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Introduction
[275] This chapter reviews the history and the mission of NASA Headquarters and the thirteen NASA installations that were in existence during the 1969-78 decade. It also provides, in tabular form, detailed information regarding the property, personnel, funding, and procurement activity of each installation during this period.
In addition to NASA Headquarters, in 1969 there were eleven NASA field installations and the contractor-operated Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Five of the installations - the Ames Research Center, the Flight Research Center, the Langley Research Center, the Lewis Research Center, and Wallops Station - had been facilities of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. With the establishment of NASA in 1958, these facilities were transferred to NASA. The Goddard Space Flight Center, the Kennedy Space Center, the Marshall Space Flight Center, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory were transferred to NASA from the United States military space program in the next few years. The Space Nuclear Propulsion Office was established in 1961 jointly with the Atomic Energy Commission. The Electronics Research Center was established as a NASA installation in 1964. During the next decade, two installations were disestablished as NASA installations - the Electronics Research Center in 1970 and the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office (renamed the Space Nuclear Systems Office in 1970) in 1973. A new NASA installation - the National Space Technology Laboratories - was established in 1974. (For a more comprehensive history of NASA installations during the 1958-68 period, see Chapter VI of NASA Historical Data Book, I.)
In general, NASA's aim has been to create a relationship between NASA Headquarters and the installations that would allow the installations to have "the institutional management, resources, and freedom to perform the Agency's programs without their becoming too independent and separated from the Agency's priorities and goals." Administrative control of NASA installations has undergone several changes, reflecting the overall changes in NASA organization. In 1968 NASA installations were under the control [276] of three separate offices, each headed by a NASA Associate Administrator who reported to the Associate Deputy Administrator. The Ames Research Center, the Electronics Research Center, the Flight Research Center, the Langley Research Center, and the Lewis Research Center were administered by the Office of Advanced Research and Technology. The Marshall Space Flight Center, the Manned Spacecraft Center, and the Kennedy Space Center were administered by the Office of Manned Space Flight. The Goddard Space Flight Center, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Wallops Station were administered by the Office of Space Science and Applications. In 1972 the Office of Space Science and Applications was split into the Office of Space Science and the Office of Applications, and the three installations formerly under the combined office were now administered by the Office of Space Science. In 1974 NASA installations were removed from under the control of the three offices that had administered them in the past and were placed under the control of the newly created Office of Associate Administrator for Center Operations. The NASA reorganization of 1978 did away with the Associate Administrator for Center Operations, and NASA installations were placed under the direct control of the Administrator himself. (For a detailed view of the changes in the NASA organizational structure, see Appendix B.)
Note: Sources for the discussion of individual installations are NASA Historical Data Book, I, 1988; NASA, The Evolution of the NASA Organization, 1985; and NASA, Facilities Data, 1974.
Location
In 1978 the main offices of NASA Headquarters were located at 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. In addition, NASA occupied other buildings, either owned or leased by the Government, in the District of Columbia and in northern Virginia.
Adminstrator: Robert A. Frosch (June, 1977 - )
- James C. Fletcher (April, 1971 - May, 1977)
- George M. Low, Acting (September, 1970 - April,1971)
- Thomas O. Paine (March, 1969 - September, 1970)
- Thomas O. Paine, Acting (October, 1968 - March, 1969)
- James E. Webb (February, 1961 - October, 1968)
- T. Keith Glennan (August, 1958 - January, 1961)
Deputy Administrator:
- Alan M. Lovelace (July, 1976 - )
- George M. Low (December, 1969 - June, 1976)
- Thomas O. Paine (March, 1968 - March, 1969)
- Robert C. Seamans, Jr. (December, 1965 - January, 1968)
- Hugh L. Dryden (September, 1958 - December, 1965)
Associate Administrator:
- John E. Naugle (November, 1975 - November, 1977)
- John E. Naugle, Acting (April, 1975 - November,1975)
- Rocco A. Petrone (March, 1974 - April, 1975)
- Homer E. Newell (October, 1967 - December, 1973)
- Robert C. Seamans, Jr. (September, 1960 - October,1967)
- Richard E. Horner (June, 1959 - July, 1960)
History
The development of NASA Headquarters and its early history are described in NASA Historical Data Book, I. During the decade 1969-78, the agency underwent several reorganizations affecting both management control over program offices and field installations as well as the staff [284] structure of the Administrator's office. The changes in NASA administration wrought by the 1978 reorganization included placing both program offices and field installations directly under the Administrator and creating, among others, the positions of Assistant for Special Projects within the Administrator's office, Chief Scientist, General Counsel, and Inspector General. In addition, the role of the Office of Public Affairs and that of the Office of International Affairs was downgraded to an advisory function. The Office of Applications became the Office for Space and Terrestrial Applications, and the Office of Space Flight became the Office for Space Transportation Systems. The Office of University Affairs, the Office of Industry Affairs and Technology Utilization, and the Office of DOD and Interagency Affairs were among offices that were disbanded.
