Picture of Abe Silverstein
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Image courtesy of NASA
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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