Pickering, William Hayward

▪ 2005

      New Zealand-born American engineer and physicist (b. Dec. 24, 1910, Wellington, N.Z—d. March 15, 2004, La Cañada Flintridge, Calif.), was one of the pioneering figures of the American space program; as director of the Pasadena, Calif.-based Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) from 1954 to 1976, he oversaw the team that developed Explorer 1, the first American orbiting satellite, and headed NASA's unmanned lunar- and planetary-exploration programs. In 1940, after studying at the California Institute of Technology, where he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering and a Ph.D. in physics, Pickering joined the institute's staff. Working under American physicist Robert A. Millikan, he developed cosmic-radiation-detection gear for high-altitude balloon flights. Following the outbreak of World War II, Pickering began work for JPL, serving as manager of the Corporal rocket project, which brought about important early advances in rocket guidance and communication techniques. He also led in the development of the Sergeant solid-fuel missile. He was named chief of JPL's guided-missile electronics division in 1951 and assumed directorship of the entire laboratory three years later. After the Soviet Union stunned the world with its launch of Sputnik 1 in October 1957, Pickering and his staff rushed to finish construction of Explorer 1. The satellite, which was successfully launched on Jan. 31, 1958, was lifted into orbit by a rocket developed by noted German engineer Wernher von Braun and was equipped with instruments developed by American radiation physicist James Van Allen. The three scientists—Pickering, Braun, and Van Allen—were afterward celebrated as national heroes. Pickering went on to supervise numerous other important space-exploration projects, including the Ranger spacecraft flights in 1964–65 that tested the suitability of the Moon's surface for a manned landing, the Mariner flights that surveyed Venus in 1962 and Mars in 1964–65, and the two Viking missions to the surface of Mars in 1976. After stepping down as director of JPL, he served for two years as director of the research institute of the University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia. He then returned to Pasadena to establish a private consulting practice. Among the many honours bestowed on him were the National Medal of Science in 1975 and an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II in 1976. He was also appointed to the Order of New Zealand, the country's highest honour, in 2003.

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▪ American engineer and physicist

born December 24, 1910, Wellington, New Zealand

died March 15, 2004, La Cañada Flintridge, California, U.S.

      New Zealand-born American engineer, physicist, and head of the team that developed Explorer 1, the first U.S. satellite. He played a leading role in the development of the U.S. space program.

      Pickering attended Canterbury University in New Zealand before moving to the United States in 1929; he became a U.S. citizen in 1941. He studied at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena (B.S. 1932, M.S. 1933, Ph.D. 1936) and joined the staff of the institute in 1936. Working under the American physicist Robert A. Millikan (Millikan, Robert Andrews), Pickering developed cosmic-radiation-detection gear for high-altitude balloon flights. In 1944 he became a section chief of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he developed the first telemetry system used in U.S. rockets. He was manager of the Corporal rocket project, which brought about important early advances in guidance and communication techniques.

      In 1951 Pickering became chief of the division of guided-missile electronics, and three years later he was appointed director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He was in charge of the development of the Explorer 1 satellite and the modification of the Jupiter C launch vehicle. Among the laboratory's other important projects were the Ranger and Surveyor spacecraft for unmanned flights to the Moon, the Mariner spacecraft for survey flights to Venus and Mars, and numerous other unmanned probes into the solar system.

      Pickering retired from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1976 and served for two years as director of the research institute of the University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia. He then returned to Pasadena to establish a private consulting practice. Pickering's numerous awards include an honorary knighthood (1976) from Queen Elizabeth II and the National Medal of Science (1976).

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