David A. King
Encyclopedia
David A. King was the tenth Director of the NASA
Marshall Space Flight Center
located in Huntsville, Alabama
. He was appointed to the position on June 15, 2003. He announced his retirement from NASA on March 26, 2009. Soon thereafter, King started in the position of Executive Vice President at Dynetics, Inc., a Huntsville-based defense contractor.
King joined NASA in 1983 as a main propulsion system engineer. In 1983, he served as flow director, overseeing preflight preparation, test and checkout for the Space Shuttle Discovery
. He was appointed acting deputy director of the Installation Operations Directorate in 1995; deputy director of Shuttle Processing in 1996; Shuttle launch director in 1997; and director of Shuttle Processing in 1999.
King served as deputy director of the Marshall Space Flight Center from November 2002 until his appointment as director, and served as the senior on-site NASA official during recovery operations for the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
.
King has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of South Carolina
, and in 1991 a master’s degree in business administration from the Florida Institute of Technology
.
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Marshall Space Flight Center
Marshall Space Flight Center
The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center is the U.S. government's civilian rocketry and spacecraft propulsion research center. The largest center of NASA, MSFC's first mission was developing the Saturn launch vehicles for the Apollo moon program...
located in Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
. He was appointed to the position on June 15, 2003. He announced his retirement from NASA on March 26, 2009. Soon thereafter, King started in the position of Executive Vice President at Dynetics, Inc., a Huntsville-based defense contractor.
King joined NASA in 1983 as a main propulsion system engineer. In 1983, he served as flow director, overseeing preflight preparation, test and checkout for the Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States, and was operational from its maiden flight, STS-41-D on August 30, 1984, until its final landing during STS-133 on March 9, 2011...
. He was appointed acting deputy director of the Installation Operations Directorate in 1995; deputy director of Shuttle Processing in 1996; Shuttle launch director in 1997; and director of Shuttle Processing in 1999.
King served as deputy director of the Marshall Space Flight Center from November 2002 until his appointment as director, and served as the senior on-site NASA official during recovery operations for the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the death of all seven crew members...
.
King has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
, and in 1991 a master’s degree in business administration from the Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology, also known as Florida Tech, is an independent private technical research university located in Melbourne, Florida, United States. Founded in 1958 as Brevard Engineering College, the institute has been known by its present name since 1966. Florida Tech's curriculum...
.