Gone West: USAF Space Pioneer BG Maurice A. Cristadoro Jr. | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.13.24

Airborne-NextGen-05.14.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.15.24 Airborne-AffordableFlyers-05.16.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.17.24

Fri, Nov 28, 2008

Gone West: USAF Space Pioneer BG Maurice A. Cristadoro Jr.

Air Force Space Community Loses One Of Its Stars

One of the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers, retired Brig. Gen. Maurice A. Cristadoro Jr., 88, died Nov. 22. His wake and funeral will be held Nov. 28 in Pensacola, Fla.

Air Force Space Command officials inducted General Cristadoro to the Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2006 for his contributions to the Air Force space and missile program.

General Cristadoro was assigned to Western Development Division as deputy director of the Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile program and later as its program director.  He was responsible for all aspects of Atlas acquisition, which had the highest national priority.

He was among a very small group of individuals intimately involved with the highly secretive preparations for using an Atlas booster to launch Signal Communications by Orbiting Relay Equipment, or SCORE, the world's first communications satellite, in December 1958.

Years later, General Cristadoro would identify the SCORE mission, which resulted in the worldwide broadcast from space of President Eisenhower's message of peace and goodwill, as the highlight of his military career.

It was an amazing jump, he recalled, from launching a small thermonuclear warhead to sending a full-size Atlas canister into orbit. His granddaughter, Lt. Col. Christina M. Anderson, is assigned to the Defense Information Systems Agency.

"My grandfather was extremely proud of his role in the early missile program, and a highlight of his life was when AFSPC recognized his efforts in 2006," she said.

In May 1989 officials from the U.S. Air Force and the National Space Club unofficially established the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Award. Ten honorees received the award at that time.

In 1997, in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Air Force and the 15th anniversary of the Air Force Space Command, the award was formalized into an official Air Force award. Since then a select few have been honored with the award each year.

The purpose of the award is to recognize individuals who played a significant role in the history of Air Force space and missile programs. [ANN salutes Master Sgt. Kate Rust, Air Force Space Command Public Affairs]

FMI: www.af.mil

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.16.24): Instrument Runway

Instrument Runway A runway equipped with electronic and visual navigation aids for which a precision or nonprecision approach procedure having straight-in landing minimums has been>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.16.24)

Aero Linx: Alaska Airmen's Association The Alaska Airmen's Association includes over 2,000 members—we are one of the largest General Aviation communities in the country. We s>[...]

Airborne 05.15.24: Ghost Sq MidAir, B-2 Junked, Dream Chaser Readies

Also: Flt School Security, G600 Steep-Approach, Honduran Aid, PW545D Cert Two aircraft performing at the Fort Lauderdale Air Show clipped wings during a routine last Sunday, spooki>[...]

Airborne 05.10.24: Icon Auction, Drunk MedEvac Pilot, Bell ALFA

Also: SkyReach Parts Support, Piper Service Ctr, Airliner Near-Miss, Airshow London The Judge overseeing Icon's convoluted Chapter 11 process has approved $9 million in Chapter 11 >[...]

Airborne Affordable Flyers 05.16.24: PRA Runway, Wag-Aero Sold, Young Eagles

Also: Paramotor Champ's, Electric Ultralight, ICON BK Update, Burt Rutan at Oshkosh! The Popular Rotorcraft Association is reaching out for help in rebuilding their private runway >[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC