Hildreth “Hal” Walker—the Man who Successfully Fired the Laser to the Moon: Apollo 11 Moon Landing Mission I f you want to know who the man is that fired the KORAD K-1500 Ruby Laser to the moon success-
science and technology programs in townships and schools across South Africa. Prof. Walker and Dr. Bettye are mak- ing history as they are opening the first chapter of the National Space Society on the African Continent, the Cape Town Space Society on February 27, 2019. The Media Launch is Feb- ruary 21, 2019, both at Buren High School, 26 Poole St. Brooklyn, Cape Town, 7405, South Africa. Professor Walker is an amazing man, that has important stories to tell, as he moves forward in the world of science and technology generously sharing his knowledge to the world. Aerospace engineer and scientist Hildreth “Hal” Walker, an early pio- neer in the field of laser telemetry who, amongst other accomplishments, was the only person to successfully fire the Laser to the Moon dur- ing the Apollo 11 Moon Landing in 1969. Walker’s space technol- ogy involvements began in 1959 as a technical member of the RCA Corporation’s BMEWS (Ballistic Missile Early Warning System) situ-
fully, look no further, it’s Hildreth (Hal) Walker, Jr. Truly a NASA "Hidden Figure," Walker led the manufacturing, testing and operation of the KORAD K-1500 ruby laser system in 1969 dur- ing the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. The Lunar La- ser Ranging Experiment was the only interactive planetary experiment that took place for the first Moon Landing. Walker’s key role for KORAD who was con- tracted by NASA was discovered 25 years later. Walker’s Apollo 11 Lunar Laser Ranging Inter- planetary Experiment was replicated in 1994, in an interactive exhibit located in the Hands-on Science section of Sci- ence in American Life at the National Smithson- ian Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Walker was also honored in the exhibit’s permanent section, “The New Moon.” Brother Walker explains, “When America needed its best, they sought peo- ple like me out which is why I ended up working
on the first ever science project in outer space. But ultimately it’s your inner space that defines everything.” Walker was selected by Dr. Jerome Lemelson, the third leading inventor in American History, to make the Inaugural pre- sentation at the National Smithsonian Museum’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation in Washing- ton, D.C. Today, Professor Hal Walker spends his time working on the non-prof- it organization African American Male Achiev- ers Network (A-MAN), Inc. STEM International Science Center, that he
co-founded along with his wife Dr. Bettye Walk- er in 1991. A-MAN is dedicated to building the leaders and participants in science and technol- ogy for tomorrow. They share their legacy with the students and provide experiences that prepare them to attend higher academic institutions and begin fulfilling the nation’s leadership and technological needs. "In the 21 st Century, we must use technology as a solution and promote technologists," says Walker. In 1997, President Nel- son Mandela invited the Hildreth and Bettye to establish and implement
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