On Dec. 10, 1954, at Holloman AFB in New Mexico, the Sonic Wind No. 1 rocket sled let loose 40,000 pounds of thrust and propelled Air Force flight surgeon Col. John Stapp more than 3,000 feet in a matter of seconds. He came to a stop just as fast, experiencing a force equivalent of approximately four tons — 46.2G. Although bruised and badly shaken, Col. Stapp survived without permanent injury and walked away with a world land speed record of 632 mph. That’s faster than a 45 caliber bullet shot from a pistol. Stapp described what it felt like: “I felt a sensation in the eyes, somewhat like the extraction of a molar without anesthetic.” That didn’t deter Stapp from wanting to go even faster. He planned to add a few more solid fuel rocket motors to the back of the sled and break the 1,000 mph threshold, but his Air Force superiors said no, as they didn’t believe he would survive. What prompted Stapp to take such extreme personal risks? Quite simply, he wanted to understand human responses to acceleration, deceleration, and windblast to improve pilot safety, especially in cases of ejection from disabled aircraft. Stapp’s research in the Air Force also spilled over into automobile safety. His work led to the safety standards and technologies we take for granted today. The benefits of Stapp’s research are evident every time a driver pulls on a seat belt or a jet pilot safely ejects from a damaged aircraft.
