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Jack King (NASA)
Encyclopedia
John W. "Jack" King is a former Chief of Public Information and Public Affairs Officer for NASA
. He is best known for his work as Kennedy Space Center
Chief of Public Information during projects Mercury
, Gemini
and Apollo. As part of this role, he provided public announcements and commentary for several of the mission launches. He is best known for his announcement of the Apollo 11
launch, which earned him the nickname "Voice of Apollo". The iconic commentary from that launch has been reused in songs and advertisements, including the song "Tout Va Bien"
by the Japanese group Pizzicato Five
and was included in a 2011 collection of NASA sounds from historic spaceflights that can be used as ringtones.
, the son of a local sportswriter, and attended Boston College
. Prior to joining NASA, King worked for The Associated Press. He opened the AP's Cape Canaveral
bureau in 1958, when he was 27 years old. King joined NASA in 1960, and served as the Kennedy Space Center's Chief of Public Information from 1960 to 1971, and as NASA's Public Affairs Officer
from 1971 to 1975.
After NASA, he spent two years as Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration
(later part of the United States Department of Energy
), and another 15 years as executive vice president of Occidental Petroleum
. He was appointed director of communications at the Fuqua School of Business
in 1993. In 1997, King returned to Cape Canaveral and the U.S. manned space program
, joining the United Space Alliance
, where he served as spokesman.
King officially retired in October 2010, but still serves as a volunteer public affairs officer for NASA.
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King is a widower, his wife Evelyn having died in 2005. They were married 39 years. He has three children (sons Chip and Billy, and daughter Beth) and, , five grandchildren. He is a Catholic
.
King's oldest son, Chip King, flew the longest F-14 Tomcat
combat mission in history, the 1,800-mile attack on Afghanistan
in October 2001, following the September 11 attacks. Chip also was one of the pilots who took part in the flyover
at astronaut Pete Conrad
's 1999 funeral.
NASA
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...
. He is best known for his work as Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
Chief of Public Information during projects Mercury
Project Mercury
In January 1960 NASA awarded Western Electric Company a contract for the Mercury tracking network. The value of the contract was over $33 million. Also in January, McDonnell delivered the first production-type Mercury spacecraft, less than a year after award of the formal contract. On February 12,...
, Gemini
Project Gemini
Project Gemini was the second human spaceflight program of NASA, the civilian space agency of the United States government. Project Gemini was conducted between projects Mercury and Apollo, with ten manned flights occurring in 1965 and 1966....
and Apollo. As part of this role, he provided public announcements and commentary for several of the mission launches. He is best known for his announcement of the Apollo 11
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
launch, which earned him the nickname "Voice of Apollo". The iconic commentary from that launch has been reused in songs and advertisements, including the song "Tout Va Bien"
Sweet Pizzicato Five
-Track listing:# "Tout va Bien" - 6:54# "Flower Drum Song" - 7:58# "Catchy" - 7:15# "Telepathy" - 6:53# "Shock Treatment" - 5:31# "CDJ" - 1:21# "KDD" - 7:36# "Funky Love Child" - 6:21# "Cosmic Blues" - 6:10-Songs:...
by the Japanese group Pizzicato Five
Pizzicato Five
Pizzicato Five was a Japanese pop group best known to audiences in the West in their later incarnation as a duo of Maki Nomiya and Yasuharu Konishi...
and was included in a 2011 collection of NASA sounds from historic spaceflights that can be used as ringtones.
Career
King grew up in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, the son of a local sportswriter, and attended Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
. Prior to joining NASA, King worked for The Associated Press. He opened the AP's Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
bureau in 1958, when he was 27 years old. King joined NASA in 1960, and served as the Kennedy Space Center's Chief of Public Information from 1960 to 1971, and as NASA's Public Affairs Officer
Public information officer
Public Information Officers are the communications coordinators or spokespersons of certain governmental organizations . They differ from public relations departments of private organizations in that marketing plays a more limited role...
from 1971 to 1975.
After NASA, he spent two years as Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration
Energy Research and Development Administration
The United States Energy Research and Development Administration was a United States government organization formed from the split of the Atomic Energy Commission in 1975...
(later part of the United States Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
), and another 15 years as executive vice president of Occidental Petroleum
Occidental Petroleum
Occidental Petroleum Corporation is a California-based oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the United States, the Middle East, North Africa, and South America...
. He was appointed director of communications at the Fuqua School of Business
Fuqua School of Business
The Fuqua School of Business is the business school of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, United States. It currently enrolls 1,340 students in degree-seeking programs...
in 1993. In 1997, King returned to Cape Canaveral and the U.S. manned space program
Human spaceflight
Human spaceflight is spaceflight with humans on the spacecraft. When a spacecraft is manned, it can be piloted directly, as opposed to machine or robotic space probes and remotely-controlled satellites....
, joining the United Space Alliance
United Space Alliance
United Space Alliance is a spaceflight operations company. USA is a joint venture which was established in August 1995 as a Limited Liability Company , equally owned by Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The company is headquartered in Houston, Texas and, employed approximately 8,800 people in Texas,...
, where he served as spokesman.
King officially retired in October 2010, but still serves as a volunteer public affairs officer for NASA.
Personal life
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
.
King's oldest son, Chip King, flew the longest F-14 Tomcat
F-14 Tomcat
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental program following the collapse of the F-111B project...
combat mission in history, the 1,800-mile attack on Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in October 2001, following the September 11 attacks. Chip also was one of the pilots who took part in the flyover
Flypast
Flypast is a term used in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and other countries to denote ceremonial or honorific flights by groups of aircraft and, rarely, by a single aircraft...
at astronaut Pete Conrad
Pete Conrad
Charles "Pete" Conrad, Jr. was an American naval officer, astronaut and engineer, and the third person to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 12 mission. He set an eight-day space endurance record along with command pilot Gordon Cooper on the Gemini 5 mission, and commanded the Gemini 11 mission...
's 1999 funeral.