Christopher Kraft Astronaut - Born February 28, 1924 in Phoebus, Virginia, USA

Birth Name Christopher Columbus Kraft Jr.

Nickname Flight

Height 5' 8" (1.73 m)

Mini Bio (1) Christopher Kraft was born on February 28, 1924 in Phoebus, Virginia, USA as Christopher Columbus Kraft Jr. He has been married to Betty Ann Turnbull since September 2, 1950. They have two children.

Spouse (1) Betty Ann Turnbull (2 September 1950 - present) (2 children)

Legendary flight director, aerospace consultant, and Director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston (January 1972 - August 1982).

As key flight controller position for all the Mercury missions and the first half of the Gemini program, Kraft made the final decision on whether a rocket would take off, what happened while the crew was in space and when they should come down.

In 1995, a review panel chaired by Dr. Kraft proposed that NASA's space shuttle program should eventually be transferred to the private sector as the best way to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Personal Quotes (1) If costs are not cut, the [NASA space] shuttle will become extinct. It would have been used for the space station, and it would have become so expensive to operate that nobody else could afford to use it. Now, I think it has a chance of becoming an operational vehicle for a reasonable price. I didn't say it would. I said it has a chance.