KRAEMER, ROBERT SAMUEL FUHS 1946

ROBERT SAMUEL KRAEMER FUHS 1946

1928 - 2013

Kraemer, Robert Samuel

Robert S. Kraemer died in Catonsville, MD on August 20, 2013. He was beloved husband for 59 years to Anne LaVerne (Park); loving father to Kathryn (Terry) McCoy, Joan (Rob) Compere, Stephen, Anita (Stephen Bowler), Timothy, and David (Theresa); and proud grandfather of 11. Bob was born on October 21, 1928 in Fullerton, one of six children of Kathleen and Lawrence Kraemer, and grew up helping his parents on a citrus ranch in Placentia. His sisters, Pat and Jan, preceded him in death; his brother Larry (Sheila) lives in Yorba Linda, his brother Don (Mary Ann) lives in Riverside, and his sister Karen (Dan) lives in Santa Fe, NM. He graduated from Fullerton Union HS, earned a BS from the U of Notre Dame in 1950, and an MS from Caltech in 1951. He lived in Newport Beach and Woodland Hills, and moved to Maryland in 1967. Bob was an avid sailor and loved to drive and work on classic sports cars. As Director of Planetary Exploration at NASA, Bob was instrumental in sending spacecraft to all eight planets of the Solar System. At the Rocketdyne division of North American Aviation in California, he had a hand in designing every rocket engine that sent Americans into space until the Space Shuttle. He published two books: Rocketdyne: Powering Humans into Space, and Beyond the Moon: A Golden Age of Planetary Exploration 1971-1978. He earned the Distinguished Service Medal, NASA's highest honor. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 717 N. Bradford Avenue, Placentia, CA on Saturday, September 7th at 12 pm followed by burial in Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, in Orange. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Loyola Jesuit Secondary School in Malawi, Africa (loyola-malawi.org), the Planetary Society (planetary.org), or a charity of your choice.

Published in Orange County Register on August 31, 2013 - (available until Aug 31, 2014)

August 28, 2013

Robert Kraemer dies at 84; former NASA head of planetary exploration

The son of a citrus rancher, the Caltech alumnus was also an expert in rocket engines.

Robert S. Kraemer, NASA's former director of planetary exploration who was also an expert in rocket engines, died Aug. 20 at an assisted living home in Catonsville, Md., of complications from a fall, his family said. He was 84.

Kraemer joined NASA in 1967 and, in one of his early assignments, managed the development of a Mars surface laboratory mission at NASA's headquarters in Washington.

After the project was canceled because of congressional concerns, he was appointed manager of advanced planetary programs and technology and in 1970 was named director of planetary programs.

"In this position he oversaw the successful completion of 12 missions to launch spacecraft into the solar system to study its planets, moons and more," Brian Compere, assistant managing editor of the Diamondback newspaper at theUniversity of Maryland, wrote in a profile of his grandfather. "He faced political, financial and technical challenges in managing an unprecedented burst of planetary exploration" that produced groundbreaking results.

Kraemer was associated with the missions Mariner 9 and 10, Pioneer 10 and 11, Helios 1 and 2, Viking 1 and 2, Voyager 1and 2 and Pioneer Venus 1 and 2.

The son of a citrus rancher and a homemaker, Robert Samuel Kraemer was born Oct. 21, 1928, in Fullerton and raised in Placentia. He received a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 1950.

After receiving a master's degree in aeronautics and rocket propulsion from Caltech in 1951, he worked for North American Aviation's Rocketdyne Division in Canoga Park on rocket propulsion for a secret intercontinental cruise missile called Navaho.

"By 1961, he was head of all advanced projects for the NAA rocket team, also called Rocketdyne. His work with high-performance launch engines during this time led him to determine they had all the rocket technology the U.S. would use for the next two decades," Compere wrote.

Kraemer then became chief engineer for space systems at Ford Aeronutronic in Newport Beach, where he worked until he joined NASA. A Maryland resident since 1967, he retired in 1990.

Kraemer wrote several books, including "Rocketdyne: Powering Humans Into Space" and "Beyond the Moon: A Golden Age of Planetary Exploration 1971-1981." He received the Distinguished Service Medal, NASA's highest honor.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Anne Park Kraemer; sons David, Timothy and Stephen; daughters Anita Kraemer, Kathryn McCoy and Joan Compere; brothers Larry of Yorba Linda and Don of Riverside; sister Karen of Santa Fe, N.M.; and 11 grandchildren.

A funeral Mass is scheduled for noon Sept. 7 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 717 N. Bradford Ave., Placentia, followed by burial at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Orange.