Karel Bossart | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Karel Jan Bossart (1904-02-09)February 9, 1904 |
| Died | August 3, 1975(1975-08-03) (aged 71) San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Citizenship | Belgian–American |
| Alma mater | Université libre de Bruxelles |
| Occupation | Rocket engineer |
| Known for | Atlas ICBM |
| Spouse | Cornelia Chase |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Exceptional Civilian Award |
Karel Jan Bossart[1] (February 9, 1904 – August 3, 1975) was an innovative rocket designer and creator of theAtlas ICBM. His achievements rank alongside those ofWernher von Braun andSergei Korolev. But as most of his work was for theUnited States Air Force and was therefore classified, his achievements are not widely known.
Karel Bossart was born on February 9, 1904, inAntwerp,Belgium. He graduated in Mining Engineering at theUniversité libre de Bruxelles in 1924. After winning a scholarship toMassachusetts Institute of Technology under theBelgian American Educational Foundation to study aeronautical engineering, he remained in the United States, working for various aircraft companies. In 1945 he was chief of structures atConvair and proposed to theUnited States Air Force that a missile could be developed with a range of 8000 km. The Air Force was skeptical of Bossart's proposal, partly wishing to preserve the priority of strategic bombers, but granted him a limited contract to develop a prototype. Bossart's major innovation was the use of amonocoque design in which structural support was maintained by pressure within the inelastic fuel tanks. After a series of tests in 1947 the Air Force lost interest and Bossart was instructed to abandon the research, but by 1951 the escalation of theCold War enabled Bossart to revive the project that became known as 'Atlas'. In 1955 theCentral Intelligence Agency reported thatSoviet Russia had made swift progress on its own intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) programme and Atlas became a crash project of the highest national importance.[2]: 106 Bossart used this opportunity to advance work with high energycryogenic fuels that resulted in theCentaur upper stage.[3]
Atlas was first launched in June 1957[4] but was never fully effective as an ICBM. However, used as alaunch vehicle, the Atlas design has excelled and has formed the basis of the most successful and reliableexpendable rockets in service. As a result, Bossart's achievements include
In 1955 Bossart became chief engineer of the Atlas project and in 1957 was promoted to Technical Director of Aeronautics at General Dynamics. On December 17, 1957, eleven years of Bossart's work climaxed in the first successful flight of the Atlas. A few days later, on December 22, 1957, he appeared onWhat's My Line? as a guest credited as "Rocket Designer U.S.A.F. Atlas Missile".[5] The next year, the Air Force awarded him the Exceptional Civilian Award for his work in developing America's first ICBM.[6]
His co-workers called Bossart one of the finest technical men in the country. They credit him with having spearheaded a major phase in the art of rocketry.[6]
In 1965, Bossart was inducted into theInternational Aerospace Hall of Fame for his pioneering contributions to the Atlas rocket system. He is featured in the Hall of Fame's exhibit within theSan Diego Air and Space Museum.[7] Bossart was later inducted into theInternational Space Hall of Fame in 1990.[8]
Bossart died on August 3, 1975, inSan Diego, California.[6]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
