Jack Bacon Biographical Details

VITAE:
Jack Bacon PhD, Peng

Jack Bacon is an expert in spacecraft integration, and in aerospace systems architectures. He works at the NASA Johnson Space Center as systems integration lead of numerous Russian and American spacecraft, including the Zarya’ also known by its Russian acronym: FGB), the first element and bridge module of the new International Space Station, launched November 20, 1998. His duties at NASA have included several assignments in the integrated architecture, design and operations of the Shuttle and of all systems in the US, Russian, Japanese, European and Canadian elements of the International Space Station. His duties have taken him to space development facilities all over the world, including previously secret Russian installations. He has presented NASA topics on all levels to worldwide audiences, and on numerous radio and TV events. He is hard at work on his first book “My Grandfather’s Clock”: a non-fiction which traces the development of technology and society through 28 known generations of his family, dating from medieval times to today’s permanent human presence in the cosmos.

He is the grandson of aviation pioneer David L Bacon, one of the original engineers of the NACA in 1919, and of Grace Dunlap, the second woman technical employee at the NACA. (NACA = National Advisory Council on Aeronautics: the precursor of NASA). He is married to the former Janeane Stephens, a speech pathologist, and he is stepfather to Crystal Burdine, a high school student.

Dr Bacon received his BS degree from the California Institutute of Technology (Caltech) in 1976, and his MS and PhD degrees respectively in 1978 and 1984 from the University of Rochester, where he worked on laser-fusion power reactors, fusion propulsion systems, and on microgravity fluid surfaces. He worked for Xerox Corporation in several advanced technology and systems integration assignments, prior to joining NASA in 1990. He was also heavily involved in implementing the “Leadership through Quality” program at Xerox, which won the Malcolm Balgrige National Quality Award in 1989. He is licensed as a Professional Engineer.

Jack is a former sailplane pilot, scuba diver, and skydiver. He volunteers regularly as a test subject in numerous NASA flight medicine & physiology experiments and has logged over 30 minutes of zero-gravity experience in medical test programs aboard parabolic aircraft flights. He is one of over 2700 applicants in the current astronaut selection round. Among his numerous awards and honours, Jack has twice been recognised with the NASA Outstanding Speaker Award, has received the coveted Silver Snoopy award from the astronauts, and has attained the Johnson Space Center’s highest recognition, the Certificate of Commendation.

Jack Bacon PhD, PEng
ISS Russian Systems Integration
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