Mission
The mission of NASA Headquarters was to maintain the overall management of all NASA installations. Headquarters set policies and determined programs and projects; it drew up procedures and performance criteria; and it evaluated and reviewed all aspects of the aerospace programs. Headquarters was responsible for the financing of NASA programs, for contracting, and for establishing security procedures. The NASA Pasadena Office, a component installation of Headquarters, was responsible for administering the contract with the California Institute of Technology for the operation of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
[287] NASA Headquarters Major Functional Organizations
1969
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Code A |
Office of the Administrator |
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Code B |
Office of the Associate Administrator for Administration |
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Code C |
Office of the Assistant Administrator for Legislative Affairs |
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Code D |
Office of the Associate Administrator for Organization and Management |
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Code E |
Office of the Assistant Administrator for Policy |
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Code F |
Office of the Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs |
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Code G |
Office of the General Counsel |
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Code I |
Office of the Assistant Administrator for International Affairs |
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Code J |
Office of the Assistant Administrator for Special Contracts and Review |
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Code K |
Office of the Assistant Administrator for Industry Affairs |
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Code L |
Office of the Assistant Administrator for Management Development |
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Code M |
Office of the Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight |
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Code P |
Office of the Assistant Administrator for Program Plans and Analysis |
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Code R |
Office of the Associate Administrator for Advanced Research and Technology |
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Code S |
Office of the Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications |
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Code T |
Office of the Associate Administrator for Tracking and Data Acquisition |
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Code U |
Office of the Assistant Administrator for Technology Utilization |
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Code W |
Office of the Assistant Administrator for DOD and Interagency Affairs |
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Code X |
Executive Secretary |
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Code Y |
Office of the Assistant Administrator for University Affairs |
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Code Z |
GAO Representatives |
1978
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Code A |
Office of the Administrator |
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Code B |
Office of the Associate Administrator/Comptroller |
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Code C |
Office of Legislative Affairs |
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Code D |
Office of the Chief Engineer |
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Code E |
Office of the Associate Administrator for Space and Terrestrial Applications |
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Code G |
Office of the General Counsel |
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Code H |
Office of Procurement |
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Code L |
Office of the Associate Administrator for External Relations |
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Code M |
Office of the Associate Administrator for Space Transportation Systems |
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Code N |
Office of the Associate Administrator for Management Operations |
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Code P |
Office of the Chief Scientist |
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Code R |
Office of the Associate Administrator for Aeronautics and Space Technology |
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Code S |
Office of the Associate Administrator for Space Science |
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Code T |
Office of the Associate Administrator for Tracking and Data Systems |
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Code U |
Office of the Equal Opportunity Programs |
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Code W |
Office of the Inspector General |
[291] Location
The Ames Research Center was located at the south end of San Francisco Bay, thirty-five miles southeast of San Francisco, California. It was adjacent to the United States Naval Air Station at Moffett Field, California.
Deputy Director:
- A. Thomas Young (February, 1979 - )
- Clarence A. Syverston (February, 1969 - April 1978)
History
The Moffett Field Laboratory began operations as a facility of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in early 1941. In 1944 it was renamed the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory in honor of Dr. Joseph S. Ames, chairman of NACA from 1927 to 1939, former president of Johns Hopkins University, and a leading authority on aerodynamics. With the establishment of NASA in 1958, the facility became one of the original NASA installations and was renamed the Ames Research Center. (For a more detailed history of the Ames Research Center, see Chapter VI of NASA Historical Data Book, I.)
