Oct 1 1981
From The Space Library
NASA appointed Maj. Gen. James A. Abrahamson, deputy chief of staff for systems at Air Force Systems Command headquarters, Andrews Air Force Base, as associate administrator for the Office of Space Transportation Systems. Abrahamson, former test pilot and manager of the development program for U.S. Air Force's F-16 fighter, would succeed John F. Yardley, who left NASA in May to become president of McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Corporation.
In 1979, Abrahamson was one of five on a special panel selected by NASA to assess STS management; he began his job at Andrews in July 1980. He had been an astronaut in the Air Forces's Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) program from August 1967 until the program was canceled in June 1969. He then served on the staff of the National Aeronautics and Space Council in the Executive Office of the President. A command pilot with more than 3,000 flying hours in jet and conventional fighter aircraft, he was promoted to major general May 1, 1978. (NASA Release 81-159; NASA anno Oct 2/81; NY Times, Oct 3/81, 15)
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