14 Facts About Ernst Stuhlinger

Ernst Stuhlinger was a German-American atomic, electrical, and rocket scientist.

Ernst Stuhlinger was instrumental in the development of the ion engine for long-endurance space flight, and a wide variety of scientific experiments.

Ernst Stuhlinger was one of the first group of 126 scientists who emigrated to the United States with von Braun after World War II as part of Operation Paperclip.

Ernst Stuhlinger eventually served as director of the Advanced Research Projects Division of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency.

In 1954, Ernst Stuhlinger assisted in the founding of the Rocket City Astronomical Association where he served as one of the five original directors for the observatory built inside Monte Sano State Park.

Ernst Stuhlinger played a small but important role in the race to launch a US satellite after the success of Sputnik 1.

Ernst Stuhlinger served as director of the MSFC Space Science Laboratory from its formation in 1960 until 1968, and then was MSFC's associate director for science from 1968 to 1975.

In 1970, shortly after the first lunar landing, Ernst Stuhlinger received a letter from Sister Mary Jucunda in Zambia, Africa, asking how billions of dollars could be spent for space research when so many children on the Earth were starving to death.

Ernst Stuhlinger spent much of his spare time developing designs for solar-powered spacecraft.

Ernst Stuhlinger is considered as one of the pioneers of electric propulsion having, among many contributions, authored the classic textbook Ion Propulsion for Space Flight.

Ernst Stuhlinger was especially proud of winning this award as an American scientist.

Ernst Stuhlinger reiterated the point that their aim was ultimately peaceful.

Ernst Stuhlinger was interviewed in 1984 by fellow Operation Paperclip scientist Konrad Dannenberg and UAH professor Donald Tarter for an oral history series.

In 2004, when he was 90, Ernst Stuhlinger helped to raise funds to preserve a Saturn V rocket display at Huntsville, Alabama.