Hans F. Gruene
From The Space Library
Dr. Hans F. Gruene was Director, Launch Vehicle Operations, Kennedy Space Center, he was responsible for the preflight testing, preparations and launch of Saturn vehicles and operation and maintenance of associated ground support systems. Born in Braunschweig, Germany, in 1910, he earned his degrees in electrical engineering at the Technical University in his hometown. He received his PhD in 1941 and began his career in guided missile work as a research engineer at the Peenemunde Guided Missile Center in 1943. He came to the United States with the Army’s Ordnance Research and Development Facility at Fort Bliss, Texas, in 1945 and held a number of management posts at the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., before being permanently assigned to NASA’s Florida launch site in June 1965.
