Loss of a Space Pioneer

Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger is dead at 94. Even if you’re an aviator, there’s a chance you never heard of him. He was the number three man on Dr. Wernher von Braun’s rocket team and one of the major minds of the space age. It boggles the mind to think of his life. He was born in Germany, earned his doctorate in physics at age 23, was drafted into World War II, and sent to fight in Stalingrad in what some call history’s bloodiest battle. He was huddled in a Ukrainian farmhouse with about 40 other soldiers one cold night when an artillery shell destroyed the house and buried him alive. Later, another shell uncovered him. He was the lone survivor. Later in the war, he was transferred to Dr.Wernher von Braun’s German rocket development center. At the end of the war, Dr. Stuhlinger escaped with von Braun and others to America, where they developed rockets at Ft. Bliss and, later, in Huntsville, AL. I lived in Huntsville for 28 years and can honestly say that I never heard a single person say a negative word about the man. He was much beloved and much admired as a scientist and as a great human being. Bob Ward, who, in his younger years, reported on the space race for “The Huntsville Times†described Stuhlinger as “a scholar and a gentleman. He was truly a gentle, sweet man and humble despite all his great achievements.†Others felt the same. A neighbor, Ralph Petroff (to whom I once tried to sell an airplane), said Stuhlinger was “equal parts Albert Einstein and Mahatma Gandhi—a brilliant man with the soul of a saint.†One favorite story came during the building of the Explorer. A device was needed to fire the second stage at exactly the right moment. Stuhlinger designed and built it in his garage. A man of many accomplishments, Stuhlinger climbed the Matterhorn twice, learned to fly, mastered several languages, and became an authority on Thomas Jefferson. And was beloved by all who knew him. I wish I could say that I knew the man, but I can’t. Wife Gail and I believe that we met him walking with his wife on the mountain trails of Huntsville when we were new to Huntsville, but the truth is we cannot remember the name of the couple we met and are just not sure. Let it be known that—with the help of retired NASA engineer Norm Schlemmer—I borrowed heavily from “The Huntsville Times†for this BLOG. We'd love to post your comments. Please click the comment tab at the top.