Jesco von Puttkamer
Encyclopedia
Jesco Freiherr von Puttkamer (born September 22, 1933) is a German-American aerospace engineer
and senior NASA
manager from Leipzig
.
He belongs to a widely extended noble family, von Puttkamer
. According to a widespread family tradition, each firstborn Puttkamer receives the first name of "Jesco".
, during which his family lived in Switzerland
, von Puttkamer studied mechanical engineering at Konstanz
and the Technische Hochschule (RWTH Aachen
) in Aachen
, graduating with a university degree. In 1962 he left Germany for the United States, where he joined Wernher von Braun
's rocket team at the NASA
Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama
as an engineer during the Apollo Program
. He received United States
citizenship in 1967. At NASA Headquarters, Washington D.C. since 1974, he first served as a NASA program manager in charge of long-range planning of deep space manned activities (flights beyond Earth orbit) and he is an ardent advocate of manned space exploration and SETI
. He also worked with Gene Roddenberry
as Technical Advisor to Paramount Pictures
for Star Trek: The Motion Picture
(1979), contributing, among other things, the hypothetical theory behind the faster-than-light space warp drive and the promotional slogan "Space - The Human Adventure is just beginning".
From 1985 to 2000 he also lectured at the FH Aachen University at Aachen
, Germany as an Honorary Professor. In 1995, von Puttkamer was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Philosophy by the University of Saarbrücken, Germany for his pioneering contributions to the understanding of space flight as a major cultural undertaking, challenge, and obligation of nations concerned about their future advancement and position in science, technology, industry, economy, education, and the humanities. He has said that among his most treasured achievements at NASA were his contributions to the Apollo program Lunar Landing in 1969, which fulfilled President John F. Kennedy
's mandate of 1961; helping to rescue America's experimental space station Skylab
after its near-disastrous launch into orbit on May 14, 1973, making it habitable and eminently successful for three sets of U.S. Astronauts later that year; and also "rescuing" the backup Skylab
version from being discarded so it could be publicly displayed in the National Air and Space Museum
in Washington, DC, instead of being sold for scrap.
As of 2009, Puttkamer currently provides management leadership at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., on the programs of the International Space Station
(ISS), for which he holds special responsibilities as a Russia expert for the Russian segment and activities and daily on-orbit operation/increments, the Space Shuttle
and, since 2004, President George W. Bush
's Vision for Space Exploration
, stationed in the HQ Space Operations Mission Directorate (SOMD).
novel
s. His novelette
"The Sleeping God" was published in the English language
anthology
Star Trek: The New Voyages 2, edited by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath, ISBN 0-553-11392-5. His diary/book on the first lunar landing by Apollo 11 was published in 1982 in Beijing in a Chinese translation. A revised edition of this book is being published for the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission in July 2009. (April 2009)
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
and senior NASA
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...
manager from Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
.
He belongs to a widely extended noble family, von Puttkamer
Puttkamer
The family von Puttkamer belongs to a widely extended German noble family whose earliest ancestor is first recorded between 1257 and 1260. While some of its branches have the title of Graf , others are entitled to the lesser Freiherr...
. According to a widespread family tradition, each firstborn Puttkamer receives the first name of "Jesco".
History
After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, during which his family lived in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, von Puttkamer studied mechanical engineering at Konstanz
Konstanz
Konstanz is a university city with approximately 80,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south-west corner of Germany, bordering Switzerland. The city houses the University of Konstanz.-Location:...
and the Technische Hochschule (RWTH Aachen
RWTH Aachen
RWTH Aachen University is a research university located in Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany with roughly 33,000 students enrolled in 101 study programs....
) in Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
, graduating with a university degree. In 1962 he left Germany for the United States, where he joined Wernher von Braun
Wernher von Braun
Wernher Magnus Maximilian, Freiherr von Braun was a German rocket scientist, aerospace engineer, space architect, and one of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany during World War II and in the United States after that.A former member of the Nazi party,...
's rocket team at the NASA
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...
Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
as an engineer during the Apollo Program
Project Apollo
The Apollo program was the spaceflight effort carried out by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration , that landed the first humans on Earth's Moon. Conceived during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Apollo began in earnest after President John F...
