PROGRAMS:

COMPANIES:

• NASA
• U S Army
• Western Electric

LOCATIONS:

NASA at Kennedy Space Center

POSITIONS:

Industrial Engineer, Technical Assistant to Chief of Telemetric Systems Division–Telemetry, RF, Data Transmission, and Data Display providing telemetry support for Gemini & Apollo Program launches, Launch Control & Operations: Apollo, Secretary of Magellan and Atlas-Centaur Incident Investigation Boards-created & published Investigative Reports, Customer Interface Manager, Payload Specialist: Skylab, Shuttle, and ISSS Integration Project Manager: Shuttle

COMMENTS:

Robert G. Young originally hails from Jersey City, New Jersey and relocated to Decatur Georgia with his family at age 13, 8th grade. He graduated number 23rd out of 467 in his class from Clifton High School.

He studied electrical engineering at Georgia Tech until two years in, the program suffered an ill-fated circumstance challenging Robert to decide between entering the new industrial engineering program or continuing with his career in music which was going well playing guitar with bands through college. He completed two years in Electrical Engineering, two years in Industrial Engineering (IE) and four years ROTC, and in 1959 received a Bachelor’s Degree in IE. and a Commission as 2nd Lieutenant U. S. Army Signal Corps.

Initially, the Army sent him to sent to Ft. Monmouth, NJ for Basic Signal Officers’ training and he was extended to attend a Radar and Countermeasures Repair Officer Course where he gained experience with transistors, vacuum tubes and early integrated circuits.

Next, he was transferred to Fort Huachuca, AZ and assigned to the Avionics Department as Testing Officer for field testing of fixed and rotary wing airborne communications, navigation, and related equipment. He learned about flying while he created test plans, supervised field engineer testing including for airborne radar avionics, communication, and stabilization augmentation systems for helicopters. He compiled final scientific reports of the results to assist in the Government’s decision making whether or not to purchase the items. During the “Berlin Crisis”, the two-year commitment was extended involuntarily, but as the situation cooled down only about three months had to be served.

Following completion of his active duty, he returned to Decatur, Georgia. He worked for Western Electric Co., Territorial Engineering in Atlanta, GA. in their Microwave and Broadband Department specifically doing the engineering necessary to respond and implement Southern Bell’s requests to establish, modify, or update their radio relay systems and associated capabilities.

Then he was hired by NASA and moved to Titusville, FL in 1964 to help with the innovations and planning for the Apollo Program. With the Mercury and Gemini Programs coming to an end, he worked for NASA on Merritt Island, in the “tar paper shack” within a Cape Canaveral hanger near the future site of Launch Complex 39 including Pads A & B as well as the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), which later became known as Kennedy Space Center (KSC). This was prior to the NASA causeway which was completed in 1968.

He began as Technical Assistant to the Telemetry Branch Chief. In addition to providing telemetry support for Gemini Program launches, he and his branch chief built and prepared the ground telemetry capability necessary to support the Apollo Program from the new Central Instrumentation Facility (CIF) at the eventual KSC. He worked 10 years at the Central Instrumentation Facility, (CIF) seen from the new NASA causeway as the building with many 12-16 ft diameter antennas on its roof. The CIF had 2 huge IBM 360 computers that filled half the floor and 2 telemetry stations that took up the other half plus labs, offices, and cafeteria. A specific responsibility of Robert’s was to outfit an oscillogram developing capability next to the Telemetry Stations.

In a reorganization, he was promoted to Technical Assistant to Chief of Telemetric Systems Division–Telemetry, RF, Data Transmission, and Data Display. He was the Bell & Howell contract manager for maintenance of Bell & Howell equipment in use at the Space Center. He was then temporarily assigned as the Secretary of the Magellan and Atlas-Centaur Incident Investigation Boards, responsible for creation and publication of the final reports.

During the Apollo Program, he manned a console in the Firing Room for major tests and launches. He was the point of contact for Launch Operations ensuring that our support to the vehicle was satisfactory and to resolve problems primarily with the provision of real-time telemetry data projected by us on large screens above the management consoles. He also was acting Division Chief. This required extended briefing of the new 2nd level Director of Information Systems to aid him in becoming fully cognizant of the details of our division’s responsibilities and capabilities. As a result of his excellent performance, he was given another promotion to the 1st level Technical Support Directorate, Site Activation Office for the Space Shuttle Program located in the KSC Headquarters Building, in preparation for the Shuttle Program.

• Launch Site Support Site Manager
• He was the Customer Interface Manager for early planning partners with KSC including for Shuttle payloads
• 2nd site activation for Space Shuttle as OMD Operations and Maintenance Documentation Board, headed ground operations as chair of main launch designer
• Aerospace technologist
• 1st level direct support operations
• ISSS Integration Project Manager in Shuttle Project offices for Space Station and Space Shuttle Integration
• Robert was a volunteer escort for VIPs including briefing on current missions of the Apollo, SkyLab, and Space Shuttle.

He retired in 1996 after receiving multiple “Sustained Superior Performance Awards” during his after 32  years of leading edge work with the Mercury, Geminii, Apollo, SkyLab, Space Shuttle, and International Space Station programs.

Other Achievements and Affiliations:

• School choir, drummer in symphonic and marching bands, played basketball, baseball and volleyball, and Phi Kappa Tau fraternity member at Georgia Tech.
• Member of Toastmasters International and President of Titusville Toastmaster – won speech contests at the club and Area levels, and participated at the District level. Won an award as editor of the best Area newsletter in the District and had been Area 11 Governor. Reached the level of Able Toastmaster and was just shy of becoming a Distinguished Toastmaster. Started a new club in the Area, conducted speech training classes.
• U.S. Power Squadron member and graduate
• President of Fairways Homeowners Association at The Great Outdoors in Titusville, Florida
• Titusville Chamber of Commerce member
• Titusville Elks Club member
• Sailing yachtsman, musician playing lead guitar in solo and ensemble gigs which he continued into retirement when he also became a karaoke DJ & singer, and an avid land-yacht traveler by motor home for 50 years and has traveled to all 48 continuous states.

His wife, Deloris, and he have been married for over 50 years. He has a son and two daughters: Charles (IBM Supervising Software Engineer), Barbara (Registered Nurse and published author), and Karen (Event Planner, mother of granddaughters: Sedona, who performs competitive dance and is planning to study aeronautical engineering, and Skyla, who does theatrical performance.)

His father-in-law, William J. Rooks, was a NASA employee at KSC who retired in 1975, is also honored with a plaque on the Apollo monument at Space View Park in Titusville, Florida as part of the American Space Museum and Spacewalk of Fame.

<END>