My little bits for Apollo

Paul Gregg

December 3, 2012

As a fresh University of Michigan graduate with a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, I was enthralled with the idea of engineering research and development. In my first job with Allis-Chalmers in 1961, I worked on tasks related to the development of hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells for the Apollo program. We made great progress, and had a successful product, but another company got the final contract. [Politics perhaps?] Later in 1965-1966, I worked on two other minor projects for Apollo at the Illinois Institute of Technology Research Institute [IITRI]. One was a technical success [a 3-D lunar mission animated display device], but was never used! The other was an X-ray laminography system [an early version of CAT scan] to be used to check multi-layer printed circuit boards for hidden conductor trace flaws, but was not completed in time to be of use. I followed the Apollo missions closely, and along with millions, was thrilled in 1969 to see the landing success.