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Abe Silverstein

Abe Silverstein, born in 1908, was an engineer who realized the importance of rocketry research. He originally worked for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and later for NASA.

Dr. Silverstein oversaw development of the Centaur program, which focused on developing a high-energy rocket that used liquid-hydrogen fuel. He was one of the first proponents of using liquid-hydrogen fueled rockets and convinced others at NASA that they should use this untried method. The engines developed for the Centaur program were later used in the upper stages of the Saturn rocket used during the Apollo program.

Dr. Silverstein now resides near NASA's Lewis Research Center in Ohio, where he worked for most of his life.

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