PROGRAMS:

COMPANIES:

• AC Delco

LOCATIONS:

Oak Creek, Wi.
Downey, Ca.

POSITIONS:

Apollo PSA Design Engineer
Apollo Spacecraft Test Manager

COMMENTS:

I started on the Apollo Program with AC Delco in Oak Creek, Wisconsin in July 1963. I started with the IMU/PSA design engineering group as a design engineer on the Block 1 Guidance and Navigation System. In Aug. 1964 I was transferred to the G&N System Test Group to test the G&N system at the system level. In Feb. 1965 I was transferred to Downey, Ca. to perform site activation of the G&N Laboratory at the North American Aviation company in Downey, Ca. After overlooking the construction and activation of the Lab I became a system test engineer in that Lab. In the next couple of years the command service module fabrication and installation/assembly in the large North American Aviation clean room became active and AC Delco spacecraft system Test team became part of that workforce as an independent contractor with NASA representing the G&N system. I  was part of that group for about 2 years, installing and testing the G&N system in the Apollo Command Module. After that I became the Manager of the Spacecraft System Installation and Test group operating in the North American Aviation facility on a contract direct with NASA. For the next 5 years we performed the installation and testing of the G&N system in all the command modules from Apollo 1 through the Apollo Soyuz Projects. With all of those Missions we performed all testing at the spacecraft using technicians in the command module until the final flight simulation test when the flight crew of astronauts for that Mission would be in the CM throwing the switches, etc. We were very happy to be able to work with each individual crew of astronauts for each of the Missions during flight simulation testing. In Feb. 1970 I was very fortunate to receive the Snoopy Award from Astronauts Dick Gordon and Alan . This award consisted of a Snoopy lapel pin and a letter of congratulation from the Astronauts. The letter read ” We want to express our appreciation for your outstanding achievements as supervisor of the Guidance and Navigation – Spacecraft Operations Group at Downey, California.   You are to be commended for your ability to lead and train Guidance – Spacecraft Test Teams and for the efficiency with which these teams test the G&N Systems after they are installed in the spacecraft. In addition, we understand that you have developed an exceptionally good working relationship between NR Test Operations personnel and the AC Electronics Test Teams. This type of team work goes far in achieving true flight worthiness in flight hardware.  We who fly the Apollo spacecraft sincerely appreciate your continued efforts on the program and wish you every success in your future endeavors.    Signed by the two Astronauts. The presentation also included a picture of me and the Astronauts. The remainder of my 11 year experience on the Apollo Program included flight support of the Apollo Missions from the North American Aviation Control room where we monitored all mission activities from that control room. The most exciting/harrowing was, of course, the monitoring during the Apollo 13 mission when everyone was on 24/7 support of that mission from liftoff to return to earth.