DR. WERNHER VON BRAUN - NEXT CIA GUEST SPEAKER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-03090A000100160003-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 27, 2001
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: January 24, 1974
• Content Type: BULL

or Release 21/07/28 : CIA-RDP78-0309OA0001001 003-0
SPECIAL BULLETIN
O F F I C E O F T R A I N I N G
No. 2-74 24 January 1974
TO Agency Training Officers
SUBJECT: Dr. Wernher Von Braun - Next CIA
Guest Speaker
Dr. Wernher Von Braun will be the next
lecturer in the CIA Guest Speaker Program in
the Headquarters Auditorium on Tuesday,
12 February 1974, from 4 to 6 p.m. He will
speak on "The Future of Space Exploration and
the Uses of Space Technology."
Dr. Von Braun has been intimately associated
with the U.S. missile and space programs since
their inception. As Director of the George C.
Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville,
Alabama, and as Deputy Associate Administrator of
NASA, he, perhaps more than any other individual,
has been responsible for the monumental achievements
of the U.S. Space Program.
Born in Germany in 1912, Dr. Von Braun received
his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Berlin
in 1937. In his spare time as a student, Von Braun
assisted in early experiments to test liquid fueled
rocket engines. His university research led to full
time employment as a rocket development engineer
with the German Army Ordnance Department. During
World War II he became Technical Director of the
Rocket Center at Peenemuende, where the V-2 long-range
ballistic missile was developed.
Dr. Von Braun and his colleagues came to the
U.S. in September 1945 under Army contract. He first
directed high altitude firings of the V-2 at White
Sands and subsequently became director of guided
missile development at Fort Bliss, Texas. In 1950,
Dr. Von Braun's group was transferred to Huntsville,
(Over, please)
This dotmiient is part of an integrated
file. If separated from the file it must be
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Alabama, where he was Chief of the Guided Missile
Development Division, Redstone Arsenal and later
Director, Development Operations Division of the
Army Ballistic Missile Agency. During these years
the Redstone--the first large guided ballistic
missile system in the U.S. defense inventory--the
Jupiter and Pershing missiles were developed. It
was the Jupiter-C, originally intended as a nose
cone re-entry vehicle, which successfully launched
the first U.S. satellite, Explorer I.
In July 1960, Dr. Von Braun and his Army
Ballistic Missile Agency team transferred to NASA.
During his ten years as Director of the Marshall
Space Flight Center in Huntsville the Saturn series
was developed and successfully placed in operation.
One of these, Apollo 11, accomplished the historic
first manned landing on the moon in July ].969.
Under Dr. Von Braun's direction, the Marshall
Center also undertook the development of Skylab,
a first-generation manned earth-orbiting space
station, and began studies on advanced space trans-
portation systems.
In March 1970, Dr. Von Braun became Deputy
Associate Administrator, NASA with responsibility
for planning of future U.S. space missions. Dr.
Von Braun left NASA in July 1972 to become Corporate
Vice-President for Engineering and Development at
Fairchild Industries, Germantown, Maryland.
Admission to the talk will be by ticket only STATIf 1A
~~IX
until 3:55 p.m., at which time admission will be LL
open to all. For further information call
- OTR Special Programs Officer, Extensioi
Approved For Release 2001/07/28 : CIA-RDP78-03090A000100160003-0