Maxime Faget
Encyclopedia
Maxime "Max" A. Faget (August 26, 1921 – October 9, 2004) was the designer of the Mercury
capsule
, and contributed to the later Gemini and Apollo
spacecraft as well as the Space Shuttle
.
, and grandson of Jean Charles Faget
. Born in Stann Creek
, British Honduras
, Faget attended community college
in San Francisco, California
, and he received a Bachelor of Science
degree in Mechanical Engineering
from Louisiana State University
in 1943. After three years as a submariner in the U.S. Navy
, he joined the Langley Research Center
in Hampton, Virginia
as a research scientist. While working for NACA
at Langley, Faget worked on the design of the X-15 hypersonic spacecraft.
In 1958, Faget became one of the 35 engineers who formed the Space Task Group
, creating the Mercury spacecraft. Faget based his designs on the aerodynamic work of Harvey Allen
from the mid-1950s, and was instrumental in selecting the blunt-body shape that won the Mercury competition over numerous contenders. Faget also led the development of the escape tower system used on Mercury, which was used in various forms on almost all following manned spacecraft. Faget also worked on the Gemini
and Apollo
vehicles, which shared many design points with the Mercury.
Faget filed a patent for a space shuttle vehicle design in 1972. His design, which he named "DC-3
" in homage to the famed Douglas DC-3
airliner, was a small two-stage fully reusable shuttle with a payload capacity around 15000 pounds (6,803.9 kg). DC-3 was officially studied by North American Aviation
and shown in the press as a baseline contender for the Space Transportation System
(STS). North American also studied a version of the same basic system with a much larger 50000 pounds (22,679.6 kg) payload. However, the DC-3's nose-high re-entry profile was controversial, and eventually doomed it when the US Air Force joined the Shuttle program and demanded cross-range performance that the DC-3 simply couldn't meet. In the end, its most lasting contribution was to clearly identify the trade-offs inherent in any reusable design.
He continued to work for NASA until his retirement in 1981, shortly after the second Space Shuttle flight (STS-2
). After his retirement, Faget was among the founders of Space Industries Inc., established in 1982. One of the projects of the company was the Wake Shield Facility
, a device to create near-perfect vacuum
in space. The WSF flew three times with a Space Shuttle in 1994–96 (STS-60
, STS-69
, STS-80
).
Faget is a member of the National Space Hall of Fame and the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and is a recipient of the NASA Medal for Outstanding Leadership.
Faget died of bladder cancer
on October 9, 2004, aged 83.
has named their next piloted spacecraft after Faget, the MAX-1
.
PAT. NO. Title
Project Mercury
In January 1960 NASA awarded Western Electric Company a contract for the Mercury tracking network. The value of the contract was over $33 million. Also in January, McDonnell delivered the first production-type Mercury spacecraft, less than a year after award of the formal contract. On February 12,...
capsule
Space capsule
A space capsule is an often manned spacecraft which has a simple shape for the main section, without any wings or other features to create lift during atmospheric reentry....
, and contributed to the later Gemini and Apollo
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...
spacecraft as well as 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...
.
Life
Maxime Faget was the son of Guy Henry FagetGuy Henry Faget
Guy Henry Faget was an American doctor who revolutionalized the treatment of leprosy by demonstrating the efficacy of promin, in a paper reported in 1943. Promin is a sulfone compound synthesized by Feldman and his co-workers in 1940 as an agent against tuberculosis effective in experimental animals...
, and grandson of Jean Charles Faget
Jean Charles Faget
Jean Charles Faget was a physician born on June 26, 1818 in New Orleans. He is best known for the Faget sign—a medical sign that is the unusual combination of fever and bradycardia. The sign is an important diagnostic symptom of yellow fever.-Personal life:...
. Born in Stann Creek
Stann Creek
Stann Creek is a watercourse in southeastern Belize. The administrative division, Stann Creek District, is named after the river. South Stann Creek rises in the foothills of the eastern slopes of the Maya Mountains within the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary; the South Stann Creek drains the...
, British Honduras
British Honduras
British Honduras was a British colony that is now the independent nation of Belize.First colonised by Spaniards in the 17th century, the territory on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, became a British crown colony from 1862 until 1964, when it became self-governing. Belize became...
, Faget attended community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, and he received a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
from Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in 1943. After three years as a submariner in the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, he joined the Langley Research Center
Langley Research Center
Langley Research Center is the oldest of NASA's field centers, located in Hampton, Virginia, United States. It directly borders Poquoson, Virginia and Langley Air Force Base...
in Hampton, Virginia
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
as a research scientist. While working for NACA
NACA
- Organizations :* National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the forerunner of the U.S. federal agency NASA* National Association for Campus Activities, an organization for programmers of university and college activities...
at Langley, Faget worked on the design of the X-15 hypersonic spacecraft.
In 1958, Faget became one of the 35 engineers who formed the Space Task Group
Space Task Group
The Space Task Group was a working group of NASA engineers created in 1958, tasked with superintending America's manned spaceflight programs. It was headed by Robert Gilruth andbased at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. After President John F...
