Robert R. Gilruth
Robert R. Gilruth | |
---|---|
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center | |
Awards | President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service (1962) ASME Medal (1970) |
Robert Rowe Gilruth (October 8, 1913 – August 17, 2000) was an American aerospace engineer and an aviation/space pioneer who was the first director of NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center, later renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.[1]
He worked for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) from 1937 to 1958 and its successor NASA, until his retirement in 1973. He was involved with early research into supersonic flight and rocket-powered aircraft, and then with the United States human spaceflight program, including the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs.
Biography
Early life
Gilruth was born October 8, 1913, in
Flight test career
In January 1937 Gilruth was hired at NACA's
Gilruth also pioneered the recording of data from instruments during flight test, to be later correlated with the pilot's experience.[4] This would go on to become the standard operating procedure.
NASA career
Gilruth had been working on
When NASA was created, Gilruth became head of the Space Task Group, tasked with putting a man in space before the Soviet Union.[citation needed]
In 1961, when
In 1962, he was awarded the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service by President John F. Kennedy.[5]
Soon the
In 1971, Gilruth, along with the Apollo 15 crew, was awarded the Collier Trophy.[7]
In 1992, Gilruth was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum,[8] in 1994, he was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame[9] and in 2015, the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame as a posthumous induction.[10]
Death
In 2000, Gilruth died in Charlottesville, Virginia, at the age of 86.[11]
Portrayals in dramas
- In the 1996 TV movie Apollo 11, Gilruth was played by William Mesnik.
- In the 1998 miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, he was played by John Carroll Lynch.[12]
- In the 2016 film Hidden Figures, the character Al Harrison, played by Kevin Costner, is based largely on Gilruth.[13]
- In the 2018 film, First Man, Gilruth is portrayed by Ciarán Hinds.
- In the 2020 TV series The Right Stuff, Gilruth is portrayed by Patrick Fischler.
References
- ^ "Former Manned Spacecraft Center Director Dies". NASA. Archived from the original on October 29, 2000. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
- ^ "Robert Gilruth Inducted into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame". Duluth Aviation Institute. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
- ^ ISSN 0886-2257. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ "Monographs in Aerospace History: Flying Qualities". NASA. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
- ^ "AR7400-E. President John F. Kennedy Presents President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service to Dr. Robert Gilruth".
- ^ Locke, Robert (October 6, 1976). "Space Pioneers Enshrined". Las Vegas Optic. Las Vegas, New Mexico. Associated Press. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Haugland, Vern (March 22, 1972). "Apollo 15 astronauts, Gilruth to be honored". El Dorado Times. El Dorado, Arkansas. Associated Press. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ISBN 978-1-57864-397-4.
- ^ National Aviation Hall of Fame, Biography - Gilruth, Robert Rowe
- ^ Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame, Inductees - Robert R. Gilruth
- ^ Wilford, John Noble (August 18, 2000). "Robert Gilruth, 86, Dies; Was Crucial Player at NASA". The New York Times.
- ^ James, Caryn (April 3, 1998). "Television Review; Boyish Eyes on the Moon". The New York Times. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
- ^ "Modern Figures: Frequently Asked Questions". NASA. 7 January 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
External links
- Requirements for satisfactory flying qualities of airplanes, 1943 NACA report by Robert Gilruth
- Dr. Robert Gilruth, 1986 interview transcript from the National Air and Space Museum
- Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, 2000 tribute at NASA's Human Space Flight website
- Robert R. Gilruth 1913–2000, 2003 memoir at the National Academy of Sciences, written by NASA flight director Christopher Kraft
- From Minnesota to the moon, 2013 Star Tribune article by Cirrus Aircraft co-founder Dale Klapmeier honoring Gilruth's legacy