James R. Thompson
Fifth Center Director, Sept. 29, 1986 - July 6, 1989
 James R.
Thompson became Director of the Marshall Space Flight Center on
Sept 29, 1986, after having served three years as deputy director
for technical operations at Princeton University's Plasma Physics
Laboratory in Princeton, N.J. From March to June of 1986, he served
as the vice-chairman of the NASA task force inquiring into the cause
of the Space Shuttle Challenger accident. In that capacity, he headed
the day-to-day operations of the 51-L Data and Design Analysis Task
Force, which collected and analyzed accident-related information
in support of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger
Accident.
Before assuming his position at Princeton University, Thompson spent
20 years with Marshall in various positions, including associate
director for engineering in the Science and Engineering Directorate
and as manager of the Space Shuttle Main Engine Project in the Shuttle
Projects Office.
Mr. Thompson began his professional career in 1960 as a development
engineer with Pratt and Whitney Aircraft in West Palm Beach, Fla.
He joined the research and development team at the Marshall Center
in 1963 as a liquid propulsion system engineer responsible for component
design and performance analysis associated with the J-2 engine system
on the Saturn Launch Vehicle. In 1966 he joined the Space Engine
Section in the former Propulsion and Vehicle Engineering Laboratory
and became chief of the section in 1968. In that capacity, he was
responsible for the design and test evaluation of auxiliary space
engine propulsion systems for the Saturn Launch Vehicle and experimental
small interplanetary propulsion systems.
In 1969 Thompson transferred to the former Astronautics Laboratory
where he served as chief of the Man/Systems Integration Branch from
1969 to 1974. In September 1974, he was named manager of the Main
Engine Project of the Shuttle Projects Office. In that position he was
responsible for the development and operation of the most advanced
liquid propulsion rocket engine ever developed. He served in that
position almost from the beginning of early development testing on the
Shuttle main engine through the initial Shuttle flights.
In February 1982, Thompson was named associate director for
engineering in the Science and Engineering Directorate. In this
position, he was responsible for planning and executing the
engineering overview, analysis, evaluation and support for all
Marshall Center projects that were in the hardware development stage.
Thompson also served as NASA's deputy director from July 6, 1989
to Nov. 8, 1991.
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