2019 Lifetime Achievement Award

About the Lifetime Achievement Award

The National Space Club Florida Committee annually recognizes one to three individuals for their life-long achievement and contributions to the U.S. space program while living in Florida. Past honorees represent a wide range of managers, engineers, and other specialists who were vital to the success of our efforts in space.

Fred Jankowski is a 2019 Lifetime Achievement Honoree

The Army drafted Fred in May 1952 to the Ordinance Corps. He attended Guided Missile School at Fort Monmouth, NJ to learn radio and radar for the Nike Ajax Guidance System. In March 1953, Fred was transferred to the Ordinance Guided Missile School in Huntsville, AL. Upon graduation, he maintained the Nike Ajax Guidance System for the school.

 

 

Fred graduated from Georgia Tech in 1958 and accepted a work position with Chrysler Corporation in Redstone Arsenal for the Ground Support Equipment Organization.  He worked on the Redstone Jupiter Saturn I, IB, and V Launch Space Vehicles. Fred also supported the Skylab and Space Lab Systems with the European Space Agency. He monitored the operations of coating the mirror on the Hubble Telescope and its transportation.

In support of the Space Shuttle System, Fred managed the NASA barges – Poseidon and Orion, and the External Tank GOX Vent System with the KSC Design Organization. In Support of the Space Station Processing Facility, he provided the conceptual design of the Flight Rack Insertion Device.

Upon Fred’s retirement from NASA, he supported the complete Delta IV Launch Facilities at both Florida and Vandenberg, participated in the design review of the SLS Tail Service Mast Umbilical Systems. Fred participated in the review of the Astronaut Memorial Design at KSC and provided technical review of the safe operation of the system. He also supported Orlando medical doctors in design improvements on the Femur System.

Fred appreciates all of his family’s support during his extensive career in aerospace!

 

Tom Duncan is a 2019 Lifetime Achievement Honoree

While Tom Duncan was finishing high school across the river from Kennedy Space Center, NASA and its contractors were preparing to make history with the first crewed missions to the Moon from Launch Complex 39. And, across the Banana River farther to the east, the Air Force and its contractors were active launching national security missions on Titan III’s from the Integrate, Transfer and Launch facilities.  It was Tom’s dream to someday be a part of it all.

Graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in chemical engineering, Tom spent a few years in consulting engineering and industry before arriving at KSC just in time to help prepare the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia for its first mission. Tom fondly recalls first meeting astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen in the LCC after conducting the program’s first APU Hot Fire in the OPF with the crew onboard.

For the next thirty-nine years, Tom’s career was a busy but fulfilling experience as an engineer and technical manager for Space Shuttle, national security payload, upper stage and expendable launch vehicle systems. He participated as part of the day-of-launch team for 158 launches of Titan, Atlas, Delta, and Falcon rockets. Retiring from The Aerospace Corporation as a systems director in 2017, Tom has since been active in local history organizations as a docent, speaker and author on early aviation.

Tom’s high school sweetheart and wife, Pat, stood by him through it all and distinguished herself in supporting manned spaceflight at KSC for the Boeing Company. Tom and Pat’s son, Tommy, proudly serves in the City of Titusville’s fire rescue organization.

Past Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients

  • 1992 Bob Gray
  • 1993 Walt Kapryan
  • 1994 Ike Rigell
  • 1995 Harry Kolcum and Donald D. Buchanan
  • 1997 George English, Merritt Preston, and Peter Hoffman-Heyden
  • 1998 T.J. O’Malley and Pat Yount
  • 1999 Norm Carlson and Dr. Calvin D. Fowler
  • 2000 Andrew Pickett and George Skurla
  • 2001 Russell Barnes, Horace L. Lamberth, and Maj. Jimmie Morrell
  • 2002 Silas (Sy) Baker, John Tribe, and Thomas Utsman
  • 2003 John J. Neilon, Orion H. Reed, and James Schofield
  • 2004 Tom Brown, John Mansur, and Charlie Mars
  • 2005 James Harrington, Lou Ullian, and Al Bruckner
  • 2006 Sam Beddingfield, Francis Shill, and J. Tal Webb
  • 2007 Jay Honeycutt, Charlie Murphy, and Norris Gray
  • 2008 Dr. Al Koller, William Heink, and Harold Zweigbaum
  • 2009 Gerald Oppliger, Dr. Jim Johnson, and Guenter Wendt
  • 2010 Tim Hanrahan, John Conway, and Warren Lackie
  • 2011 Chester Wasileski, Larry Ellis, and Norm Neiman
  • 2012 Addison Bain, Art Edwards, and Terry Greenfield
  • 2013 Steve Francois, Conrad Perez, and Wayne Owens
  • 2014 Brice Lytle, Chris Fairey, and Rick Blucker
  • 2015 Bob Lang, Conrad Nagel, and Norm Perry
  • 2016 Gary Ray, Marsh Heard, Mike Spence, and Charlie Abner
  • 2017 John Presnell, Ted Hartselle, and Mark Dowhan
  • 2018 Dr. Dick Jolley and Steve Griffin

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