T.J. O'Malley
Encyclopedia
Thomas Joseph O'Malley (October 15, 1915–November 6, 2009), better known as T. J. O'Malley, was an Irish-American aerospace engineer
who, as chief test conductor for the Convair
division of General Dynamics
, was responsible for pushing the button on February 20, 1962 launching the Mercury-Atlas 6
space flight carrying astronaut John Glenn
, the first American in orbit
. Five years later, NASA
asked North American Aviation
to hire him as director of launch operations to help get the Apollo program back on track after the Apollo 1
command module fire on the launch pad killed three astronauts. O'Malley continued to play a leadership role in the United States' space program through the first space shuttle
launch in 1981.
, and he lived there until 1944. In 1936 he earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering
at the Newark College of Engineering (now the New Jersey Institute of Technology
). Anne Arneth O’Malley became his wife in 1944, and they remained married for 65 years until his death.
in Paterson, New Jersey
, the aircraft manufacturing division of Curtiss-Wright
Corporation, was O'Malley's first aviation employer. In 1958, he joined General Dynamics and worked as a test engineer for their Convair division on the SM-65 Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile
. In 1961, the Atlas was the only rocket in the United States' inventory with sufficient thrust to launch a manned Mercury space capsule into orbit, and Convair was contracted to adapt it for this purpose. After two failed launches of the Atlas carrying an unmanned Mercury capsule, O'Malley was given the task of preparing the Atlas for orbital spaceflight before the end of 1961, because the Soviet Union had already carried out manned orbital missions that year. On September 13, 1961, five months after the last failed launch, the Atlas boosted an unmanned Mercury capsule on an orbital flight.
On the morning of February 20, 1962, O'Malley was directing the General Dynamics launch team from the windowless blockhouse just a few hundred yards from Pad 14
at Cape Canaveral
where John Glenn sat atop the Atlas rocket in Friendship 7. O'Malley methodically worked through the checklist, finally announcing over the intercom, "T-minus 18 seconds and counting, engine start", as he pressed the black button on his console that began the firing sequence of the Atlas rocket. In response, his boss, astronautics base manager Byron MacNabb, seated in Mercury Control, said, "May the wee ones be with you, Thomas", a good luck reference to the leprechauns of Irish mythology
. O'Malley made the Sign of the Cross
, and said, "Good Lord ride all the way", just before backup astronaut Scott Carpenter
, also seated in the blockhouse, made his iconic remark, "Godspeed, John Glenn!" As the countdown clock reached zero, the Mercury-Atlas
rocket lifted off at 9:47 a.m. EST, carrying the first American astronaut into orbit. O'Malley had that black button mounted on a piece of varnished wood as a souvenir, which he continued to proudly display into retirement. On March 4, 1962, O'Malley appeared on the CBS-TV game show, What's My Line?
.
O'Malley had his finger on the launch button for all the Mercury-Atlas launches during Project Mercury
. During the Gemini program, he remained with General Dynamics working on the Atlas-Agena
, until a promotion to senior manager in the Electric Boat
division took him away from the space program in 1966. On January 27, 1967 the Apollo 1 command module fire at Launch Complex 34
killed astronauts Gus Grissom
, Ed White
and Roger B. Chaffee
. North American Aviation built the command module, and had to make organizational changes as well as design modifications as a result of the fatal accident. By May 1967 a new management team was taking shape, and Bastian "Buzz" Hello, who took over operations at then-Cape Kennedy for North American, hired O'Malley as director of command module launch operations.
O'Malley often went to work at Pad 14 while it was still dark. The road along the launch pads had no street lights so O'Malley complained that it was hard to find the turn to Pad 14 in the dark. A streetlight was installed for him at the entrance to Pad 14. It was left on all of the time until his death. It is named "O'Malley's Guiding Light".
, where he was responsible for Rockwell's work on Skylab
and the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project. He subsequently worked on the Space Shuttle
program, leading up to its first launch
in April 1981, a few months before his retirement.
