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Gene Kranz | |
|---|---|
 Kranz at Johnson Space Center in 2022 | |
| Born | Eugene Francis Kranz August 17, 1933 Toledo, Ohio, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Saint Louis University's Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology, BS 1954 |
| Occupation(s) | Flight director during Gemini and Apollo programs; Director of NASA Mission Operations |
| Years active | 1960–1994 |
| Employer | NASA (Retired) |
| Known for |
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| Predecessor | Chris Kraft (first Lead Flight Director) |
| Spouse | Marta Cadena |
| Children | 6 |
| Parent | Leo Peter Kranz (father) |
| Awards | |
Eugene Francis Kranz (born August 17, 1933) is an American aerospace engineer who served as NASA's second Chief Flight Director, directing missions of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs, including the first lunar landing mission, Apollo 11. He directed the successful efforts by the Mission Control team to save the crew of Apollo 13, and was portrayed in the 1995 film of the same name by actor Ed Harris. He characteristically wore a close-cut flattop hairstyle and the dapper "mission" vests (waistcoats) of different styles and materials made by his wife, Marta Kranz, for his Flight Director missions.
He coined the phrase "tough and competent", which became known as the "Kranz Dictum". Kranz has been the subject of movies, documentary films, and books and periodical articles. Kranz is a recipient of a Presidential Medal of Freedom.[1] In a 2010 Space Foundation survey, Kranz was ranked as the #2 most popular space hero.[2]
- ^ "Remarks on Presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Apollo 13 Mission Operations Team in Houston. | The American Presidency Project". www.presidency.ucsb.edu.
- ^ "Space Foundation Survey Reveals Broad Range of Space Heroes". Archived from the original on July 23, 2012.