The NASA Glenn Research Center originated in 1941 as the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The name was changed in 1999 in honor of John H. Glenn.
The NASA Glenn Research Center originated in 1941 as the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The name was changed in 1999 in honor of John H. Glenn.
The Centaur rocket, developed at NASA Lewis Research Center (now Glenn) has been launching vehicles into space for 50 years.
In the late 1940s and the 1950s, Glenn performed aircraft crash tests in Ravenna, Ohio.
Between 1963 and 1998, Glenn managed more than 119 unmanned launches, including SOHO, Pioneer, Cassini and three GOES weather satellites.
Glenn perfected the Centaur rocket and used it for more than 100 launches. For almost 30 years, the center was responsible for the technical, cost and schedule management of Centaur.
All seven Mercury astronauts trained in Glenn's "Gimbal Rig," which simulated tumble-type maneuvers that could be encountered in space flight.
Glenn provided important early research and technical support to the Apollo moon missions.
In the 1970s, concerns about the environment and anxiety over fuel prices prompted unified energy planning within the federal government. Glenn helped to develop cleaner, more efficient solutions.
Glenn tested Skylab 3's payload shroud in it Space Power Facility at Plum Brook Station.
Glenn provided critical technologies for Deep Space 1, the first of NASA's New Millennium Program missions.
Glenn managed the Mir Cooperative Solar Array and contributed several experiments to the Mir mission.
Glenn was a key participant in Mars Pathfinder, an engineering proof-of-concept mission that sent a rover to Mars in 1997.
Dr. Julian M. Earls served as Center Director from 2003 to 2005. He inspired the workforce and members of the local community to not only appreciate their individual skills but also work collectively toward common goals.
Donald J. Campbell served as Center Director for almost 10 years and ushered in the center's name change from NASA Lewis to NASA Glenn at Lewis Field in April 1999.
This is the seventh in a series of articles spotlighting NASA Glenn's center directors.
Dr. John M. Klineberg, deputy director (1979–1985) and then acting director (1986), helped strategize and implement institutional improvements to maintain our excellence in aeronautics.
Andrew Stofan, Center Director for NASA's Lewis Research Center (now NASA Glenn) from 1982-1986, helped the center gain greater visibility and respect within NASA.
Former center director John F. McCarthy appreciated the talent working for NASA's Lewis Research Center (now Glenn) and considered the center an example of the nation's best and brightest.