NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER ORAL HISTORY PROJECT BIOGRAPHICAL DATA SHEET
NAME: Joseph Philip Loftus, Jr.
ORAL HISTORY:
July 1997
27 October 2000
8 November 2000
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
B.A. in Psychology (Cum Laude), Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, 1953; M.A. in Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, New York 1956
Additional Study: Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Sloan Program 1975-1976; General Electric Co. course in Modern Engineering; NASA and Private courses in Systems Management
PRE-NASA CAREER:
United States Air Force Research Psychologist, Instructor, Bolling AFB, Washington, DC (1956-1957)
Pilot, Dover AFB, Delaware (1957-1959)
Research Psychologist, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
NASA CAREER:
NASA Space Task Group, Langley, Virginia and NASA Manned Spacecraft Center/ Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
Chief, Operations Integration Branch, Systems Engineering Division, Apollo Spacecraft Program Office (1962-1968)
Chief, Technical Planning Office (1970-1982)
Assistant to the Director, Plans (1983-1985)
Assistant Director, Plans (1985-1994)
Assistant Director - Engineering, Space & Life Sciences Directorate (1994 until retirement in March 2001)
PROFESSIONAL & HONORARY SOCIETIES:
• Fellow, American Institute of Astronautics and Aeronautics
• American Psychological Association
• Human Factors Society
• Planning Executives Institute
AWARDS & CITATIONS:
• USAF Commendation Medal, 1962
• MSC Superior Achievement Award, 1969
• NASA Exceptional Service Medal, 1974
• NASA Special Achievement Award, 1979 & 1981
Johnson Space Center Oral History Project Joseph P. Loftus, Jr.
SELECT PUBLICATIONS:
Loftus, Joseph P. “Orbital Debris Prevention and Elimination”, The Preservation of Near-Earth Space for Future Generations, June 24-26, 1992; A University of Chicago Centennial Symposium.
_____. “Orbital Debris Mitigation”, 18th International Symposium on Space Technology and Science, Kagoshima, Japan May 17-23, 1992.
____. “Space Debris Forum”, Actions Today for Tomorrow’s Space, Tokyo Japan, May 15, 1992, Japan Society for the Aeronautical and Space Sciences.
_____. “Management of the Orbital Environment”, IAA-91-560 with D. Kessler and P. Anz-Meador, 42nd International Astronautical Congress, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, October 5-11, 1991, also Volume 26 of Acta Astronautica 1992.
_____. “An Outlook for the Twenty First Century”, European Aerospace Conference, Paris, France, May 13-16, 1991; ESA SP-342.
____. “Techniques for Orbital Debris Mitigation”, 27.5 4th European Aerospace Conference, Paris France, May 13-16, 1991; ESA SP-342.
____. “United States Studies in Orbital Debris” IAA- 90-564, A. E. Potter in Proceedings of the 41st International Astronautical Federation Congress, Dresden GDR, Volume 24 Acta Astronautica,; also AAS Science and Technology Series.
_____. “United States Studies in Orbital Debris Prevention and Mitigation” IAA-90-664, in Proceedings of the 32nd Symposium on the Law of Space, Dresden GDR.
______. “The Evolution of the Space Shuttle” IAA-90-155, With A. Cohen and R.G. Minor, in Proceedings of the 41st International Astronautical Federation Congress, Dresden GDR, Volume 24 Acta Astronautica.
_____. “Launch Systems”, with C. Teixera and M.E.B. France, Chapter 18 of Space Mission Design and Analysis, J. Wertz and W. Larsen, eds. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, NL, 1990.
_____. “Reliability and Cost Consideration in Launch System Design” IAF 89-693, 40th International Astronautical Federation Congress, Malaga Spain.
_____. “Future Space Transportation Requirements for the Management of Orbital Debris” IAF-89-244, With A. Petro, 40th International Astronautical Federation Congress, Malaga, Spain.
Johnson Space Center Oral History Project
SOURCES:
Joseph P. Loftus, Jr. Biographical Data Sheet (1978), History Collection, Scientific and Technical Information Center, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX.
Joseph P. Loftus, Jr. Biographical Data Sheet, Joseph P. Loftus, Jr. Key Personnel File, Public Affairs Office, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX.
Space Task Group/ Manned Spacecraft Center/ Johnson Space Center Telephone Directories (1962-1999), Organizational Series, Center Collection, History Collection, Scientific and Technical Information Center, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX.
BIOGRAPHICAL DATA SHEET CREATED: 19 MAY 2000
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