Brian Walker Biography

Brian Walker announced in 2000 that he was building his own manned rocket that he hoped would blast him into the upper atmosphere — and briefly became an Internet celebrity known as “Rocket Guy.”

Walker was an inventor whose successful toy designs included the Air Bazooka, the Celestial Seeker, and the Alien Orbiter. Walker called his planned rocket Project R.U.S.H., an acronym for “rapid up super high.” The rocket was not intended to send him into orbit but to boost him over 30 miles above the Earth.

The launch, originally planned for 2001, was delayed several times and never came to fruition. In 2006, Wired magazine published a story saying that Walker had altered his plans and intended to use a giant crossbow to help launch a jet-powered craft nearly 20 miles into the atmosphere. That launch never happened, either. Walker’s official site went offline and he disappeared from the public eye.

In 2009, Walker was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and has since made appearances talking about his life with the disorder.