 2, 1928 – July 26, 1958)[3][4] was an American pilot. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, in which he was recognized as a flying ace. He continued as a test pilot after the war, participating in the Bell X-2 program, in which he set an altitude record of 126,200 feet (38,470 m) in 1956. For this suborbital flight above most of the atmosphere, he became known as "The First Spaceman".[4][5][6] He was selected for the Air Force's program to put a man in space,[7] but was killed in a plane crash in 1958.
- ^ Bryan, C. D. B. (1979-09-23). "The Right Stuff". The New York Times. Retrieved 2006-04-02.
- ^ "Astronaut bio: Robert L. Crippen". NASA, Johnson Space Center. 1997. Retrieved 2006-04-02.
- ^ Burns, Curtis A. (1975). "Capt. Iven C. Kincheloe Jr". National Museum of the United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 2006-02-25. Retrieved 2006-04-02.
- ^ a b "Captain Iven C. Kincheloe Jr". Air Force Link. Archived from the original on 2005-10-25. Retrieved 2006-04-02.
- ^ Mumford, Lou (September 10, 2006). "Cassopolis native was first man in space". South Bend Tribune. (Indiana). Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
- ^ "Kincheloe". Archived from the original on December 28, 2016.
- ^ "America's First Spaceman". NPR.org. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
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