When and where was Maxime Faget born?
Maxime Allen Faget entered the world on the 26th of August 1921 in Stann Creek Town. This location sat within British Honduras before becoming Dangriga, Belize.
Questions about Maxime Faget
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What education did Maxime Faget complete for his engineering career?
The young engineer attended City College of San Francisco early in his life. He later earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Louisiana State University with a focus on mechanical engineering in 1943.
How did Maxime Faget design the Mercury spacecraft shape?
Faget selected a blunt-body shape after reviewing numerous competing designs to prioritize heat resistance over sleek aerodynamics. This specific geometry won the competition against other contenders for human spaceflight.
Why did the DC-3 shuttle design fail to meet military requirements?
The U.S. Air Force demanded cross-range performance that the DC-3 could not meet due to its nose-high re-entry profile. The press displayed the design as a serious option but it faced controversy among military officials regarding these limitations.
Which Space Shuttle missions flew the Wake Shield Facility developed by Maxime Faget?
Engineers used the facility to create near-perfect vacuum conditions in the thermosphere during three flights between 1994 and 1996. Missions included STS-60, STS-69, and STS-80 aboard Space Shuttles.
When did Maxime Faget die and what caused his death?
Maxime Faget died of bladder cancer on the 9th of October 2004 at age eighty-three. He had retired from NASA in 1981 following the second Space Shuttle flight before passing away decades later.