Richard Passman (June 30, 1925 – April 1, 2020) was an American aeronautical engineer and space scientist. He worked on projects including the Corona, the first spy satellite. He was a volunteer in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and author.

Early life and education

Passman was born in Cedarhurst, New York, to Ethel and Matthew Passman. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1944 and mathematics in 1946. He earned a master's in aeronautical engineering in 1947. He joined the Navy Pilot Training program during WWII, but was discharged for medical reasons.

Career

Passman worked for Bell Aircraft, General Electric, the

U.S. Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and manages the research and development of nuclear power and nuclear weapons in the United States. ...

, and Grumman Corp. He worked on the team that created

Bell X-1 The Bell X-1 (Bell Model 44) is a rocket engine–powered aircraft, designated originally as the XS-1, and was a joint National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics– U.S. Army Air Forces–U.S. Air Force supersonic research project built by Be ...

, the first airplane to exceed the speed of sound and served as the Chief Aerodynamicist for Bell X-2, the first plane to break mach-3. He also worked on the Corona, the spy satellite that informed the U.S. of Russian nuclear power. Passman's work also included the Nimbus weather satellite and the

SNAP-27 The Systems Nuclear Auxiliary POWER (SNAP) program was a program of experimental radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) and space nuclear reactors flown during the 1960s by NASA. Odd-numbered SNAPs: radioisotope thermoelectric generators ...

power system for Apollo missions to the moon. He served as manager of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory project before it was terminated by President Nixon. He co-authored ''X-15: The World’s Fastest Rocket Plan and the Pilots who Ushered In the Space Age'' in 2014. He was named to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Wall of Honor.

Personal life and death

Passman was married to Minna for 70 years. They had three sons and lived in Silver Spring, Maryland, at the time of his death. He died of complications from COVID-19 at Holy Cross Hospital.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Passman, Richard 1925 births 2020 deaths American aerospace engineers Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland People from Cedarhurst, New York Engineers from New York (state) University of Michigan alumni 20th-century American engineers