2012 Issue

17 capability to detect and react to a variety of internal problems, since command times from Earth would stretch to hours during the long flight. The reliability challenges were far greater than for any other spacecraft ever designed. “We succeeded even better than we expected.” Poignantly, as Ken departs, Voyager 1 is currently in the last few light minutes of the heliosheath on its way to interstellar space. Ken’s Mission to Support Public Understanding of Space Exploration Ken’s enduring goal had been to increase public understanding of the value of human spaceflight and support for future exploration. For four decades, to help recognize and celebrate space explora- tion achievements, Ken had been working with J. David Baxter, president of the Utah Space Association, to promote Space Explo- ration Day (July 20) and U.S. Space ObservanceWeek (July 16–24), which coincide with the dates of the historic liftoff, landing, and return of Apollo 11 in 1969. Baxter conceived the idea of a celebra- tion on the anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission while he was still a junior at East High School in Salt Lake City. In 1972, Flandro (of Voyager fame, mentioned above, and a member of the University of Utah faculty) and Ken served as advisors to help Baxter form the Utah Space Association. Senator Frank E. (Ted) Moss of Utah introduced the Senate Joint Resolution in Congress in 1976. The Space Exploration Day Resolution passed in the Senate as an annual observation, but it was amended in the House of Representatives to apply for only one year. It was for these efforts in pushing for recognition of the first landing of men on the moon by Apollo 11 and for other AIAA activities that Ken was given the Distinguished Service Award by AIAA in January 1977. In 1984, Senator E. J. (Jake) Garn of Utah introduced a Senate Joint Resolution for Space Exploration Day to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon. It passed both the Senate and House of Representatives unanimously. President Rea- gan invited all the Apollo astronauts for a reception at the White House. Ken received an invitation as well. After the reception, the celebration moved to the East Room of the White House, where Ken got to witness President Reagan signing the Space Explora- tion Day Proclamation. From 1981 through 1989, Ken had gotten Proclamations or State- ments of Support fromall fifty governors plus Puerto Rico as a result of many phone calls and letters. Presidential proclamations were obtained starting with President Nixon on the fifth anniversary of Apollo 11 through President Clinton. Ken’s as-yet-unfulfilled goal is for a presidential order that will permanently establish Space Exploration Day as a nonpaid commemorative holiday. Ken’s related efforts over the years have included taking four high school students (including Baxter) to the Apollo 17 Figure 1. Voyager transits the heliosheath on its way to interstellar space. Illustration courtesy NASA. FAREWELL | continued on page 18