Mission
Equipped with some of the most advanced, specialized facilities - such as wind tunnels with speed ranges from subsonic to hypersonic, motion-based flight simulators, and experimental aircraft - the Ames Research Center's mission has been to conduct basic and applied research and to [292] develop technology in the fields of aeronautics, space science, life science, and spacecraft technology. The Ames Research Center was responsible for the Pioneer and Biosatellite space projects. It contributed to the development of short take-off and landing (STOL) and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) technology and supported the development of NASA's Space Shuttle program.
Location
The Electronics Research Center was located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Director:
- James C. Elms (October, 1966 - June, 1970)
- Winston E. Kock (September, 1964 - October, 1966)
Deputy Director:
- Albert J. Kelly (September, 1964 - June, 1967
History
An electronics research facility for NASA was first considered in 1961. In 1962 NASA proposed in its FY 1964 budget request that such a facility be established in the Greater Boston area. After considerable delays and extensive hearings in Congress, construction funds for the proposed facility were appropriated in the 1965 NASA Authorization Act, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 11, 1964. The Electronics Research Center formally opened as a NASA installation on September 1, 1964. It was in operation, however, for only about five and one-half years. On December 29, 1969, NASA announced its decision to close the center because of budgetary reductions. The Electronics Research Center ceased operations on June 30, 1970, when it was transferred to the Department of Transportation. (For a more detailed history of the Electronics Research Center, see Chapter VI of NASA Historical Data Book, I.)
Mission
Despite its short-lived existence, the Electronics Research Center carried out its mission to organize, sponsor, and conduct programs to improve the performance and reliability of space and aeronautical electronics systems. The center became the focal point for national aerospace electronics research and was the coordinating institution for nationwide research efforts in this field.
Location
The Flight Research Center was located at Edwards, California, in the Mojave Desert, about sixty miles north of Los Angeles. It was adjacent to Edwards Air Force Base.
Director:
- Isac T. Gilliam (June, 1978 - )
- Isaac T. Williams, Acting (October, 1977 - June, 1978)
- David R. Scott (August, 1977 - October, 1977)
- David R. Scott, Acting (April, 1975 - August 1977)
- Lee R. Scherer (October, 1971 - January, 1975)
- Paul F. Bikle (September, 1959 - May, 1971)
Deputy Director:
- Isaac T. Gilliam (August, 1977 - June,1978)
- David R. Scott (August, 1973 - August, 1977)
- De E. Beeler (April, 1961 - August, 1973)
History
Originally a facility of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the High Speed Flight Station became part of NASA upon NASA's formation in 1958 and was renamed the Flight Research Center in September 1959. In January 1976, NASA again renamed the installation, calling it the Hugh L. Dryden Flight Research Center in honor of Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, an aeronautical research pioneer and the first Deputy Administrator of NASA. (For a more detailed history of the Flight Research Center, see Chapter VI of NASA Historical Data Book, I.)
Mission
The Flight Research Center's mission under NASA was to perform research and evaluation of aeronautical flight. It included tests on problems [306] of takeoff, reentry, and landing for space flight; low speed, supersonic, and hypersonic flight; and other problems associated with both unmanned and manned flight within and beyond the atmosphere. Among its most important research programs were tests of the X-15 rocket aircraft flight, research on the X-24 heavyweight lifting body, and flight investigations of the Space Shuttle vehicle. The center also carried out a research program involving remotely piloted research vehicles, life sciences studies into aircraft ride qualities, wing-wake-vortex operating studies, and aerodynamic and propulsion system noise studies.
Location
The Goddard Space Flight Center was located in Greenbelt, Maryland, fifteen miles northeast of Washington, D.C. In addition to its main site, Goddard leased 620 acres of land, located nearby, from the Department of Agriculture where the Goddard Antenna Test Range, the Magnetic Test Facility, the Optical Tracking and Ground Plane Test Facility, the Bi-Propellant Test Facility, and the Network Test and Training Facility were located.
