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Memorial Tributes Volume 20 (2016) / Chapter Skim
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JOHN C. HOUBOLT
Pages 104-109

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From page 105...
... Langley Research Center in 1942 in the Structures Research Division, conducting research on the s ­tability and dynamics of aircraft structures. Within a short time compared to most such promotions he was made the associate division chief of the Dynamic Loads Division in 1949, serving until 1961, when he was appointed chief of the prestigious Theoretical ­ echanics Division, researching spe M cial problems of space flight including rendezvous, communication satellites, launch vehicle dynamics, and other "hard problems." His wife Mary said, "He was always scribbling equations.
From page 106...
... He received the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Award in 1963, the first American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Award in 1968, and the University of Illinois Distinguished Civil Engineering Alumni Award in 1969 and Illini Achievement Award in 1970, and was selected as the 1989 Peninsular Engineer of the Year and elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1990.
From page 107...
... There seemed to be nothing that he couldn't fix." John Houbolt's most important technical contribution in the societal context, the one for which he is best known, is his analysis and efforts to convince NASA of a better way to land on the moon in the Apollo program. John was a member of the Lunar Mission Steering Group and had been studying the technical aspects of space rendezvous starting in 1959.
From page 108...
... NASA Administrator George Low stated, "It is my strongly held opinion that without the lunar rendezvous mode, Apollo would not have succeeded; and without John Houbolt's letter, we might not have chosen the lunar orbit rendezvous mode." John's concept was hailed by space historians as "Langley's most important contribution to the Apollo program." The Joliet Illinois Historical Museum has a permanent exhibit dedicated to John Houbolt and his family entitled "The Soaring Achievements of John C Houbolt." In addition to his Apollo contributions, John conducted pioneering and seminal research in most of the discipline fields within both aeronautics and space flight including gust analysis, torsional analysis for rotary wing blades, flutter, impact loading, and finite element methods.


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