Kurt Debus

Kurt Debus
Debus' official portrait as KSC director
Born
Kurt Heinrich Debus

(1908-11-29)November 29, 1908
Frankfurt, German Empire
DiedOctober 10, 1983(1983-10-10) (aged 74)
Rockledge, Florida, U.S.
Alma mater1933 BS, 1935 MS, 1939 PhD; Technische Hochschule Darmstadt

1967 Doctor of Laws, Rollins College (honorary)

1970 DEngSc Florida Technological University (honorary)
Known forfirst Kennedy Space Center director
Spouse
Irmgard Brueckmann
​
(m. 1937)​
Children2
Awards1969: National Space Hall of Fame[1]

1967: Space Flight Award (AAS)
1971: Commander's Cross of the order of merit (FRG)
AIAA fellow
1969: NASA Distinguished Service Medal (twice: Apollo 8, 11)
1974: Louis W. Hill Space Transportation Award (AIAA)
1968: Outstanding Achievement Award (U.S. Treasury)
1969: Patriotic Service Award (U.S. Treasury)
Outstanding Leadership Award (NASA)
Exceptional Civilian Medal (U.S. Army)
1965: Pioneer of Wind Rose Award, order of the Diamond (International Committee of Aerospace Activities)
1971: Hermann-Oberth Gesellschaft Honor Ring
Scott Gold Medal[2]
1969: Career Service Award (National Civil Service Reform League)
1969: Americanism Medal (DAR)

Memberships:
Schutzstaffel (SS)
Instrument Society of America (honorary)
Hermann-Raketentechnik and Raumfahrt, e.V. (honorary)
Marquis Biographical Library Society (advisory)
Member of the Florida Council of 100 (ex officio)
British Interplanetary Society (Advisory Board)
American Ordnance Association (life)
Scientific career
FieldsElectrical engineering[3]
InstitutionsVoight & Haeffner, AG (Frankfurt)[4]

1939–1943:[4] Technische Hochschule Darmstadt (assistant professor)
1943–1945: Peenemünde
1945–1950: White Sands Proving Grounds[3]
1950–1952: Redstone Arsenal
1952–1960: ABMA at Cape Canaveral[5]
1962–1964: Launch Operations Center
1964–1974: Kennedy Space Center

1974–1980:[6] OTRAG (Chairman of the Board)

Kurt Heinrich Debus[3] (November 29, 1908 – October 10, 1983) was a German-American rocket engineer and NASA director. Born in Germany, he was a member of the Schutzstaffel (SS) during World War II, where he served as a V-weapons flight test director. Following the war, he was brought to the United States via Operation Paperclip, and directed the design, development, construction and operation of NASA's Saturn launch facilities. He became the first director of NASA's Launch Operations Center (later renamed as the Kennedy Space Center), and, under him, NASA conducted 150 launches of military missiles and space vehicles, including 13 launches of the Saturn V rocket as part of the Apollo Moon landing program.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference NASA2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ The Scott Gold Medal is awarded by the American Ordnance Association's Missile and Astronautics division.
  3. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Darling was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference McCleskey was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Biographies of Aerospace Officials and Policymakers, A-D". NASA History Division. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
  6. ^ Leitenburger, Bernd. "OTRAG Rocket". Retrieved December 20, 2022.