GERRY GRIFFIN

Gerald D. Griffin is an American aeronautical engineer and former NASA official, who served as Flight Director during the Apollo program, and Director of Johnson Space Center, succeeding Chris Kraft in 1982.

In 1964 Gerry joined NASA in Houston as a flight controller in Mission Control, specializing in guidance, navigation and control systems during Project Gemini. In 1968 he was named a Mission Control Flight Director and served in that role for all of the Apollo Program crewed missions, including all nine crewed missions out to the Moon, six of which included lunar landings.

Gerry's "Gold" team conducted half of the lunar landings made during Apollo: Apollos 14, 16, and 17. His team was scheduled to conduct the landing of Apollo 13, but when the landing was cancelled as a result of the oxygen tank explosion, his team played a key role in the safe return of the astronauts.