Director:
- Robert S. Cooper (August, 1976 - )
- John F. Clark (May, 1966 - August, 1976)
- Harry J. Goett (September, 1959 - July, 1965)
Deputy Director:
- Robert E. Smylie (December, 1976 - )
- Donald P. Hearth (April, 1970 - September, 1975)
- Vacant (July, 1968 - April, 1970)
- John W. Townsend (July, 1965 - July, 1968)
Associate Director:
Eugene W. Wasielewski (October, 1960 - August, 1972)
History
In 1958 Congress authorized construction of a NASA "space projects center" in the vicinity of Washington, D.C. Originally named the Beltsville Space Center, the facility officially opened in January 1959. In May 1959, it was renamed the Goddard Space Flight Center in honor of Dr. Robert H. Goddard, the father of American rocketry. Initially, the center was housed at the Naval Research Laboratory until construction of its own facility was complete, on a site that was part of the Department of Agriculture's Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. The Goddard Space Flight [314] Center was officially dedicated in its new location in March 1961. (For a more detailed history of the Goddard Space Flight Center, see Chapter VI of NASA Historical Data Book, I.)
Mission
The Goddard Space Flight Center was responsible for automated spacecraft and sounding rocket experiments in support of basic and applied research. Research programs were carried out in such disciplines as aeronomy, energetic particles and fields, ionospheric physics, astronomy, planetary atmospheres, geophysics, and solar physics. The center also managed the development of meteorological and advanced technology satellites, including the Earth Resources Technology Satellite, Nimbus, Applications Technology Satellite F, Atmosphere Explorer, Interplanetary Monitoring Platform, Small Astronomy Satellite, and Synchronous Meteorological Satellite.
Location
The John F. Kennedy Space Center was located on the east coast of Florida, immediately north and west of Cape Canaveral. It lay approximately 150 miles south of Jacksonville and fifty miles east of Orlando.
Director:
- Lee R. Scherer (January, 1975 - )
- Kurt H. Debus (March, 1962 - October, 1974)
Deputy Director:
- Gerald D. Griffin (July, 1977 - August, 1981)
- Miles Ross (June, 1970 - May, 1977)
Deputy Director Center Management:
Albert F. Siepert (February, 1963 - December, 1969)
Deputy Director Center Operations:
Miles Ross (June, 1967 - December 1969)
History
The present site of the Kennedy Space Center has been used as a missile launching ground since the late 1940s. Called the Long Range Proving Ground, it became in 1951 the site for test flights of the United States Army's Redstone intermediate-range ballistic missile. In January 1953, the site was renamed the Missile Firing Laboratory, and in July 1960 it became part of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center's Launch Operations Directorate. The Launch Operations Directorate was disbanded in March 1962. In July 1962, the Cape Canaveral site was established as a separate NASA installation and renamed the Launch Operations Center. In November 1963, less than a week after the death of President John F. Kennedy, President Lyndon B. Johnson renamed it the John F. Kennedy Space Center. In addition to the Cape Canaveral site, since January 1963 the Launch Operations Center also managed and operated the Merritt Island Launch Area adjacent to Cape Canaveral. In July 1965, the headquarters of the Kennedy Space Center moved to new facilities on Merritt Island, [322] and the whole complex was designated the Kennedy Space Center. (For a more detailed history of the Kennedy Space Center, see Chapter VI of NASA Historical Data Book, I.)
Mission
The Kennedy Space Center has been the primary NASA center charged with the testing and launching of space vehicles. It was responsible for the launching of manned and unmanned vehicles not only at the Kennedy Space Center but also at the Air Force Eastern Test Range and the Air Force Western Test Range. Among its greatest successes in the 1969-78 decade were the joint
Soviet-American Apollo/Soyuz launches and participation in the development of the Space Shuttle program. All launching of unmanned space vehicles at the Air Force Western Test Range were under the management and supervision of the Western Test Range Operations Division, a component installation of the Kennedy Space Center located at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Location
The Langley Research Center was located at Langley Field in Hampton, Virginia, approximately 150 miles southeast of Washington, D.C.