O'Malley died of pneumonia in a Cocoa Beach, Florida
hospital on November 6, 2009 at the age of 94.
The line that said, "O'Malley had his finger on the launch button for all manned mercury Atlas launches is in error. I, Calvin D. Fowler launched Scott Carpenter, Wally Shcirra and Gordon Cooper for the last three manned Mercury Atlas launches. The press release for Gordon Cooper's launch on Merury Atlas launch on May 15, 1963 said, "...Fowler who now has launched more men into space than any other man in the free world, is the Site Manager and Launch Conductor for General Dynamics/Astonautics at Complex 14 on the Atlantic Missile Range...." I have copies of the press release and a picture of Gordon Cooper and I at the General Dynamics plant in San Diego when we went there to accept the Atlas that Gordon would ride into orbit. Calvin D. Fowler, 321-784-6222
. The record made the UK Top 5 Singles Chart in January 1998.
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
who, as chief test conductor for the Convair
Convair
Convair was an American aircraft manufacturing company which later expanded into rockets and spacecraft. The company was formed in 1943 by the merger of Vultee Aircraft and Consolidated Aircraft, and went on to produce a number of pioneering aircraft, such as the Convair B-36 bomber, and the F-102...
division of General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
, was responsible for pushing the button on February 20, 1962 launching the Mercury-Atlas 6
Mercury-Atlas 6
Mercury-Atlas 6 was a human spaceflight mission conducted by NASA, the space agency of the United States. As part of Project Mercury, MA-6 was the successful first attempt by NASA to place an astronaut into orbit. The MA-6 mission was launched February 20, 1962. It made three orbits of the Earth,...
space flight carrying astronaut John Glenn
John Glenn
John Herschel Glenn, Jr. is a former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut, and United States senator who was the first American to orbit the Earth and the third American in space. Glenn was a Marine Corps fighter pilot before joining NASA's Mercury program as a member of NASA's original...
, the first American in orbit
Geocentric orbit
A geocentric orbit involves any object orbiting the Earth, such as the Moon or artificial satellites. Currently there are approximately 2,465 artificial satellites orbiting the Earth and 6,216 pieces of space debris as tracked by the Goddard Space Flight Center...
. Five years later, NASA
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...
asked North American Aviation
North American Aviation
North American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service...
to hire him as director of launch operations to help get the Apollo program back on track after the Apollo 1
Apollo 1
Apollo 1 was scheduled to be the first manned mission of the Apollo manned lunar landing program, with a target launch date of February 21, 1967. A cabin fire during a launch pad test on January 27 at Launch Pad 34 at Cape Canaveral killed all three crew members: Command Pilot Virgil "Gus"...
command module fire on the launch pad killed three astronauts. O'Malley continued to play a leadership role in the United States' space program through the first space shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
launch in 1981.
Early life
O'Malley was born in 1915 to parents who emigrated from Ireland to Montclair, New JerseyMontclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
, and he lived there until 1944. In 1936 he earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
at the Newark College of Engineering (now the New Jersey Institute of Technology
New Jersey Institute of Technology
New Jersey Institute of Technology is a public research university in Newark, New Jersey. It is often also referred to as Newark College of Engineering ....
). Anne Arneth O’Malley became his wife in 1944, and they remained married for 65 years until his death.
Career
Wright AeronauticalWright Aeronautical
Wright Aeronautical was an aircraft and aircraft engine manufacturer located in New Jersey.-History:This American company evolved from the 1909-1916 Wright Company, which merged with the Glenn L. Martin Company in 1916 to form the Wright-Martin Aircraft Corporation. Glenn Martin resigned from...
in Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
, the aircraft manufacturing division of Curtiss-Wright
Curtiss-Wright
The Curtiss-Wright Corporation was the largest aircraft manufacturer in the United States at the end of World War II, but has evolved to largely become a component manufacturer, specializing in actuators, aircraft controls, valves, and metalworking....
