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Author
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Topic: Sonny Morea, Apollo engineer (1932-2026)
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 56790
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 07-09-2026 08:14 AM
   
Saverio "Sonny" Francis Morea, who served as the NASA program manager for the Saturn rockets' F-1 and J-2 engines, as well as the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle, died on July 6, 2026. He was 94. From his family's obituary: Sonny was an important figure in America's space program and a contributor to one of the greatest engineering achievements in human history. During his 35-year NASA career, he managed development of the F-1 rocket engine that powered the Saturn V rocket, launching the Apollo missions to the Moon. He later led the successful recovery of the J-2 rocket engine program before being selected by von Braun to manage development of the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which enabled astronauts on Apollo 15, 16 and 17 to travel across the lunar surface.For his contributions to the Apollo program, Sonny received NASA's Exceptional Service Medal on two occasions, along with numerous other honors recognizing his leadership and service. In 2016 he was inducted into the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame. Retirement in 1990 gave Sonny the opportunity to continue to share his love of space exploration as a docent at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville. He loved welcoming visitors and telling the stories of the engineers, astronauts and technology that made the Apollo program possible.  Above: NASA engineer Sonny Morea, taking part in a 2018 Apollo 11 celebration in Huntsville, Alabama, sits a replica of the Apollo Lunar Rover Vehicle that he developed as its program manager. |
capoetc
Member Posts: 2449
From: McKinney TX (USA)
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 07-09-2026 08:31 AM
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rjb1elec
Member Posts: 459
From: Merseyside, England
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 07-09-2026 09:14 AM
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GACspaceguy
Member Posts: 3323
From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 07-09-2026 10:08 AM
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MartinAir
Member Posts: 521
From:
Registered: Oct 2020
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posted 07-09-2026 10:36 AM
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gareth89
Member Posts: 767
From: Ireland
Registered: May 2014
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posted 07-09-2026 10:38 AM
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SkyMan1958
Member Posts: 1455
From: CA.
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 07-09-2026 11:45 AM
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SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 5583
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 07-09-2026 12:12 PM
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Jeff
Member Posts: 651
From: Fayetteville, NC. USA
Registered: May 2009
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posted 07-09-2026 01:13 PM
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RocketmanRob
Member Posts: 312
From: New York City USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 07-09-2026 01:28 PM
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dom
Member Posts: 1153
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 07-09-2026 01:37 PM
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dss65
Member Posts: 1438
From: Sandpoint, ID, USA
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 07-09-2026 02:09 PM
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Delta7
Member Posts: 1805
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
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posted 07-09-2026 02:50 PM
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SpaceCadet1983
Member Posts: 589
From: Pacific NW, United States
Registered: May 2012
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posted 07-09-2026 04:58 PM
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mode1charlie
Member Posts: 1545
From: Honolulu, HI
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 07-09-2026 06:27 PM
Thank you, Sonny Morea. |
bthumble
Member Posts: 341
From: Houston, Texas
Registered: Nov 2007
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posted 07-09-2026 06:30 PM
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MCroft04
Member Posts: 1907
From: Smithfield, Me, USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 07-09-2026 07:20 PM
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sch61
Member Posts: 31
From: Ramona, CA, USA
Registered: Dec 2001
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posted 07-10-2026 01:00 AM
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Jurg Bolli
Member Posts: 1292
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 07-10-2026 03:01 AM
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David C
Member Posts: 1488
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 07-10-2026 08:12 AM
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4allmankind
Member Posts: 1152
From: Dallas TX
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 07-10-2026 03:23 PM
Rest in peace, sir. His comments featured in Moon Machines, the 2008 Science Channel documentary were invaluable. |
Philip
Member Posts: 6407
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 07-11-2026 02:55 AM
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GT76
Member Posts: 166
From: New Orleans, La. USA
Registered: Jun 2015
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posted 07-11-2026 10:01 AM
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Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3974
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 07-11-2026 10:46 AM
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Kevin T. Randall
Member Posts: 1726
From: Chesham, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted 07-11-2026 02:32 PM
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oly
Member Posts: 1560
From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015
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posted 07-11-2026 06:49 PM
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cddfspace
Member Posts: 740
From: Morris County, NJ, USA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 07-13-2026 02:45 PM
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Kite
Member Posts: 1234
From: Northampton UK
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 07-14-2026 05:14 AM
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David Carey
Member Posts: 1097
From:
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 07-14-2026 10:28 AM
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