Director:
- Donald P. Hearth (September, 1975 - )
- Edgar M. Cartright (May, 1968 - September, 1975)
- Floyd L. Thompson (May, 1960 - May, 1968)
- Henry J. E. Reid (October, 1958 - May, 1960)
Deputy Director:
- Oran W. Nicks (November, 1970 - )
- Charles J. Donlan (November, 1967 - May, 1968)
Associate Director:
- J. E. Duberg (1968 - )
- Charles J. Donlan (March, 1961 - November, 1967)
History
In 1916 a site near Hampton, Virginia, was selected as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics' (NACA's) experimental air station. It was called Langley Field in honor of Dr. Samuel P. Langley, the third Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and a pioneer aviationist, scientist, and astronomer. Construction of NACA's first field station at Langley Field began a year later, and in 1920 the new facility was named the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory. It was the only NACA laboratory until 1940. In October 1958, the laboratory became an installation of NASA and was renamed the Langley Research Center. (For a more detailed history of the Langley Research Center, see Chapter VI of NASA Historical Data Book, I.)
Mission
Throughout its existence, the Langley Research Center has conducted research in the fields of aeronautical and space flight. Much of the research [330] work has been dedicated toward the development of advanced concepts and technology for future aircraft, both military and civilian. The Langley Research Center had management responsibility for NASA's Lunar Orbiter and Mars Orbiter programs. It provided support for the unmanned spacecraft programs and many ground-based research programs intended to improve the performance and capability of space vehicles.
Location
The Lewis Research Center was located in Cleveland, Ohio, adjacent to the Cleveland Airport.
Director:
- John F. McCarthy (October, 1978 - )
- Bernard Lubarsky, Acting (August, 1977 - October, 1978)
- Bruce T. Lundin (November, 1969 - August, 1977)
- Abe Silverstein (November, 1961 - October, 1969)
- Eugene J. Manganiello, Acting (January, 1961 - October, 1961)
Deputy Director:
- Bernard Lubarsky (1974 - )
- Eugene J. Manganiello (December, 1961 - 1972)
Deputy Director Center Management:
Henry C. Barnett (1973 - 1974)
Deputy Director Center Technology:
Bernard Lubarsky (1973 - 1974)
History
Authorized by Congress in 1940, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics' (NACA's) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory began operations in 1942. In 1948 this flight propulsion laboratory, adjacent to the Cleveland Airport, was renamed the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory in honor of Dr. George W. Lewis, a leading aeronautical engineer who served as NACA's Director of Aeronautical Research from 1919 to 1947. In 1958 the facility became a NASA installation and was renamed the Lewis Research Center. (For a more detailed history of the Lewis Research Center, see Chapter VI of NASA Historical Data Book, I.)
Mission
The Lewis Research Center has been responsible for research and development on advanced propulsion and space power systems. Its research [338] programs included work on turbojet engines, supersonic aircraft, high-energy chemicals, electric rocket engines, and experiments on converting chemical and solar energy into electricity. It has used its wind tunnels, space environmental tanks, and other special facilities to simulate flight conditions. Among major programs at the Lewis Flight Center were management responsibilities for the Agena and Centaur launch vehicle stages.
A component installation of the Lewis Research Center, the Plum Brook Station, located on Lake Erie near Sandusky, Ohio, performed large-scale testing of nuclear propulsion components in NASA's nuclear test reactor and conducted full-scale static and dynamic tests of completed space vehicles.
Location
The Manned Spacecraft Center was located at Clear Lake, near Houston, Texas. Additional facilities of the center were located at Ellington Air Force Base, approximately seven miles north of the main facility.
Director:
- Christopher C. Kraft, Jr. (January, 1972 - )
- Robert R. Gilruth (November, 1961 - January, 1972)
Deputy Director:
- Sigurd A. Sjoberg (January, 1972 - )
- Christopher C. Kraft, Jr. (November, 1969 - January, 1972)
- George S. Trimble (October, 1967 - September, 1969)
- George M. Low (February, 1964 - April, 1967)
- James C. Elms (November, 1963 - February, 1964)
History
In January 1961, the Space Task Group, an autonomous component of the Goddard Space Flight Center that was located at the Langley Research Center, became an independent NASA installation. Later that year, the installation was renamed the Manned Spacecraft Center, and construction of its new facilities, near Houston, Texas, was begun. In February 1973, the Manned Spacecraft Center was renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. (For a more detailed history of the Manned Spacecraft Center, see Chapter VI of NASA Historical Data Book, I.)