Corporation, was O'Malley's first aviation employer. In 1958, he joined General Dynamics and worked as a test engineer for their Convair division on the SM-65 Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile
Intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...
. In 1961, the Atlas was the only rocket in the United States' inventory with sufficient thrust to launch a manned Mercury space capsule into orbit, and Convair was contracted to adapt it for this purpose. After two failed launches of the Atlas carrying an unmanned Mercury capsule, O'Malley was given the task of preparing the Atlas for orbital spaceflight before the end of 1961, because the Soviet Union had already carried out manned orbital missions that year. On September 13, 1961, five months after the last failed launch, the Atlas boosted an unmanned Mercury capsule on an orbital flight.
On the morning of February 20, 1962, O'Malley was directing the General Dynamics launch team from the windowless blockhouse just a few hundred yards from Pad 14
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14
Launch Complex 14 is a launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. LC-14 was used for various manned and unmanned Atlas launches, including the Friendship 7 flight aboard which John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth....
at Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...
where John Glenn sat atop the Atlas rocket in Friendship 7. O'Malley methodically worked through the checklist, finally announcing over the intercom, "T-minus 18 seconds and counting, engine start", as he pressed the black button on his console that began the firing sequence of the Atlas rocket. In response, his boss, astronautics base manager Byron MacNabb, seated in Mercury Control, said, "May the wee ones be with you, Thomas", a good luck reference to the leprechauns of Irish mythology
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
. O'Malley made the Sign of the Cross
Sign of the cross
The Sign of the Cross , or crossing oneself, is a ritual hand motion made by members of many branches of Christianity, often accompanied by spoken or mental recitation of a trinitarian formula....
, and said, "Good Lord ride all the way", just before backup astronaut Scott Carpenter
Scott Carpenter
Malcolm Scott Carpenter is an American engineer, former test pilot, astronaut, and aquanaut. He is best known as one of the original seven astronauts selected for NASA's Project Mercury in April 1959....
, also seated in the blockhouse, made his iconic remark, "Godspeed, John Glenn!" As the countdown clock reached zero, the Mercury-Atlas
Atlas LV-3B
The Atlas LV-3B, Atlas D Mercury Launch Vehicle or Mercury-Atlas Launch Vehicle, was a man-rated expendable launch system used as part of the United States Project Mercury to send astronauts into low Earth orbit. It was derived from the SM-65D Atlas missile, and was a member of the Atlas family of...
rocket lifted off at 9:47 a.m. EST, carrying the first American astronaut into orbit. O'Malley had that black button mounted on a piece of varnished wood as a souvenir, which he continued to proudly display into retirement. On March 4, 1962, O'Malley appeared on the CBS-TV game show, What's My Line?
What's My Line?
What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
.
O'Malley had his finger on the launch button for all the Mercury-Atlas launches during Project 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,...
. During the Gemini program, he remained with General Dynamics working on the Atlas-Agena
Atlas-Agena
The Atlas-Agena was an American expendable launch system derived from the SM-65 Atlas missile. It was a member of the Atlas family of rockets, and was used for 119 orbital launches between 1960 and 1978....
, until a promotion to senior manager in the Electric Boat
Electric boat
While a significant majority of water vessels are powered by diesel engines, with sail power and gasoline engines also remaining popular, boats powered by electricity have been used for over 120 years. Electric boats were very popular from the 1880s until the 1920s, when the internal combustion...
division took him away from the space program in 1966. On January 27, 1967 the Apollo 1 command module fire at Launch Complex 34
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 34
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 34 is a launch site on Cape Canaveral, Florida. LC-34 and its twin to the north, LC-37, were used by NASA as part of the Apollo Program to launch Saturn I and IB rockets from 1961 through 1968...
killed astronauts Gus Grissom
Gus Grissom
Virgil Ivan Grissom , , better known as Gus Grissom, was one of the original NASA Project Mercury astronauts and a United States Air Force pilot...
