Edward Buckbee
From The Space Library
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| Birth Name | Edward Buckbee |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Public Affairs Officer, Author |
| Nationality | United States of America |
| Notable Works | The REAL Space Cowboys |
Ed Buckbee, an author, lecturer, space expert and director emeritus, has been associated with the U.S. space program for four decades. Buckbee began his NASA career in 1959 when America’s first Mercury astronauts were selected. He attended the launches of Alan Shepard and John Glenn and was present when the Apollo astronauts lifted-off for the moon landings. He continues to be associated with America’s space program.
A business management-journalism major and distinguished graduate of West Virginia University, Buckbee was commissioned as a distinguished Army officer in 1958. He served at the U. S. Army Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL and U. S. Special Forces, Ft. Bragg, NC. In 1961 he transferred to the newly formed NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center where he worked for rocket scientist Wernher von Braun. As a NASA public affairs officer, he met and worked with all the astronauts who flew the early Mercury and Gemini space missions and Apollo moon walkers.
In 1970, he was selected by Von Braun to be the first director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Buckbee is the visionary who assembled and managed the world’s largest space and rocket exhibition and founder of the highly successful U.S. Space Camp and Aviation Challenge programs. Over 500,000 students and teachers from seventy countries have been inspired and motivated by attending programs Buckbee developed.
Working with Mercury 7 astronauts--Alan Shepard, Wally Schirra, John Glenn, Deke Slayton, Gordon Cooper and Scott Carpenter--Buckbee conceived and developed the first exhibit telling the story of America’s astronauts at the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and Space Camp near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida. He was successful in opening similar Space Camp’s in Japan, Belgium, Italy and Canada.
Retiring from the U.S. Space & Rocker Center in 1994, Buckbee continues to work as an advisor and consultant to NASA. He has produced and hosted numerous space anniversary events acknowledging famous firsts in human space flight, honoring astronaut John Glenn and moon walkers Alan Shepard, Alan Bean and Gene Cernan. He organized and hosted the 30th anniversary celebration of the astronauts who flew on Amercia’s first space station, Skylab.
Buckbee, past president of the NASA Alumni-Huntsville, is the recipient of several national awards including the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, Department of Army Distinguished Civilian Service Award, Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Medal, National Space Club Media Award and Jimmy Doolittle Award. He has contributed to several publications, including, “50 Years of Rockets and Spacecraft in the Rocket City.” He collaborated with his long time friend, Wally Schirra, on a new book entitled, “The REAL Space Cowboys,” a tribute to the Mercury astronauts. Buckbee served as technical advisor on “Space Camp”, an ABC produced motion picture released internationally in theaters and on video. A sought after spokesman and advocate for NASA and the exploration of space, Buckbee has appeared on CNN, Late Night with David Letterman, Regis and Kathy Lee, Good Morning America, Today, Discovery, History Channel, and BBC- TV.
As president of Ed Buckbee & Associates, he continues to develop, promote and present programs to increase the public’s understanding of the U.S. role in technology programs. He strives to increase public awareness of the need to educationally prepare our nations’ youth to enter fields of emerging technology; thus ensuring the U.S. will maintain its leadership in human exploration of space and global technology.
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