2009 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program
2009 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program
2009 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program
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spoke to the origins of the U-2 program at <strong>NASA</strong><br />
and twists of fate that brought them to Ames, the<br />
evolution of the reimbursable projects,, and Marty’s<br />
as facility director at Dryden. Unfortunately the<br />
interview ran out of steam before we got to the<br />
meaty topics of Aircraft consolidation at DFRC,<br />
or the establishment of Dryden as an independent<br />
Center. I have tried to take these war stories and<br />
place many of them in the context of <strong>NASA</strong><br />
themes of the late ‘60s, early ‘70s.<br />
In this short story, I have captured several of<br />
Marty’s stories in limited detail and without his<br />
colorful language.<br />
Contributed by Jim Weber<br />
Marty Knutson attended the University of Minnesota<br />
majoring in electrical engineering. He began his<br />
aviation career as an aviation cadet in the U.S. Air<br />
Force in 1950. Following service in the Korea conflict<br />
and participation in developmental test and operation<br />
missions in F-84s, he joined the CIA’s Air Division<br />
flying U-2s. He retired from the Air Force in 1970,<br />
having logged over 6,500 hours of flight time.<br />
Marty was flying U-2s out of Cyprus in mid 1970,<br />
when he retired from the Air Force. As Marty<br />
was retiring, the CIA was considering getting out<br />
of the air business, as the big eyes in space were<br />
becoming very capable. The agency was planning to<br />
give a couple of U-2s to <strong>NASA</strong>. Marty was asked<br />
to help <strong>NASA</strong> develop a U-2 <strong>Program</strong> Plan, Marty<br />
reluctantly agreed after loosing a drinking contest<br />
with Carl Duckett, the Deputy Director of the CIA.<br />
These were heady times for <strong>NASA</strong>, we were in the<br />
thick of the Apollo missions, and trying to come up<br />
with a new, post Apollo plan for the Agency. Thomas<br />
O. Paine was the <strong>NASA</strong> administrator. John Naugle<br />
was <strong>NASA</strong>’s Associate Administrator for Space,<br />
The Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS)<br />
program was just starting. In 1970 <strong>NASA</strong> selected<br />
GE as prime contractor for ERTS.<br />
John Naugle was reluctant to embrace Marty, as<br />
he was concerned about Marty’s connection with<br />
the CIA, concerned about any connection with a<br />
spy agency. Naugle left an introductory meeting<br />
when he learned Marty was flying CIA missions as<br />
recently as the week before.<br />
Naugle came to want Marty to come to <strong>NASA</strong><br />
with the aircraft, currently slated to go to Rome<br />
NY. Marty, who grew up in Minnesota, knew he<br />
doesn’t like the cold, balked at the idea. After some<br />
wrangling, Marty agreed to start the U-2 program<br />
at Ames, an offer he couldn’t pass up. It seems<br />
JSC wasn’t interested in the U-2s, as they were<br />
convinced hey would crash.<br />
Hans Mark was the Director of Ames at the time.<br />
He had heard from the <strong>NASA</strong> Administrator<br />
and the Director of the CIA that Marty was<br />
coming. In 1971 Marty Joined <strong>NASA</strong> at the Ames<br />
Research Center as manager of the <strong>Airborne</strong><br />
Instrumentation Research Project. Shortly after<br />
arriving at Ames, Marty was prohibited from flying<br />
the U-2s, reflecting John Naugle’s fear of agency<br />
guys.<br />
Marty combined his knowledge of the U-2 ops,<br />
and the insight into the AF/CIA U-2 supply chain<br />
to ensure <strong>NASA</strong> got low hour airframes, Marty<br />
got three airplanes from the Agency, just out of<br />
overhaul, all the updates and everything. Marty<br />
repainted the U-2s in the <strong>NASA</strong> colors. The first<br />
airplane came to Ames Research Center in June of<br />
’71.<br />
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