MIT World Speakers

Christopher C. Kraft Jr.

Christopher C. Kraft, Jr. received a B.S. in aeronautical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic University in 1944 and joined the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) the next year. In 1958, still at Langley, he became a member of the Space Task Group developing Project Mercury and moved with the Group to Houston in 1962. He was flight director for all of the Mercury and many of the Gemini missions and directed the design of Mission Control at what became the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in 1973. He was director of the JSC from 1975 until his retirement in 1982. Since then he has remained active as an aerospace consultant.