Hoover, George W. An early advocate of American satellite launches and instigator of Project Orbiter. Hoover entered the Navy in 1944 and became a pilot before moving to the Office of Naval Research to conduct a program in all-weather flight instrumentation. Later he helped develop the idea of high-altitude balloons for use in a variety of projects. These included Skyhook which supported cosmic-ray research and served as a research vehicle for obtaining environmental data relevant to supersonic flight. In 1954 Hoover was project officer in the field of high-speed, high-altitude flight, with involvement in the Douglas D558 project leading to the X-15. He was also instrumental in establishing Project Orbiter with von Braun and others, resulting in the launch of Explorer 1, the first American satellite. Related category AEROSPACE ADMINISTRATORS Also on this site: Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living Encyclopedia of History Transport Concepts & Designs (partner site) |