, Ed White
Edward Higgins White
Edward Higgins White, II was an engineer, United States Air Force officer and NASA astronaut. On June 3, 1965, he became the first American to "walk" in space. White died along with fellow astronauts Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee during a pre-launch test for the first manned Apollo mission at...
and Roger B. Chaffee
Roger B. Chaffee
Roger Bruce Chaffee was an American aeronautical engineer and a NASA astronaut in the Apollo program. Chaffee died along with fellow astronauts Gus Grissom and Ed White during a pre-launch test for the Apollo 1 mission at Cape Kennedy...
. North American Aviation built the command module, and had to make organizational changes as well as design modifications as a result of the fatal accident. By May 1967 a new management team was taking shape, and Bastian "Buzz" Hello, who took over operations at then-Cape Kennedy for North American, hired O'Malley as director of command module launch operations.
O'Malley often went to work at Pad 14 while it was still dark. The road along the launch pads had no street lights so O'Malley complained that it was hard to find the turn to Pad 14 in the dark. A streetlight was installed for him at the entrance to Pad 14. It was left on all of the time until his death. It is named "O'Malley's Guiding Light".
Later years
In 1970, O’Malley became vice president and general manager of launch operations for North American Aviation, later Rockwell InternationalRockwell International
Rockwell International was a major American manufacturing conglomerate in the latter half of the 20th century, involved in aircraft, the space industry, both defense-oriented and commercial electronics, automotive and truck components, printing presses, valves and meters, and industrial automation....
, where he was responsible for Rockwell's work on Skylab
Skylab
Skylab was a space station launched and operated by NASA, the space agency of the United States. Skylab orbited the Earth from 1973 to 1979, and included a workshop, a solar observatory, and other systems. It was launched unmanned by a modified Saturn V rocket, with a mass of...
and the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project. He subsequently worked on the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
program, leading up to its first launch
STS-1
STS-1 was the first orbital flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program. Space Shuttle Columbia launched on 12 April 1981, and returned to Earth on 14 April, having orbited the Earth 37 times during the 54.5-hour mission. It was the first American manned space flight since the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project...
in April 1981, a few months before his retirement.
O'Malley died of pneumonia in a Cocoa Beach, Florida
Cocoa Beach, Florida
Cocoa Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,482 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau estimates of 2008, the city had a population of 11,920...
hospital on November 6, 2009 at the age of 94.
The line that said, "O'Malley had his finger on the launch button for all manned mercury Atlas launches is in error. I, Calvin D. Fowler launched Scott Carpenter, Wally Shcirra and Gordon Cooper for the last three manned Mercury Atlas launches. The press release for Gordon Cooper's launch on Merury Atlas launch on May 15, 1963 said, "...Fowler who now has launched more men into space than any other man in the free world, is the Site Manager and Launch Conductor for General Dynamics/Astonautics at Complex 14 on the Atlantic Missile Range...." I have copies of the press release and a picture of Gordon Cooper and I at the General Dynamics plant in San Diego when we went there to accept the Atlas that Gordon would ride into orbit. Calvin D. Fowler, 321-784-6222
Awards
- NASA Distinguished Public Service MedalNASA Distinguished Public Service MedalThe NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal is an award similar to the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, but awarded to non-government personnel. This is the highest honor NASA awards to anyone who was not a government employee when the service was performed....
, 1969, 1974
- NASA Public Service Group Achievement Award, 1973
In popular culture
The tape recording of O'Malley and Scott Carpenter from the John Glenn launch was used on "My Star", a track by British rock singer Ian BrownIan Brown
Ian George Brown is an English musician, best known as the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Stone Roses, which broke up in 1996 but are confirmed to reunite in 2012. Since the break-up of the Stone Roses he has pursued a solo career...
. The record made the UK Top 5 Singles Chart in January 1998.