Robert R. Gilruth

Gilruth organized the team responsible for Project Mercury, helped establish the Houston center, and directed its spacecraft development, astronaut training, and flight-operations responsibilities through the first lunar landings.

His leadership connected NACA flight research to a permanent United States organization capable of designing spacecraft, training crews, and controlling human spaceflight missions.

Robert R. Gilruth’s archive record spans Aeronautical engineer, Space Task Group director, Manned Spacecraft Center director through work connected with NACA Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory, NASA Space Task Group, NASA Manned Spacecraft Center. The linked record places that work within Project Mercury, Gemini, Apollo.