Marshall Center director to retire

17 Jun 2002

G. Porter Bridwell, Director of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL, today announced plans to leave his position and retire from NASA by Feb. 3. Bridwell, 60, has been director of the NASA center since January of 1994.

"As Marshall Director over the last two years, [Bridwell] has paved the way in restructuring the Center and defining its new role for the future," said NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin. "At my request, he initiated a comprehensive study of how Marshall will lead NASA and the nation in developing new concepts for rocket propulsion and launch. His contributions will pay dividends to the space program for decades to come, particularly in the critical area of reusable launch vehicles."

Bridwell started his career as an aerospace industry engineer in 1958, joining NASA four years later. He served as an engineering manager on the Saturn program, headed the development of the Space Shuttle External Tank, and managed all the Space Shuttle main propulsion systems while at Marshall. He also served as director of the Institutional and Program Support Directorate, and headed efforts to develop a new heavy lift launch vehicle.