| Chris Kraft AKA Christopher Columbus Kraft, Jr. Born: 28-Feb-1924
Birthplace: Phoebus, VA
Gender: Male
Religion: Anglican/Episcopalian
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Engineer Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Long-time voice of NASA's Mission Control Chris Kraft worked at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics until the Soviet Union's successful Sputnik launch spurred creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). With NASA he was assigned to the Space Task Group developing the Mercury program, and served as flight director through the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. In retirement, he headed a commission that investigated the efficiency of the space shuttle program, recommending partial privatization and elimination of safety redundancies. In the aftermath of the 2003 disintegration of the shuttle Columbia, this group's recommendations, commonly called the Kraft Report, were cited by some experts as having contributed to NASA's "culture of complacency". Father: Christopher Columbus Kraft (b. 9-Oct-1892, d. 1-Jan-1957)
Mother: Vanda Suddreth Kraft (b. 15-Jul-1892, d. 17-Apr-1980)
Wife: Betty Anne Turnbull Kraft (together since high school, b. 3-May-1924, m. 2-Sep-1950, two children)
Son: Gordon Turnbull Kraft (b. 29-Mar-1952)
Daughter: Kristi-Anne Kraft DuPont (b. 21-Apr-1955)
University: BA Aeronautical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute (1944)
ASME Medal 1973
NASA Director of Johnson Space Center (1972-82)
NASA Deputy Director of Johnson Space Center (1970-72)
NASA Engineer (1958-70)
National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics Engineer (1945-58)
National Academy of Engineering
FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
The Last Man on the Moon (8-Jun-2014)
Author of books:
Flight: My Life in Mission Control (2001, memoir)
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