Wayne Hale

Wayne Hale (2006)

N. Wayne Hale, Jr. (born July 5, 1954 in Clovis , New Mexico , USA ) headed the space shuttle program for several years .

Career

Hale first studied mechanical engineering at Rice University in Texas ( Bachelor 1976) and then at Purdue University in Indiana ( Master 1978).

After graduating, he came to NASA. At the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, he worked for seven years as a flight controller for drives in the control center. From November 1985 he was head of the Propulsion Systems Section for three years. From 1988 until the Columbia disaster he was flight director for around 40 shuttle flights.

Between February and July 2003, he led the preparations for launching the space shuttle at the Kennedy Space Center . He was then appointed deputy by William W. Parsons (director of the shuttle program from May 2003). From September 2005 to February 2008, Hale was Parsons' successor. From late February 2008, he was Deputy Head of Strategic Partnerships at the Johnson Space Center. In the course of his activities, he received numerous awards from NASA.

Hale left NASA on July 31, 2010 and joined Special Aerospace Services as head of human spaceflight.

criticism

Hale was criticized , especially from within his own ranks, for his behavior during the STS-107 mission. Shortly after the launch of the Columbia , NASA engineers asked Hale to arrange for US spy satellites to take pictures of the space shuttle's left wing in order to assess the extent of possible damage. However, he only complied with this request five days later, but initially did not follow the correct official channels. He is also accused of not protesting when a director of shuttle management refused to submit the application to the US Department of Defense.

Nevertheless, Hale emerged strengthened from the investigations to clear up the Columbia disaster. While the head of management lost her post, Hale was later promoted. Nevertheless, he admits a share of the responsibility. In an interview with the AP news agency, he later said, “Could I have done more? Clearly. Do I want to turn back the clock and change what I and some others have done? Clearly. But these thoughts don't haunt me. "

family

Hale is married with two children.

Awards

• 2002 NASA Space Flight Awareness Leadership Award
• 1999 NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal
• 1992 NASA Exceptional Service Medal
• Numerous NASA Group Achievement Awards

Individual evidence

1. ^ N. Wayne Hale, Jr. Joins Special Aerospace Services. SpaceRef, August 2, 2008, accessed August 5, 2008 . 

Web links

• NASA biography (English)
• Wayne Hale's blog , private blog , on which he reports on his memories and experiences as a Space Shuttle Program Manager in the course of the ten year return of the accident.