Who plans to turn energy into new Apollo project?”
Tuesday, August 4, 2009 Turn energy into new Apollo project Keith W. Cooley Forty years ago this past month, Neil Armstrong took that “one small step for (a) man,” inspiring wonder around the world. As we remember the many people who built this country’s space program — astronauts, engineers, production workers and business leaders — we should also note the similarities to today’s program to launch a 21st-century alternative energy economy and Michigan’s contributions to both. Early on at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ed White, a University of Michigan-trained aeronautical engineer, became the first American to walk in space during the Gemini 4 flight of 1965. His commander, James McDivitt, was a Kalamazoo native and a fellow U-M grad. The crew members of the Apollo 15 moon landing — perhaps the most successful space mission ever — all have degrees from U-M. And Clarence “Kelly” Johnson of Ishpeming — who earned degrees from Flint Junior College and U-M — fou
Forty years ago this past month, Neil Armstrong took that “one small step for (a) man,” inspiring wonder around the world. As we remember the many people who built this country’s space program — astronauts, engineers, production workers and business leaders — we should also note the similarities to today’s program to launch a 21st-century alternative energy economy and Michigan’s contributions to both. Early on at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ed White, a University of Michigan-trained aeronautical engineer, became the first American to walk in space during the Gemini 4 flight of 1965. His commander, James McDivitt, was a Kalamazoo native and a fellow U-M grad. The crew members of the Apollo 15 moon landing — perhaps the most successful space mission ever — all have degrees from U-M. And Clarence “Kelly” Johnson of Ishpeming — who earned degrees from Flint Junior College and U-M — founded and directed Lockheed Martin’s legendary “Skunk Works” engineering shop
