James Burke | |
|---|---|
 Burke in 1960 | |
| Born | James Donahue Burke (1925-09-18)September 18, 1925 Los Angeles County,California, U.S. |
| Died | August 19, 2023(2023-08-19) (aged 97) |
| Known for | Ranger program, one of the pioneers of America's space program |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astrodynamics |
| Institutions | JPL |
James Donahue Burke (September 18, 1925 – August 19, 2023) was an American lunar settlement and exploration expert. He was known for being the first manager of theRanger program,[1] and considered one of the pioneers of America's space program.
James Donahue Burke was born inLos Angeles County on September 18, 1925.[2] He grew up inClaremont, California and graduated from Webb High School in 1942.[3]
In 1945, after graduating inmechanical engineering fromCalifornia Institute of Technology, he became a U.S.naval aviator.[3] Burke returned to Caltech to receive his MSc inaeronautics, before working forJPL in 1949.
In his time at JPL, Burke was the Vega program director,[4] developing the third stage of the general-purpose Vega launch vehicle, which was based on theAtlas rocket.
Following JPL's transfer from theU.S. Navy toNASA,[clarification needed] and reorganization during early 1960, the Lunar and Planetary Program was created. Burke was named deputy of the Lunar Program under Clifford Cummings, before becoming the Ranger Spacecraft Project Manager as well.[4]
Burke was the first program manager of theRanger program, a series ofunmanned space missions by the United States in the 1960s whose objective was to obtain the first close-up images of the surface of theMoon. The Ranger spacecraft were designed to take images of the lunar surface, transmitting those images to Earth until the spacecraft were destroyed upon impact. Burke was in charge of spacecraft design, deep space tracking and control network, space flight operations and data reduction support systems, while the Space Science Division was in charge of the scientific experiments. Burke could combine the technological and theoretical to integrate mechanical and electrical features to achieve the difficult technical objectives. Along with his two associates, Burke had solved the major guidance problem, velocity control, associated with solid-propellant ballistic missiles. He was recognized as one of the laboratory's most perceptive research engineers, and advanced to become deputy to Cummings on the Vega Program.[4]
Technical challenges led to the failure of the first six flights.[5] Following the first five failures,Harris M. Schurmeier became project manager.[6] The ranger program suffered an additional failure beforeRanger 7 was successful.
Burke participated in many other lunar, planetary, and astrophysical projects. He was a member of the human-powered flight team that won theKremer prize.[6]
Burke continued to work at JPL until his retirement in 2001.[7]
Minor planet4874 Burke, discovered byEleanor Helin, was named after him when he retired from JPL.[8]
Burke was a faculty member of theInternational Space University from 1989.[9]
Burke and his wife Caroline were advisers at the founding conference of theSpace Generation Advisory Council during UNISPACE III in Vienna and participated in many Space Generation activities. Burke was an honorary board member of SGAC.[7]
Burke was involved with thePlanetary Society from the beginning. He was the technical editor of newsletter, "The Planetary Report" for many years.[10]
James Burke died on August 19, 2023, at the age of 97.[11][12]
Burke had over 129 works in 165 publications[13][14]
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