2014-02-06
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Crippen, Robert L.
The Space Shuttle consumed a major portion of my life, nearly thirty years. I was there at the beginning when we were defining crew requirements. That included the computer requirements, cockpit controls and displays, and procedure development Flying the Shuttle was a rewarding experience after years of being involved in the development. STS-1, 7, 41C, & 41G had me involved in most of the early test flights. The Challenger accident was a terrible tragedy which provided major lessons learned. It led me to move into management to return the Shuttle to flight. Eventually I left NASA and ended up running the company that was the direct cause of the accident, Thiokol. The Space Shuttle was a great program with 135 flights, but with two terrible accidents. I am proud to have played a role in its development and operation