User:Jimpeoples/Apollo/Kenneth s Kleinknecht
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http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4009/v4p2h.htm
http://www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum38/HTML/000736.html
Mercury Project Manager Kenneth "Kenny" Samuel Kleinknecht passed away on Tuesday, November 20 in Colorado.
NASA's brief biography of Kleinknecht cites: [QUOTE]Kenneth S. Kleinknecht started his career in 1942 at the Lewis Research Center after graduating from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. In 1951, Kleinknecht transferred to the Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. After NASA formed, he then transferred to the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston in 1959.
Before being named the manager of the Mercury project, Kleinknecht was active in the National Air Races, served as supervisor for a number of avionics tests at Lewis, and was the Head of the Project Engineering Station for the X-1E.
Additionally, Kleinknecht served as the Advanced Projects Management Officer on the X-15 project and as the Technical Assistant to the Director of the Manned Spacecraft Center.[/QUOTE] Kleinknecht later was named Deputy Manager of the Gemini Project Office; Manager for the Command and Service Modules in the Apollo Spacecraft Office; Manager of the Skylab Program Office; and Asst. Manager for the Space Shuttle Orbiter Project.
Before departing NASA in 1981 to work for Martin Marietta (Lockheed Martin) until he retired in 1990, Kleinknecht served as Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Flight in the Space Transportation Systems Division for European Operations and the Spacelab Program.
His final position with NASA after 22 years of service was as shuttle Columbia's first vehicle manager, leading up to its maiden launch.
Among Kleinknecht's many honors were the NASA Medal for Outstanding Leadership from the President of the United States (1963); the NASA Exceptional Service Medal (1969); and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal (1969, 1973).
Before his passing, Kleinknecht participated in <a href="http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/oral_histories/KleinknechtKS/kleinknechtks.pdf" target="AirLock">two NASA oral history interviews</a>, first in September 1998, and then again in July 2000.
