Encyclopedia Astronautica
Frisbee


Frisbee, Walter American phantom cosmonaut. Mysterious tenth member of second NASA astronaut group. The fearless Frisby was in fact a joke on the NASA press corps created by astronauts Lovell and Conrad.

When the second group of astronauts began training, reporters overheard them discussing the exploits of the tenth member of their team, Walter Frisbee. Snatches of conversation between astronaut trainees James Lovell and Pete Conrad indicated that the talented Frisbee was being kept under wraps by NASA for mysterious reasons. He was reputed to be the son of a Romanian nobleman, and the best and most fearless test pilot that ever lived. Attempts by reporters to track down Frisbee were fruitless. Whichever astronaut they quizzed about him acknowledged his existence but said he was away at that moment undertaking some form of exotic training. Frisbee's name began to appear in news stories when NASA stepped in and ordered Lovell to cut it out - he and the other astronauts were just having a little fun at the expense of the press….

More... - Chronology...


Associated Countries
See also
  • Phantom Cosmonaut Over the years the Western press named a number of cosmonauts that were never acknowledged by the Soviet Union. Most were said to have died in space. More...

Associated Manufacturers and Agencies
  • NASA American agency overseeing development of rockets and spacecraft. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, USA, USA. More...

Bibliography
  • Ward, Bob, The Light Stuff, Jester Books, Huntsville, Alabama, 1982..

Home - Browse - Contact
© / Conditions for Use