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James Edward Kupperian, Jr.

James Edward Kupperian, Jr. was born April 17, 1925 in Milwaukee, WI and passed away on October 7, 1984. He earned his bachelor’s degree in naval architecture, from the Webb Institute; his master’s degree from the University of Delaware, and his doctorate in physics from the University of North Carolina. He was a physicist with the Naval Research Laboratory before joining NASA in 1959. From 1959 to 1970 he was chief of the astrophysics branch at Goddard Space Flight Center. At Goddard he conceived and planned the observatory series of spacecraft, including the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO). He was the project scientist for the OAO.

Professional Work

NASA

In April 1, 1959, Jim Kupperian was selected as a member of the Orbiting Astronomical Observatories working group (one of the two Space Sciences Working Groups) that was headed by Dr. Nancy Roman of the NASA Office of Space Sciences. Dr. Roman's group has as its purpose exploration of X-ray ultra- violet and Infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum of the sun, stars and nebulae. Other members working with Dr. Roman in the astronomical observations group were Dr. A. Code, University of Wisconsin; Dr. L. Goldberg, University of Michigan; Dr. A. B. Meinel, Association of University for Research in Astronomy, Inc.; J. Milligan, Beltsville Space Center; Dr. L. Spitzer, Princeton University, and Dr. P. Whipple, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

The first astronomical activity at NASA was the continuation of the sounding rocket program already underway at NRL. James Kupperian, formerly of NRL, led a group at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (originally the Beltsville Space Center) that also included several others from the NRL rocket program.