Author
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Topic: Norman Chaffee, NASA engineer (1937-2024)
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Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 52666 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-26-2024 10:30 AM
Norman Chaffee, who for more than 50 years worked for NASA on the design, development, and operation of crewed spacecraft and their systems, died on May 24, 2024, according to a post by his family on Facebook. He was 86.From a self-prepared profile for the Space Walk of Fame: Worked at the Johnson Space Center from 1962 to 1998 as a federal civil servant; and from 1998 to 2012 as a contract employee in support of the JSC Education Office, performing education outreach tasks and programs. Since 2012 I have served as an unpaid volunteer for the JSC Education Office performing a variety of tasks.I worked in the JSC Propulsion and Power Division from 1962 to 1984, initially assigned to work on the reaction control systems for Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, ASTP, Skylab, Space Shuttle. My first mission supported was the Scott Carpenter Mercury flight in May of 1962. I became Deputy Chief of the Propulsion and Power Division in 1981. I moved to the International Space Station Program Office in 1984 where I served as Level 2 Chief Engineer for Program Integration in the Systems Engineering and Integration Office. My work was on the early Space Station Freedom. In 1988 I moved to the new Lunar and Mars Exploration Program Office as Manager of Systems Engineering and Integration, and in 1990 was named Acting Program Manager on the Senior Staff at JSC. In early 1991 I was asked to serve as the Deputy chief of the new JSC Automation and Robotics Division in the Engineering Directorate, where I served until late 1995, at which time I was detailed for 9 months to serve as Deputy Chief of the Biomedical Engineering Office. At that time I returned briefly to the Robotics Division and retired in October, 1996. I was immediately asked to work half-time as a rehired annuitant for two years in support of the JSC Education Office. In November, 1998 I fully retired as a civil servant and became a contract employee of the Education Office. I have also served as Chairman of the Houston Section of AIAA (1980-81); as Chairman of the JSC Chapter of the National Management Association (1988–89); and currently as President of the Clear Lake Council of Technical Societies (2006-2019). Above: On Oct. 19, 2018, retired NASA engineer Norman Chaffee spoke with the children and brought with him historical items, like the RCS thruster that he helped design, to help foster an interest in STEM careers for the local Klamath Falls, Oregon students. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Jefferson Thompson) |
Jeff Member Posts: 618 From: Fayetteville, NC. USA Registered: May 2009
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posted 05-26-2024 12:02 PM
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David Carey Member Posts: 1031 From: Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 05-26-2024 01:55 PM
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Buel Member Posts: 896 From: UK Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 05-26-2024 02:18 PM
Norm was a very, very good man. We exchanged many emails back and forth and he told me some quite brilliant stories about Arabian and the MER along with some personal stories that stay with me. RIP a great man. |
GACspaceguy Member Posts: 3079 From: Guyton, GA Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 05-26-2024 02:29 PM
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mode1charlie Member Posts: 1466 From: Honolulu, HI Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 05-26-2024 03:48 PM
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SpaceCadet1983 Member Posts: 506 From: Pacific NW, United States Registered: May 2012
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posted 05-26-2024 05:27 PM
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Kevin T. Randall Member Posts: 1609 From: Chesham, Bucks UK Registered: Dec 2008
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posted 05-27-2024 12:19 AM
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gareth89 Member Posts: 628 From: Ireland Registered: May 2014
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posted 05-27-2024 02:28 AM
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SpaceAholic Member Posts: 5363 From: Sierra Vista, Arizona Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-27-2024 12:00 PM
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rjb1elec Member Posts: 397 From: Merseyside, England Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 05-27-2024 12:29 PM
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SkyMan1958 Member Posts: 1381 From: CA. Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 05-27-2024 12:33 PM
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Kite Member Posts: 1146 From: Northampton UK Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 05-27-2024 12:43 PM
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GT76 Member Posts: 111 From: New Orleans, La. USA Registered: Jun 2015
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posted 05-27-2024 12:45 PM
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Blackarrow Member Posts: 3724 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 05-27-2024 03:13 PM
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MartinAir Member Posts: 379 From: Registered: Oct 2020
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posted 05-27-2024 04:32 PM
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hlbjr Member Posts: 577 From: Delray Beach Florida USA Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 05-31-2024 03:24 PM
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pokey Member Posts: 370 From: Houston, TX, USA Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 06-03-2024 03:27 PM
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Gilbert Member Posts: 1517 From: Carrollton, GA USA Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 06-05-2024 12:10 PM
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dss65 Member Posts: 1375 From: Sandpoint, ID, USA Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 06-05-2024 03:20 PM
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cddfspace Member Posts: 670 From: Morris County, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 06-06-2024 06:48 AM
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SpaceAngel Member Posts: 481 From: Maryland Registered: May 2010
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posted 06-28-2024 11:11 AM
Was he related to Roger Chaffee, of the ill-fated Apollo 1 crew? |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 52666 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-28-2024 11:16 AM
Though he doesn't state it outright, they were of no relation, according to Norman's NASA oral history: Roger and I were acquaintances, not quite friends, I guess. We never socialized but we did visit because we used to get each other's mail and each other's phone calls sometimes, and frequently when I was on a business trip, I'd be introduced as the astronaut Norman Chaffee because people didn't recognize the difference between Roger Chaffee and Norman Chaffee. And not too long ago, I did a Google search on my name and found several references to Astronaut Norman Chaffee, so the myth persists. |
cddfspace Member Posts: 670 From: Morris County, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 06-30-2024 11:45 AM
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mode1charlie Member Posts: 1466 From: Honolulu, HI Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 06-30-2024 01:14 PM
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