Ferenc Pavlics
Encyclopedia
Ferenc Pavlics mechanical engineer, developer for NASA
Apollo Lunar rover
.
After the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, the Pavlics family scattered around the world. Ferenc and his future wife, Klára Schwáb went first to Austria
, then to the United States
. Three of his brothers and sisters also left Hungary, Anna settled in Austria, József in Sweden
, Teréz also in the USA, California
.
After leaving Hungary, Pavlics first was working from 1957 in the General Motors
(GM) Research Division, Detroit. From 1961 he continued his work in the Santa Barbara Division of GM developing overlands. He continued his postgraduate studies.
Later for the NASA JPL and Boeing Aerospace Corporation he started the development of the Lunar Roving Vehicle.
The rover had a total mass of 210 kg and was designed to carry a payload of an additional 490 kg. Each wheels had a 190 W (0.25 horsepower) motor (so the full motor power of the rover was 1 HP). It had a special vehicle design to be able to move on the special surface conditions of the Moon. Their frames were made of aluminum alloy. (See more details: Lunar rover
.)
In 1971 the Apollo 15
carried the first Lunar rover to the Moon
. In 1972 the Apollo 16
then Apollo 17
also carried a Lunar rover. All three vehicles remained on the Moon.
In 1971 Pavlics got a NASA-award for the success of the Apollo program.
Later he participated in the development of hybrid and fuel cell
driven vehicles and in the development of the electric bus network of Santa Barbara
.
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Apollo Lunar rover
Lunar rover
The Lunar Roving Vehicle or lunar rover was a battery-powered four-wheeled rover used on the Moon in the last three missions of the American Apollo program during 1971 and 1972...
.
Childhood and early life
Ferenc Pavlics was born in Balozsameggyes (Vas county, Hungary) on February 3, 1928. His father, Károly Pavlics and mother, Rosina Perusich were both teachers teaching in the elementary school of Balozsameggyes. At the age of six he almost died from a severe illness. After an operation he recovered.Education
As a child, Ferenc Pavlics attended the elementary school of Balozsameggyes. During the first years he was taught by his mother than his father. He attended the Faludi Ferenc high school in Szombathely and graduated in 1946. Pavlics attended the Technical University of Budapest and graduated as mechanical engineer in 1950.Early career and leaving Hungary
Pavlics was working in the Gépipari Tervező Intézet (Industrial Machine Planning Institute).After the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, the Pavlics family scattered around the world. Ferenc and his future wife, Klára Schwáb went first to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, then to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Three of his brothers and sisters also left Hungary, Anna settled in Austria, József in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Teréz also in the USA, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Working on space projects
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
(GM) Research Division, Detroit. From 1961 he continued his work in the Santa Barbara Division of GM developing overlands. He continued his postgraduate studies.
Later for the NASA JPL and Boeing Aerospace Corporation he started the development of the Lunar Roving Vehicle.
The rover had a total mass of 210 kg and was designed to carry a payload of an additional 490 kg. Each wheels had a 190 W (0.25 horsepower) motor (so the full motor power of the rover was 1 HP). It had a special vehicle design to be able to move on the special surface conditions of the Moon. Their frames were made of aluminum alloy. (See more details: Lunar rover
Lunar rover
The Lunar Roving Vehicle or lunar rover was a battery-powered four-wheeled rover used on the Moon in the last three missions of the American Apollo program during 1971 and 1972...
.)
In 1971 the Apollo 15
Apollo 15
Apollo 15 was the ninth manned mission in the American Apollo space program, the fourth to land on the Moon and the eighth successful manned mission. It was the first of what were termed "J missions", long duration stays on the Moon with a greater focus on science than had been possible on previous...
carried the first Lunar rover to the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. In 1972 the Apollo 16
Apollo 16
Young and Duke served as the backup crew for Apollo 13; Mattingly was slated to be the Apollo 13 command module pilot until being pulled from the mission due to his exposure to rubella through Duke.-Backup crew:...
then Apollo 17
Apollo 17
Apollo 17 was the eleventh and final manned mission in the American Apollo space program. Launched at 12:33 a.m. EST on December 7, 1972, with a three-member crew consisting of Commander Eugene Cernan, Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans, and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 remains the...
also carried a Lunar rover. All three vehicles remained on the Moon.
In 1971 Pavlics got a NASA-award for the success of the Apollo program.
Later he participated in the development of hybrid and fuel cell
Fuel cell
A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but hydrocarbons such as natural gas and alcohols like methanol are sometimes used...
driven vehicles and in the development of the electric bus network of Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
.
See also
- Lunar roverLunar roverThe Lunar Roving Vehicle or lunar rover was a battery-powered four-wheeled rover used on the Moon in the last three missions of the American Apollo program during 1971 and 1972...
- Apollo program
- List of artificial objects on the Moon
- Hungarian Revolution of 1956