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K-1 Technical Team

Executive Team
Technical Team
Board of Directors
Contractor Team

  Dr. George E. Mueller, Chariman and Chief Vehicle Architect
Under the leadership of Chairman and Chief Vehicle Architect Dr. George E. Mueller, former head of NASA's Apollo program, Rocketplane Kistler has assembled a team of the most preeminent aerospace vehicle designers and space program managers in the U.S.

Collectively, these individuals have guided most of America's major space programs, including Mercury, Gemini, Saturn, Apollo, Skylab, the Space Shuttle, and the space station programs.

 		 
Dr. George E. Mueller
Joe Cuzzupoli, Vice President and K-1 Program Manager
Mr. Cuzzupoli has primary responsibility for production of the K-1 vehicle within budget and on schedule. He joined in January 1997. Mr. Cuzzupoli brought to Rocketplane Kistler over three decades of experience in aerospace program management and manufacturing. Prior to joining RPK's executive team, he served as Senior Vice President of American Pacific Corporation in which he was responsible for all divisions of product development.

Mr. Cuzzupoli served as Vice President and Program Manager for the Space Shuttle Orbiter Project at Rockwell International. Prior, Mr. Cuzzupoli was the Assistant Program Manager for Apollo 6, 8, 9, and 12. His expertise lies in engineering and manufacturing activities.

 
Joe Cuzzupoli
Dick Kohrs, Chief Engineer
Mr. Kohrs is responsible for K-1 vehicle design and configuration and ensuring the K-1 meets all technical specifications. Mr. Kohrs has over 30 years of experience in systems engineering and integration of NASA Apollo, Shuttle, and Space Station programs. He led the systems integration of the Shuttle program with responsibility for vehicle integration of the Orbiter main engines, external tank, solid rocket boosters, and ground system.

Mr. Kohrs managed the daily engineering, processing, and operations activities of the Shuttle program from 1985 through 1989. He assumed the role of Director of Space Station Freedom in 1989 with overall responsibility for development and operation. Mr. Kohrs joined Rocketplane Kistler in April 1997 after serving as Director, ANSER Center for International Aerospace Cooperation.

 		 
Dick Kohrs
Donald Fagan, Vice President, Launch Operations, Australia
Mr. Fagan oversees the K-1 launch operations from the Woomera Rocket Range in South Australia. Mr. Fagan has over 40 years of management experience in aerospace, electronic design and development and software system development. Mr. Fagan's career includes development testing and operation of the Atlas missile and launch vehicles. Mr. Fagan served as Base Manager at Vandenberg Air Force Base, where he directed numerous Atlas missile and space launches in addition to managing the construction of 16 launch sites. Mr. Fagan was also the test and launch director for the U.S. Space Shuttle Phase I and II studies. He joined RPK in February 1998.

 		 
Donald Fagan
General Jack Gregory, Ret., Vice President, Launch Operations, Nevada
Gen. Gregory manages the K-1 launch operations at the Nevada Test Site Development Corporation. General Gregory completed over thirty-five years of active service in the United States Air Force. A former fighter pilot, his last assignment was Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Air Force. General Gregory has also been an advisor to a number of companies and government agencies regarding Pacific Rim business activities. He joined RPK in March 1997.

 		 
Jack Gregory

Senior Technical Advisors
When Dr. Mueller joined RPK in 1995, several of his former associates
assisted him in developing the requirements and architecture of the K-1 vehicle.
These Senior Technical Advisors included Dr. Aaron Cohen, former director of the
NASA Johnson Space Center; Dale Myers, former President of North American Aircraft
Operations and Vice President of Rockwell International (in charge of the B-1 bomber
program) and former NASA Deputy Administrator and Associate Administrator of Manned
Space Flight; and Henry Pohl, former Chief Engineer for JSC and ISS.
Today, Joe Cuzzupoli, former Rockwell program manager for the Space Shuttle Orbiter
project, and Dick Kohrs, former program director of NASA’s Space Station Freedom and
deputy director of the Shuttle, are in charge of completing the design and overseeing
the manufacturing of the K-1.

Dale Myers
Mr. Myers' career in the aerospace industry, spanning 50 years, has been distinguished by many high-level positions in both industry and government. He has played a vital role in the development of aircraft and launch vehicles. Most recently, he served as President of North American Aircraft Operations and was Vice President of Rockwell International. As Associate Administrator for the Manned Space Flight Program at NASA, Mr. Myers was responsible for planning, direction, execution, and evaluation of the Apollo program. He managed the development and flight of Apollo missions 13 through 17, Skylab, Apollo/Soyuz Rendezvous mission, and Space Shuttle program.

Mr. Myers brings with him extraordinary technical, management and communication skills, and a keen awareness of the importance of the evolutionary development of technologies as they apply to space vehicle performance and reliability. He is a member of the Aerospace Hall of Fame.

 		 
Dale Myers
Henry O. Pohl
With a career spanning 40 years in the aerospace industry, Henry Pohl has an exceptional depth of knowledge of rocket engine systems. From mid-1950, when he served as a test engineer on the Redstone and Jupiter missiles, to 1994, when he retired from Johnson Space Center, his work included guidance, navigation, control, power, avionics, hydraulic systems, communications, structures, thermal control, robotics, propulsion, fluid management, pyrotechnics, life support, aerodynamics, and aerothermodynamics.

Mr. Pohl held many high-level positions at Johnson Space Center, including Chief Engineer, Chief of the Dynamic Systems Branch, Propulsion and Power Division, and head of the Auxiliary Propulsion Section, Energy Systems Branch. He later became Chief Engineer for the International Space Station.

 		 
Henry Pohl