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#1 2004-03-19 08:35:36
- Palomar
- Member
- From: USA
- Registered: 2002-05-30
- Posts: 9,734
Re: William Pickering, Space Pioneer
*Mr. Pickering passed away on March 15. "Astronotes" is updated and archived at space.com, so will copy and paste:
"March 19
Space Pioneer William Pickering Dies
William H. Pickering, a major figure in shaping America's early space science missions to the Moon and planets, passed away March 15 of pneumonia. He was 93.
Pickering served as director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California from 1954 to 1976.
Pickering was a major force in shaping NASA's first forays in robotic space exploration, including the Ranger and Surveyor series to the Moon and Mariner missions to Venus, and Mars.
Starting at JPL in 1944, Pickering worked on developing missile systems for the U.S. Army. He organized the electronics efforts at JPL to support guided missile research and development, becoming project manager for Corporal, the first operational missile JPL developed.
With the launch of the first Soviet Sputnik in October 1957, Pickering's leadership guided the JPL effort -- in collaboration with the Army Ballistic Missile Agency -- to place the first U.S. satellite into orbit.
Pickering directed the JPL work, which, in just 83 days, provided the satellite, telecommunications, and the upper rocket stages that lofted Explorer 1 into orbit on Jan. 31, 1958. [-- Leonard David]"
--Cindy
We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...
--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)
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#2 2004-03-20 15:23:32
- Mundaka
- Banned
- Registered: 2004-01-11
- Posts: 322
Re: William Pickering, Space Pioneer
Macte nova virtute, sic itur ad astra
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