Vera Simons

Vera Simons
Born
Wera Maria Habrecht

November 23, 1920
DiedJuly 31, 2012(2012-07-31) (aged 91)
Other namesVera Winzen
Known forBalloon engineer, cofounder of Winzen Research
Spouse(s)Clifford Charles La Plante
David G. Simons (divorced, 1969)
Otto C. Winzen (divorced, 1958)
Scientific career
FieldsAeronautics

Vera Simons (1920–2012) was an inventor, artist, and balloonist. She became known in the 1950s and 1960s as a leader in high altitude gas balloon development and exploration, belonging to a group of pioneers known as the "Pre-Astronauts."