Gordon Woodcock has been an important contributor to engineering and
studies of space exploration and technology development. He as published
~ 100 books and articles including the books Space Stations &
Platforms and Space Exploration: Mission Engineering.
Some of Mr. Woodcock's articles have even made it into popular venues:
an article from the late 1970s in
Analog magazine was later reprinted in a book by Robert Zubrin, in which
he briefly discussed his study of the occultation technique. Earlier, in the
mid-1970s, while a study manager on future space transporation systems,
his work on analysis and design of an occulting spacecraft was included as
part of the contractor report. Articles by Mr. Woodcock can be found in
Resources of Near Earth Space and Solar Power Satellites, and
New Destinies: The Paperback Magazine, Volume VII / Spring 1989,
among others.
Woodcock has served on several NASA advisory and review
committees throughout the latter decades of the 20th century.
Below is a short professional biography of Gordon Woodcock based upon
notes taken from a similar bio published in a book on solar electric power
satellites.
- B.S. Aeronautical Engineering, Oregon State, 1954.
- Joined Boeing 1954 as a test & technology engineer on ramjet & rocket
propulsion R&D with the Bomarc & Minuteman programs.
- Assigned to Boeing Saturn I-C development team in Huntsville, AL.
- Worked for NASA at Marshall SFC in the Future Projects Office on
assignments including lunar & planetary missions, launch vehicles, and
propulsion 1963-1968.
- M.S. Nuclear Engineering from U. Washington 1965 under a part-time
study program.
- Rejoined Boeing on the Apollo technical integration program in
Washington, D.C.
- Returned to Seattle 1969 to work on the space shuttle preliminary
design & upper stage preliminary design.
- Managed design study contracts for NASA 1974+ including:
- Future Space Transportation
- Solar Power Satellites
- several space station Phase-A & technology studies.
- Key member of winning Boeing space station Phase-B proposal team.
- Served as laboratory outfitting manager during part of Boeing's
Phase-B space station Program.
- Assigned as design strategy manager for the winning Phase C/D space
station proposal.
- Manager of Future Studies Office for Boeing's Advanced Civil Space
Systems program in Huntsville, AL; responsible for preliminary design of
manned lunar & Mars exploration systems 1987+.
- Retired from Boeing 1996.
- Executive V.P. of National Space Society 1997+.
Below are some web links to different sites where Gordon Woodcock is
mentioned in some aspect or another on space exploration.
