James A. Abrahamson
James Alan Abrahamson | |
---|---|
Strategic Defense Initiative 4950th Test Wing | |
Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Awards |
|
1967 USAF MOL Group 3 | |
Missions | None |
James Alan Abrahamson (born May 19, 1933) is a retired
Early life and education
Abrahamson was born in
Military career
Air Force pilot in Southeast Asia
He was commissioned as a
In August 1961, Abrahamson was assigned as spacecraft project officer on the
Astronaut selection
He graduated from Air Command and Staff College as a distinguished graduate in July 1966. He then attended the
Abrahamson then served on the staff of the
In March 1974, Abrahamson was assigned as inspector general, Air Force Systems Command, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. From May 1976 to July 1980 he served as director for the F-16 Multinational Air Combat Fighter Program, Aeronautical Systems Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He then became deputy chief of staff for systems at Air Force Systems Command headquarters.
In November 1981, he was assigned as associate administrator for the
Strategic Defense Initiative
Abrahamson was appointed by
Ultimately, concerns about the objectives of SDI and fiscal budgetary constraints forced the Reagan administration to announce the program would cease.
Abrahamson was promoted to lieutenant general on July 21, 1982. He retired from the U.S. Air Force on March 1, 1989, and entered professional life.
Flight information
- Rating: Command Pilot
- Flight Hours: more than 3,000
- Aircraft Flown:
Military awards and decorations
Badges
Badge | Description |
US Air Force Command Pilot Badge | |
Command Space and Missile Badge
| |
Master Missile Maintenance Badge | |
Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge |
Ribbons
Ribbon | Description | Notes |
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal |
||
Legion of Merit | with two bronze oak leaf clusters | |
Meritorious Service Medal | ||
Air Medal | with bronze oak leaf cluster | |
Air Force Commendation Medal |
||
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
||
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award |
||
NASA Distinguished Service Medal | ||
National Defense Service Medal | ||
Vietnam Service Medal | with bronze service star | |
Air Force Longevity Service Award |
with one silver and two bronze oak leaf clusters | |
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon |
||
Belgium Order of Leopold | ||
The Netherlands' Order of Orange-Nassau | Member Medal | |
The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav | ||
Vietnam Campaign Medal |
Other notable achievements
- 1984 Received the General Bernard A. Schriever Award for outstanding achievement in support of Air Force missile and space programs
- 1986 Received the Dr. Robert H. Goddard Trophy for leadership and excellence in advancing space flight programs contributing to United States leadership in astronautics
- 1987 Honored as Man of the Year in Science and Technology from the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation, Metropolitan Chapter, Washington, D.C.
- Received honorary doctorate degrees in engineering from New York University, Utah State University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Effective dates of promotion
Insignia | Rank | Date |
---|---|---|
Lieutenant general | July 21, 1982 |
Professional life
Lt. Gen. Abrahamson was executive vice president for corporate development for Hughes Aircraft Company from October 1989 to April 1992 and as president of the transportation sector for Hughes Aircraft Company from April 1992 to September 1992.
From 1992 to 1995, he served as chairman of the board of directors of Oracle Corporation.[3] From 1996, he served as an adviser to FAA's Next Generation Air Transportation System, and founded International Air Safety LLC to bring the NextGen System researches to other civil aviation authorities.
In 1998, he became a director of ORBIMAGE and would become its chairman, overseeing the company's evolution into GeoEye, the world's largest space imaging company.[4] In January 2013, GeoEye was merged with DigitalGlobe Corporation[5] and Abrahamson was appointed to the board of directors of the newly merged company.[6]
Lt. Gen. Abrahamson was also involved in efforts to commercialize stratospheric airships. He serves as chairman and chief executive officer of StratCom LLC, SkySentry LLC and SkySpectrum LLC, privately held companies associated with the development of high-altitude vehicles (HAVs) for civil and military applications.[7]
He also served in the past as a member of the board of directors of Global Relief Technologies, Inc., a privately held company dedicated to improving disaster management and recovery through the use of high technology. Global Relief partnered with GeoEye and Telenor Services in the mid-2000s to provide timely satellite imagery to emergency relief workers operating in remote areas of the world.
Lt. Gen. Abrahamson also served as a member of the board of directors of an AIM-listed company, Crescent Technology Ventures PLC ("CTV"), in the mid-2000s. CTV was founded to develop security technologies.[8]
References
- ^ "Biographies of Aerospace Officials and Policymakers, A-D". history.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
- ^ "U.S. Air Force Biography of Lt. Gen. James Alan Abrahamson". U.S. Air Force website. 1989. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^ "Oracle picks ex-general as chairman". The New York Times. September 16, 1992.
- ^ "Public Intelligence GeoEye". May 28, 2009.
- ^ "DigitalGlobe and GeoEye Complete Merger". spacepolicyonline.com. January 31, 2013.
- ^ "Executive Profile, DigitalGlobe Corporation". Morningstar. January 31, 2013.
- ^ "High Altitude Airships".
- Businessweek. Archived from the originalon January 31, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2014.