Gene Kranz

Eugene Francis "Gene " Kranz ( born August 17, 1933, Toledo, Ohio, United States ) is a former NASA flight director during the Gemini and Apollo programs.

After his school education at the College Park in St. Louis, Missouri, from which he graduated in 1954 with a bachelor as a flight engineer, he joined the U.S. Air Force. There he made his pilot training and came up to the rank of Captain. In cooperation with the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, the Air Force conducted test flights from 1955 to 1958. Gene Kranz came in this way to Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, where this cooperation for missile flight test was continued until 1960.

1960 Gene Kranz signed his contract with NASA. Immediately, he was one of the flight control in the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, on. He rose to become deputy director of flight control for the Mercury program, and in 1964 the flight director for the Gemini program in the new flight control center in Houston.

The different layers in the flight line were designated colors, and garland led the " white team ". Was characteristic of him that he always carried the West during the flight line, the sewed his wife for him.

Him the complete flight control division was assumed in 1968, he became a flight director for the Apollo program. In April 1970, Kranz was involved during the Apollo 13 mission instrumental in the rescue of three astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise. The then held Skylab flights under his control.

From 1974-1983 wreath was deputy flight director for the STS missions and its director from 1983 to 1994. After completion of the Shuttle flight STS -61 crown went into retirement. He was honored for his achievements with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Wreath is married and has six children.

Ring is in the movie Apollo 13 by Ed Harris in the movie Apollo 11, and played by Matt Frewer.