Mission
The Manned Spacecraft Center was NASA's primary center for the design, development, and testing of manned spacecraft, selection and training of astronaut crews, and operation of manned spaceflight missions. The center was responsible for many of NASA's most successful space flight [348] programs, including the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab missions, as well as the joint Soviet-American Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. It was designated as the lead NASA center for the Space Shuttle and for the Earth Observations Program.
The White Sands Test Facility, a component installation of the Manned Spacecraft Center, was established in 1962 at Las Cruces, New Mexico, for testing Apollo propulsion and power systems.
Location
The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center was located at the United States Army's Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.
Director:
- William R. Lucas (June, 1974 - )
- Rocco A. Petrone (January, 1973 - March, 1974)
- Eberhard F. M. Rees (March, 1970 - January, 1973)
- Wernher von Braun (July, 1960 - January, 1970)
Deputy Director:
- R. G. Smith (November, 1974 - August, 1978)
- William R. Lucas (February, 1971 - June, 1974)
Deputy Director Technical:
- William R. Lucas (1970 - February, 1971)
- Erich W. Neubert (1970)
- Eberhard F. M. Rees (July, 1960 - March, 1970)
Deputy Director Management:
- R. W. Cook (October, 1969 - June, 1970)
- Harry H. Gorman (November, 1961 - October, 1969)
- Delmar M. Morris (July 1, 1960 - September, 1961)
History
In April 1950, the United States Army established the Ordnance Guided Missile Center at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. When in February 1956 the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) was formed at the Redstone Arsenal, the Ordnance Guided Missile Center became ABMA's Development Operations Division. After the establishment of NASA in October 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower requested Congress to transfer the facilities and personnel involved in ABMA's space missions to NASA. In March 1960, the Development Operations Division was transferred to NASA and renamed the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center [358] in honor of General of the Army George C. Marshall, who had been Chief of Staff during World War II and Secretary of State from 1948 to 1949. (For a more detailed history of the Marshall Space Flight Center, see Chapter VI of NASA Historical Data Book, I.)
Mission
The primary mission of the Marshall Space Flight Center was to develop space transportation systems, orbital systems, and scientific payloads for space exploration. The center was responsible for the development of the Saturn launch vehicles used in the Apollo manned lunar-landing program, in the Skylab space station program, and in the joint Soviet-American Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. The center also was involved in the development of the solid-fueled rocket booster, the main engine, and the external tank for the Space Shuttle. In addition, the Marshall Space Flight Center managed and directed operations of its three component installations - the Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans, Louisiana; the Mississippi Test Facility (until June 1974, when it became the independent National Space Technology Laboratories) located in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi; and the Slidell Computer Complex in Slidell, Louisiana.
Location
The National Space Technology Laboratories was located approximately fifty-five miles northeast of New Orleans in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
Manager:
Jackson M. Balch (June, 1974 - )
History
The National Space Technology Laboratories, previously called the Mississippi Test Facility, became an independent NASA installation in June 1974. This change came as a consequence of a shift in emphasis in the national space program from manned exploration to include the exploration of the earth's natural resources and environment. (For a more detailed history of the Mississippi Test Facility, see Chapter VI of NASA Historical Data Book, I.)
Mission
Whereas the Mississippi Test Facility's main mission had been to test-fire Saturn rockets, the main task of the National Space Technology Laboratories was to provide NASA with the capabilities of conducting remote sensing, environmental, and related research. Also, NASA encouraged other NASA supporting activities that could complement research carried out at the National Space Technology Laboratories to move to the same location.
Location
The Space Nuclear Propulsion Office was located in Germantown, Maryland.