. He received United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
citizenship in 1967. At NASA Headquarters, Washington D.C. since 1974, he first served as a NASA program manager in charge of long-range planning of deep space manned activities (flights beyond Earth orbit) and he is an ardent advocate of manned space exploration and SETI
SETI
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence is the collective name for a number of activities people undertake to search for intelligent extraterrestrial life. Some of the most well known projects are run by the SETI Institute. SETI projects use scientific methods to search for intelligent life...
. He also worked with Gene Roddenberry
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...
as Technical Advisor to Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
for Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a 1979 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the first film based on the Star Trek television series. The film is set in the twenty-third century, when a mysterious and immensely powerful alien cloud called V'Ger approaches the Earth,...
(1979), contributing, among other things, the hypothetical theory behind the faster-than-light space warp drive and the promotional slogan "Space - The Human Adventure is just beginning".
From 1985 to 2000 he also lectured at the FH Aachen University at Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
, Germany as an Honorary Professor. In 1995, von Puttkamer was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Philosophy by the University of Saarbrücken, Germany for his pioneering contributions to the understanding of space flight as a major cultural undertaking, challenge, and obligation of nations concerned about their future advancement and position in science, technology, industry, economy, education, and the humanities. He has said that among his most treasured achievements at NASA were his contributions to the Apollo program Lunar Landing in 1969, which fulfilled President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
's mandate of 1961; helping to rescue America's experimental space station Skylab
Skylab
Skylab was a space station launched and operated by NASA, the space agency of the United States. Skylab orbited the Earth from 1973 to 1979, and included a workshop, a solar observatory, and other systems. It was launched unmanned by a modified Saturn V rocket, with a mass of...
after its near-disastrous launch into orbit on May 14, 1973, making it habitable and eminently successful for three sets of U.S. Astronauts later that year; and also "rescuing" the backup Skylab
Skylab
Skylab was a space station launched and operated by NASA, the space agency of the United States. Skylab orbited the Earth from 1973 to 1979, and included a workshop, a solar observatory, and other systems. It was launched unmanned by a modified Saturn V rocket, with a mass of...
version from being discarded so it could be publicly displayed in the National Air and Space Museum
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It was established in 1976. Located in Washington, D.C., United States, it is a center for research into the history and science of aviation and...
in Washington, DC, instead of being sold for scrap.
As of 2009, Puttkamer currently provides management leadership at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., on the programs of the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
(ISS), for which he holds special responsibilities as a Russia expert for the Russian segment and activities and daily on-orbit operation/increments, the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
and, since 2004, President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's Vision for Space Exploration
Vision for Space Exploration
The Vision for Space Exploration is the United States space policy which was announced on January 14, 2004 by President George W. Bush. It is seen as a response to the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, the state of human spaceflight at NASA, and a way to regain public enthusiasm for space...
, stationed in the HQ Space Operations Mission Directorate (SOMD).
Awards and honors
Von Puttkamer has been honored with numerous high NASA awards, among them in 2004 with NASA's prestigious Exceptional Service Medal, the highest civilian order for outstanding services by a U.S. government agency. It was followed in 2007 by a distinguished NASA Honor Award for successful initiatives of advancing American-Russian cooperation in Spaceflight. In December 2008, Dr. von Puttkamer was honored in Philadelphia, PA, by the US-wide German-American Heritage Foundation (GAHF) with the “Distinguished German-American of the Year” award, accompanied among else by personal congratulatory letters from US-President George W. Bush, then-NASA Administrator Michael Griffin and the Governors of the States of Pennsylvania and Virginia.Books and publications
He is the author of more than a dozen books on space flight, and, during his post-WWII student years in Germany and many well-known science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s. His novelette
Novelette
A novelette is a piece of short prose fiction. The distinction between a novelette and other literary forms is usually based upon word count, with a novelette being longer than a short story, but shorter than a novella...
"The Sleeping God" was published in the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
Star Trek: The New Voyages 2, edited by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath, ISBN 0-553-11392-5. His diary/book on the first lunar landing by Apollo 11 was published in 1982 in Beijing in a Chinese translation. A revised edition of this book is being published for the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission in July 2009. (April 2009)
External links
- http://www.ek-press.de/themesopen/Puttkamer2.php
- Extraterrestrial Life: Where is Everybody? by Jesco von Puttkamer
- Obituary of A. E. van Vogt written by Puttkamer
- 1999 Flug Revue interview with von Puttkamer.
- Distinguished German-American of the Year Award