FORMER Nasa director George W.S. Abbey has died at age 91.
Abbey, who helmed the Johnson Space Center in Houston from 1996 to 2001, died on Sunday from an illness, his family announced.
Former Johnson Space Center director at Nasa George Abbey died on SundayGetty
GettyGeorge Abbey, pictured alongside Bill Clinton, Daniel Goldin, and John Glenn[/caption]
NASAAbbey was the director of the Johnson Space Center from 1996 to 2001[/caption]
“Our devoted father, mentor, guidepost, and hero, Geroge W.S. Abbey, passed away last night after an illness,” the family said in a statement.
“He has been called the father of modern spaceflight, but we called him Dad, Granpa, and Uncle George.
“He was a quiet man, brilliant, humble, and very private. The world will be so emptier without him.
“He had hundreds of friends and associates from all over the world who will miss him.
“His long life was notable for accomplishments as a pilot, engineer, manager, educated, and father.”
Abbey was a US Naval Academy graduate who served in the Air Force before starting his career at Nasa in 1964.
He was a technical assistant in the Apollo Spacecraft Program, which prepared and landed the first men on the Moon from 1968 to 1972.
Following the Apollo 1 accident in 1967, which saw the cabin catch fire during prelaunch testing and kill the entire crew onboard, Abbey became a leading developer and implemented critical safety modifications required for future Apollo flights.
He later became the center director’s technical assistant.
As Nasa prepared for the space shuttle’s launch, Abbey was named director of Flight Operations and responsible for astronaut training, development, and mission operations support.
Abbey was also responsible for selecting shuttle astronauts, which led to the first female and minority space flyers in 1978.
As director of the Johnson Space Center, he was critical to the Nasa Shuttle-Mir Program, providing crucial oversight, management, and guidance in the first phase of the International Space Station.
Abbey is survived by his five children.
Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