Manager:
- Milton Klein (March, 1967 - )
- Harold B. Finger (August, 1960 - March, 1967)
History
In August 1960, the Atomic Energy Commission and NASA established a joint single project office responsible for all aspects of the nuclear rocket research program. In February 1961, another agreement between the two agencies led to the establishment of jointly staffed field extensions of the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office in Cleveland, Ohio, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. A third field facility, the Nuclear Rocket Development Station at Jackass Flats, Nevada, was placed under the supervision of the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office in February 1962. In June 1970, the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office was renamed the Space Nuclear Systems Office. It was disestablished in 1973. (For a more detailed history of the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office, see Chapter VI of NASA Historical Data Book, I.)
Mission
The mission of the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office was to supervise and conduct all research and testing necessary to develop nuclear rocket systems suitable for advanced space exploration. It also had management responsibility for ground static-testing of reactors, engines, and vehicles associated with nuclear rocket development at the Nuclear Rocket Development Station in Jackass Flats, Nevada.
Location
Wallops Station was located on Wallops Island, off the Delmarva Peninsula in Virginia and on an additional property nearby on the mainland. It was approximately fifty miles southeast of Salisbury, Maryland, and seventy miles north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
Director:
Robert L. Krieger (June, 1948 - )
Associate Director:
Abraham D. Spinak (August, 1966 - )
History
Wallops Island's association with NASA dates back to 1945, when NASA's predecessor organization, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), established a test-launching facility for its Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory on the island in May of that year and named it the Auxiliary Flight Research Station. In August 1946, the Wallops facility was placed under the Operations Section of the Pilotless Aircraft Research Division, a division of Langley's Research Department. The Wallops facility was renamed the Pilotless Aircraft Research Station, popularly known simply as Wallops. In May 1959, some seven months after NACA's absorption by NASA, the Wallops facility became an independent NASA installation called Wallops Station. In April 1974, Wallops Station was renamed the Wallops Flight Center, reflecting more closely its mission and operations. (For a more detailed history of Wallops Station, see Chapter VI of NASA Historical Data Book, I.)
Mission
Wallops Station has served primarily as NASA's rocket flight-test range. By 1974 alone, more than 8,000 launches, including many orbiting satellites, had been fired off from Wallops Station. Scientists and engineers from [380] other NASA installations, other governmental agencies, colleges and universities, and the international scientific community throughout the world have participated in tracking and acquiring scientific information from space vehicles launched from Wallops Island. Wallops Station exercised project management responsibility over such NASA projects as GEOS C, the Experimental Inter-American Meteorological Rocket Network, the Polar Cusp, the operation of remote site launching and tracking facilities, and the operation of NASA's portable range facilities.
Location
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory was located in Pasadena, California, approximately twenty miles northeast of Los Angeles.
Director:
- Bruce C. Murray (April, 1976 - )
- William H. Pickering (September, 1954 - March, 1976)
- L. G. Dunn (1947 - 1954)
- F. J. Malina (1944 - 1946)
Deputy Director:
- C. H. Terhune, Jr. (July, 1971 - )
- John E. Clark (February, 1968 - July, 1971)
- A. R. Luedecke (August, 1964 - August, 1967)
- B. O. Sparks (February, 1960 - July, 1964)
History
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory was a Government-owned facility staffed and managed by the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California. In 1936 faculty and students began design and experimental work with liquid-propellant rocket engines at the Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology (GALCIT).
In June 1940, the Army awarded GALCIT a contract to develop solid- and liquid-propellant rocket engines. This program, called the GALCIT Rocket Research Project, continued for the duration of World War II. In the postwar period, the facility, renamed the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1944, conducted research and development for the United States Army on tactical guided missiles and aerodynamics. In 1958, shortly after NASA was established, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory was transferred from the Army to NASA. It retained its special position as a laboratory of the California Institute of Technology under contract to NASA. (For a more [388] detailed history of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, see Chapter VI of NASA Historical Data Book, I.)
Mission
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has engaged in research associated with such activities as deep-space automated scientific missions, tracking, data acquisition, development of advanced solid- and liquid-propellant spacecraft engines, and development of advanced spacecraft guidance and control systems. It has managed projects in NASA's unmanned lunar and planetary exploration programs and has operated worldwide deep-space tracking and data acquisition networks.
