Walker explains the technical details of his hydrogen peroxide-fueled rocket system, which uses a pneumatic air catapult to accelerate the craft to 30 miles per hour in just eight feet at launch. He describes oversized detachable fins that provide stability at low speeds, then shed at higher velocities. Walker also reveals he purchased a genuine Russian space suit and trained at Star City, where cosmonauts approved his physical fitness for spaceflight after withstanding eight Gs in their centrifuge.
The conversation takes a personal turn as Walker shares that he met his fiancee in Russia, a woman who had dreamed of becoming a cosmonaut as a child. He acknowledges the risks involved but emphasizes that survivability remains his top priority, and he will not launch unless three unmanned test flights succeed first.
Key Moments
The childhood-dream rocket plan: 30 miles up, alone: Walker explains the whole project: at 9 he realized he'd never make Mercury 7, so he kept the dream of building his own rocket. Now 45 and a successful toy inventor (Air Bazooka, Disney parks hit), he plans to launch himself 30 miles straight up - higher than the MiG-25 he flew at 80,000 feet last year.
Half-scale test rocket and the skydive escape plan: Walker reveals he's stepped back to a half-size test rocket on a 16-foot trailer with an air catapult that hits 30 mph in 8 feet. Plan: three empty test launches, then ride it himself to 15,000 feet, where the nose cone pops, a 26-foot chute deploys, and he jumps out and skydives the rest of the way down.
Cleared for Soyuz: 8 G's in the Star City centrifuge: Walker says the launch will pin him at six to eight G's for 90 seconds. He knows he can take it: in Russia he did 6 G's the first trip, 8 the next, and the doctor running the Star City centrifuge program said he would have cleared him for an actual Soyuz launch.
Hydrogen peroxide, James Bond's rocket belt, and the catapult philosophy: Walker walks through the propulsion: 30 gallons of 90% hydrogen peroxide reacting with silver to make steam - the same fuel as the Bell rocket belt seen in James Bond. He pivots to argue that all rockets should be Earth-catapulted to high velocity before lighting their own fuel, like climbing a 10-mile ladder with someone handing you supplies.
Russian fiancee changes the calculus: Walker reveals he met his fiancee in Russia during the MiG trip after months of email - she had wanted to be a cosmonaut as a girl - and is suddenly going from 46-year-old bachelor to married father of an 8-year-old. He concedes that having a family has made him more cautious than when he was 'ready to light the match.'