Charles Kohlhase
Encyclopedia
Charles Kohlhase (born August 15, 1935 in Knoxville, Tennessee
) worked for forty years at NASA/JPL leading the design of several robotic deep-space planetary missions. He is also an author, game developer, lecturer, accomplished photographer, and environmentalist.
. He graduated with honors from The McCallie School
in Chattanooga, Tennessee
in 1953, with honors for a BS degree in Physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology
in 1957, and with a Masters of Engineering degree from UCLA in 1968. He served as a Lt(jg) on the US Navy
aircraft carriers Essex
and Independence
from 1957-1959 as the assistant electrical officer of a nuclear weapons team.
/JPL/Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory
in May 1959 as a rocket scientist specializing in lunar and planetary trajectory design, deep space navigation, overall project systems engineering, mission analysis and design, risk assessment, public engagement, and scientific return.
Kohlhase led the design of many deep-space missions during his extended career, including Mariner
, Viking
, Voyager
, and Cassini missions. For his sustained robotic exploration contributions over the last 40 years of the 20th century and solid success record, he received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal
and has an asteroid (13801 Kohlhase
) named in his honor. He managed and guided the team which designed the epic Voyager Grand Tour mission
to the outer planets and their moons and rings. After Voyager, Kohlhase became the science and mission design manager for the international Cassini–Huygens mission to Saturn and Titan. Following the launch, cruise, and Saturn orbit phases of Cassini, he has continued to advise NASA/JPL on numerous missions to Mars and to other worlds. In addition to his counsel on various review boards, Kohlhase has chaired the Mars Program Systems Engineering Team, composed of many senior experts spanning diverse disciplines. He is also a member of the Advisory Council for The Planetary Society.
He partnered with Jim Blinn
in creating computer graphic animations of the Voyager spacecraft encounters and for the Carl Sagan Cosmos
TV series. He has directed many public activities that creatively blend art, science, and education, including international projects sponsored by the NEA, NASA, Dept of Education, and other agencies.
He was the JPL Cassini advisor for Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey
, a $10M public engagement edutainment project to produce a 3D IMAX film, based upon animated atomic particles, which also features the Cassini and Huygens spacecraft and their discoveries.
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
) worked for forty years at NASA/JPL leading the design of several robotic deep-space planetary missions. He is also an author, game developer, lecturer, accomplished photographer, and environmentalist.
Early life
Kohlhase was born in Knoxville, TennesseeKnoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
. He graduated with honors from The McCallie School
The McCallie School
The McCallie School is a boys college-preparatory school located on Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. The school was founded in 1905 and now educates a student body comprising 230 boarding students in grades 9-12 and 660 day students in grades 6-12.- History :Brothers Spencer...
in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
in 1953, with honors for a BS degree in Physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
in 1957, and with a Masters of Engineering degree from UCLA in 1968. He served as a Lt(jg) on the US Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
aircraft carriers Essex
USS Essex (CV-9)
USS Essex was an aircraft carrier, the lead ship of the 24-ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name. Commissioned in December 1942, Essex participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning the...
and Independence
USS Independence (CV-62)
The fifth USS Independence is a of the United States Navy. It was the fourth and final member of the Forrestal-class conventional-powered Supercarrier...
from 1957-1959 as the assistant electrical officer of a nuclear weapons team.
Work at JPL
After completion of military service, Kohlhase joined the NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
/JPL/Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
in May 1959 as a rocket scientist specializing in lunar and planetary trajectory design, deep space navigation, overall project systems engineering, mission analysis and design, risk assessment, public engagement, and scientific return.
Kohlhase led the design of many deep-space missions during his extended career, including Mariner
Mariner program
The Mariner program was a program conducted by the American space agency NASA that launched a series of robotic interplanetary probes designed to investigate Mars, Venus and Mercury from 1963 to 1973...
, Viking
Viking program
The Viking program consisted of a pair of American space probes sent to Mars, Viking 1 and Viking 2. Each spacecraft was composed of two main parts, an orbiter designed to photograph the surface of Mars from orbit, and a lander designed to study the planet from the surface...
, Voyager
Voyager program
The Voyager program is a U.S program that launched two unmanned space missions, scientific probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. They were launched in 1977 to take advantage of a favorable planetary alignment of the late 1970s...
, and Cassini missions. For his sustained robotic exploration contributions over the last 40 years of the 20th century and solid success record, he received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal
NASA Distinguished Service Medal
The NASA Distinguished Service Medal is the highest award which may be bestowed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States...
and has an asteroid (13801 Kohlhase
13801 Kohlhase
13801 Kohlhase is a main-belt asteroid discovered November 11, 1998 by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth-Object Search at the Anderson Mesa Station This Asteroid belt is named after Charles Kohlhase, a pioneer in the design, development and execution of planetary missions for more than four...
) named in his honor. He managed and guided the team which designed the epic Voyager Grand Tour mission
Voyager 2
The Voyager 2 spacecraft is a 722-kilogram space probe launched by NASA on August 20, 1977 to study the outer Solar System and eventually interstellar space...
to the outer planets and their moons and rings. After Voyager, Kohlhase became the science and mission design manager for the international Cassini–Huygens mission to Saturn and Titan. Following the launch, cruise, and Saturn orbit phases of Cassini, he has continued to advise NASA/JPL on numerous missions to Mars and to other worlds. In addition to his counsel on various review boards, Kohlhase has chaired the Mars Program Systems Engineering Team, composed of many senior experts spanning diverse disciplines. He is also a member of the Advisory Council for The Planetary Society.
He partnered with Jim Blinn
Jim Blinn
James F. Blinn is a computer scientist who first became widely known for his work as a computer graphics expert at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory , particularly his work on the pre-encounter animations for the Voyager project, his work on the Carl Sagan Cosmos documentary series and the research...
in creating computer graphic animations of the Voyager spacecraft encounters and for the Carl Sagan Cosmos
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage is a thirteen-part television series written by Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan, and Steven Soter, with Sagan as presenter. It was executive-produced by Adrian Malone, produced by David Kennard, Geoffrey Haines-Stiles and Gregory Andorfer, and directed by the producers, David...
TV series. He has directed many public activities that creatively blend art, science, and education, including international projects sponsored by the NEA, NASA, Dept of Education, and other agencies.
He was the JPL Cassini advisor for Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey
Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey
Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey is a 2010 animated educational sci-fi adventure film, written by Harry 'Doc' Kloor and directed by Kloor and Dan St. Pierre, as a science fiction film that takes the viewer on an atomic adventure in space.The voice cast originally included Christian Slater,...
, a $10M public engagement edutainment project to produce a 3D IMAX film, based upon animated atomic particles, which also features the Cassini and Huygens spacecraft and their discoveries.