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Jack A. Kinzler, Savior of the Skylab Mission, Dies At 94

Posted by samzenpus on from the rest-in-peace dept.

puddingebola writes "From his New York Times Obituary, 'Had Jack A. Kinzler not built model planes as a boy, had he not visited the post office as a youth and had he not, as a grown man, purchased four fishing rods at $12.95 apiece, Skylab — the United States' $2.5 billion space station — would very likely have been forfeit.' An excellent obit from the NYT, recounting the story of how Kinzler saved the Skylab mission with a telescoping parasol to patch a damaged heat shield. An inventive thinker and tinkerer, Mr. Kinzler was also responsible for the flags and plaques placed during the Apollo mission."

6 of 34 comments (clear)

  1. Another data point in the debate about college by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "NASA's resident Mr. Fix-It, building the impeccable full-scale models of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo spacecraft used in a welter of preflight tests, and solving a spate of other mechanical problems over the years â" all without the benefit of a college degree."

    A natural obsession with learning or problem solving can't be taught.

    1. Re:Another data point in the debate about college by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Although I have an advanced degree in a physical science, it was all my hobby tinkering in electronics and mechanics that made a real difference in both my thesis research and my subsequent career. That's why things like Heathkit and the old Radio Shack are sorely missed. Simulations on a tablet are not the real thing.

    2. Re:Another data point in the debate about college by Immerman · · Score: 4, Funny

      No, but with sufficient formal education it can be trained away.

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      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    3. Re:Another data point in the debate about college by DerekLyons · · Score: 3, Interesting

      A natural obsession with learning or problem solving can't be taught.

      Indeed. When I was in the Navy, we all had the exact some training... but once you got to the fleet, some guys turned out to be great console jockeys, but little else, some guys couldn't handle the hot seat at all. (Though to be honest, being fast and accurate managing the team and the system from the console was no mean feat.) Some guys were intuitive troubleshooters, others methodical, yet others never really got the hang of it though they could stick to the procedures and get by so long as the going didn't get too weird. Etc... etc...

      In theory, we were all interchangeable widgets shaped and honed in training. In reality, personality, aptitude, and inclination played a huge part.

  2. Re:Let me help by Existential+Wombat · · Score: 4, Funny

    Never forget the importance of capitals.

    I had to help my uncle Jack off a horse once.

  3. This guy personifies when NASA had creativity... by pcwhalen · · Score: 2

    ... and balls. Guys like him reached for a slide rule, locked themselves in a room with only the materials known to be on the mission and not only came up with the solution, but instructed some nervous, heat-stroked astronauts to build it.

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    Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain with all your metadata.