PROGRAMS:

COMPANIES:

• Army Ballistic Missile Agency
• NASA

LOCATIONS:

1959-60 Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA), Huntsville, AL (Renamed "NASA" 1960)
1960-1985- NASA - Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Huntsville, AL
1986-1990- NASA - Kennedy Space Flight Center (KSC), FL

POSITIONS:

1959 - Began as General Manufacturing Engineer Development of Rockets (worked with Wernher von Braun until Von Braun was relocated to Washington, D.C. in 1970).

DURATION OF CAREER -- The “NASA Go-To Problem Solver.” In charge of/and assigned to “Tiger Team” for NASA & Subcontractor Emergencies needing answers, approval, designs, redesigns, construction, reconstruction, testing, and/or training.

--Established Reliability Office (how and what works, and how long until Failures/Successes), Became the MSFC-wide Reliability Coordinator.

-- In charge of Non-Metallic Material Labs (developed Vacuum Chambers & Hardware for spaceflight, and developed Insulation System for rocket tanks).

--Designer/Re-designer/Inventor for all facets of Rockets/Modules/Orbiter hardware, software, and assembly.

--Redesigned Centaur Rocket Tank (redesigned, chose team, tested, and completed in 4 weeks).

--Redesigned first Apollo-Saturn Crew Module (capsule) after fire killed 3 Astronauts on pad. Tested rebuilt capsule in new MSFC Vacuum Chamber to safely test new Flight Hardware on the ground.

--Redesigned and Developed Insulation System (previously failed on S-II Tank. Built & tested Hardware & Application System-tested at Sacramento test site.)

--Redesigned Binks Spray System for applying foam insulation.

--Salvaged Apollo Lunar Excursion Module Fairing by properly venting hardware (drilling 2,015 holes).

--Designed solution to vent hardware for Apollo flight instrument unit.

CHIEF ENGINEER in Charge of Development & Production of Space Shuttle (E.T.s) External Tanks (LH2-Fuel).

CHIEF ENGINEER Space Shuttle Orbiter Main Engine at MSFC KSC Resident Office in KSC, FL (Cape Canaveral).

--Member of Space Shuttle Design Committee.

--Proposed original Shuttle Rocket Orbiter and Booster as a fully reusable system to lift-off and fly-back. U.S. politics rejected it for a partially re-usable project costing 3x the price, making it heavier, and complicating the design safety in order to spread out subcontract work projects across the country.

--Designed Shuttle E.T. (External Tank) Storage System & E.T. Solid Rocket Booster Assembly.

--Proposed Computer & Interface System for Shuttle Launch Operations.

--Director of the “ICE Team” documenting and measuring temperature and ice formations on the platform, tanks, and orbiter just before every lift-off.

--Feb. 26-27, 1986 - Testified in Washington, D.C. at the Presidential Commission Congressional Hearing on Space Shuttle Challenger Accident (Links to View C-Span tapes online--
*Feb 26, 1986 first day Testimony - https://www.c-span.org/video/?126041-1/presidential-commission-space-shuttle-challenger-accident) ;
*Feb 27, 1986 second day testimony - https://www.c-span.org/video/?126055-1/presidential-commission-space-shuttle-challenger-accident.)

PATENTS-
NUMEROUS, including: 5 for Solar Power Energy Collection System & Hardware for Space Station for electricity and cooling, as well as on working and residential ground.

Did not pursue (and turned down) Management positions offered over the years in order to continue practicing Engineering and Science knowledge.

RETIRED in 1990 when Retirement Funds would be lowered and redirected.