, creating the Mercury spacecraft. Faget based his designs on the aerodynamic work of Harvey Allen
Harvey Allen
Harvey Allen may refer to:*Harvey A. Allen , Alaskan politician in 1870s* Harry Julian Allen , also known as Harvey Allen, NASA engineer and administrator...
from the mid-1950s, and was instrumental in selecting the blunt-body shape that won the Mercury competition over numerous contenders. Faget also led the development of the escape tower system used on Mercury, which was used in various forms on almost all following manned spacecraft. Faget also worked on the Gemini
Project Gemini
Project Gemini was the second human spaceflight program of NASA, the civilian space agency of the United States government. Project Gemini was conducted between projects Mercury and Apollo, with ten manned flights occurring in 1965 and 1966....
and Apollo
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...
vehicles, which shared many design points with the Mercury.
Faget filed a patent for a space shuttle vehicle design in 1972. His design, which he named "DC-3
North American DC-3
The DC-3 was a proposed space shuttle designed by Maxime Faget at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston. The design was nominally developed by North American Aviation , although it was a purely NASA-internal design....
" in homage to the famed Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
airliner, was a small two-stage fully reusable shuttle with a payload capacity around 15000 pounds (6,803.9 kg). DC-3 was officially studied by North American Aviation
North American Aviation
North American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service...
and shown in the press as a baseline contender for the Space Transportation System
Space Shuttle program
NASA's Space Shuttle program, officially called Space Transportation System , was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011...
(STS). North American also studied a version of the same basic system with a much larger 50000 pounds (22,679.6 kg) payload. However, the DC-3's nose-high re-entry profile was controversial, and eventually doomed it when the US Air Force joined the Shuttle program and demanded cross-range performance that the DC-3 simply couldn't meet. In the end, its most lasting contribution was to clearly identify the trade-offs inherent in any reusable design.
He continued to work for NASA until his retirement in 1981, shortly after the second Space Shuttle flight (STS-2
STS-2
STS-2 was a Space Shuttle mission conducted by NASA, using the Space Shuttle Columbia. The mission launched on 12 November 1981. It was the second shuttle mission overall, and was also the second mission for Columbia...
). After his retirement, Faget was among the founders of Space Industries Inc., established in 1982. One of the projects of the company was the Wake Shield Facility
Wake Shield Facility
]Wake Shield Facility is an experimental science platform that was placed in low-earth orbit by the Space Shuttle. It is a 3.7 meter diameter, free-flying stainless steel disk....
, a device to create near-perfect vacuum
Vacuum
In everyday usage, vacuum is a volume of space that is essentially empty of matter, such that its gaseous pressure is much less than atmospheric pressure. The word comes from the Latin term for "empty". A perfect vacuum would be one with no particles in it at all, which is impossible to achieve in...
in space. The WSF flew three times with a Space Shuttle in 1994–96 (STS-60
STS-60
STS-60 was the first mission of the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir Program, which carried Sergei K. Krikalev, the first Russian cosmonaut to fly aboard a Space Shuttle. The mission used Space Shuttle Discovery, which lifted off from Launch Pad 39A on 3 February 1994 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida...
, STS-69
STS-69
STS-69 was a Space Shuttle Endeavour mission, and the second flight of the Wake Shield Facility . The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 7 September 1995.-Crew:-Mission parameters:*Mass: payload*Perigee:...
, STS-80
STS-80
-Mission parameters:* Mass: payload* Perigee: * Apogee: * Inclination: 28.5°* Period: 91.5 min-Mission highlights:* The mission deployed two satellites and successfully recovered them after they had performed their tasks....
).
Faget is a member of the National Space Hall of Fame and the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and is a recipient of the NASA Medal for Outstanding Leadership.
Faget died of bladder cancer
Bladder cancer
Bladder cancer is any of several types of malignant growths of the urinary bladder. It is a disease in which abnormal cells multiply without control in the bladder. The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ that stores urine; it is located in the pelvis...
on October 9, 2004, aged 83.
MAX-1 Spacecraft
The private spaceflight organization Copenhagen SuborbitalsCopenhagen Suborbitals
Copenhagen Suborbitals is a non-profit organization working towards suborbital manned spaceflight. Founded in 2008 by Kristian von Bengtson and Peter Madsen the project has accomplished a successful sea launch of a test hybrid rocket, carrying a full scale human model...
has named their next piloted spacecraft after Faget, the MAX-1
MAX-1 (Spacecraft)
The MAX-1 is a manned spacecraft being developed by Copenhagen Suborbitals. The MAX-1 is designed to be similar to the Mercury spacecraft.For decent it uses a parachute which deploys from the top of the spacecraft. The ingress/egress hatch is placed above the head of the astronaut and can be opened...
.
Patents
Max Faget was a co-inventor on five United States patents issued to Space Industries, Inc. between 1988 and 1992. The patents, which are listed below, can be found at the USPTO's public web site.PAT. NO. Title
- 5,104,070 Structural latch for vehicle coupling mechanisms
- 4,903,919 Apparatus and method for docking spacecraft
- 4,834,325 Modular spacecraft system
- 4,747,567 Spacecraft with articulated solar array
- 4,728,061 Spacecraft operable in two alternative flight modes