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Ad Astra, Len
I just got sad news via email from Pat Kelley:
"Len took his final journey this morning, passing peacefully. His family is going to have his ashes interred at Arlington cemetery, but I have no schedule. For those who wish to express condolences, you can reach his life partner, Anne Greenglass via email, anne.gg over at verizon.net. I tried to address this notice to all the people on my list, but I'm sure there are others I may have missed, so please forward this to anyone else you feel would want to know. I do intend to continue trying to get backing for Len's last design (Space Van 2010) as a tribute. Len was a truly unique man, and a rare breed these days. Always the gentleman, honest to a fault, and always ready to give credit where it was due (and sometimes even allowing the unworthy to take credit for his work, for the sake of an important effort). He is unreplaceable, and will be sorely missed." Indeed. |
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Ad Astra, Len
On Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:56:55 GMT, h (Rand
Simberg) wrote: I just got sad news via email from Pat Kelley: "Len took his final journey this morning, passing peacefully. ....You're referring to Len Cormier, correct? OM -- ]=====================================[ ] OMBlog - http://www.io.com/~o_m/omworld [ ] Let's face it: Sometimes you *need* [ ] an obnoxious opinion in your day! [ ]=====================================[ |
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Ad Astra, Len
On Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:34:03 -0500, in a place far, far away, OM
made the phosphor on my monitor glow in such a way as to indicate that: On Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:56:55 GMT, h (Rand Simberg) wrote: I just got sad news via email from Pat Kelley: "Len took his final journey this morning, passing peacefully. ...You're referring to Len Cormier, correct? Yes, sorry. |
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Ad Astra, Len (Cormier)
On Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:02:37 -0500, in a place far, far away, OM
made the phosphor on my monitor glow in such a way as to indicate that: On Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:59:41 GMT, h (Rand Simberg) wrote: On Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:34:03 -0500, in a place far, far away, OM made the phosphor on my monitor glow in such a way as to indicate that: On Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:56:55 GMT, h (Rand Simberg) wrote: I just got sad news via email from Pat Kelley: "Len took his final journey this morning, passing peacefully. ...You're referring to Len Cormier, correct? Yes, sorry. ...No, I'm just as sorry as you are, although you knew Len far, far better than I did. I knew him by reputation only, and as with most pioneers and innovators in this business, he passed on before his dream could be realized. My condolences to the family on their loss. Well, I meant sorry I didn't use the full name, but I guess it didn't occur to me that most in the group wouldn't know (of course you did). I think that it's a sign of the death of this newsgroup that there has been so little commentary about this post. At sci.space.policy, there has been none at all. |
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Ad Astra, Len (Cormier)
I did not know Len personally, only by correspondence, but I think we
all feel the loss of one of those questing, innovative minds that moved the world a little closer to a spacefaring civilization. Farewell, voyager. Matt Bille |
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Ad Astra, Len (Cormier)
Matt wrote:
I did not know Len personally, only by correspondence, but I think we all feel the loss of one of those questing, innovative minds that moved the world a little closer to a spacefaring civilization. When my single stage to orbit fully cryogenic reusable spacecraft leaves the pad, it will be named the 'Len Cormier'. http://groups.google.com/group/sci.s...6e4ec84b925609 Farewell, voyager. Unfortunately, Len took the wings with him when he left. I guess we'll just have to get by without his wings for a while. |
#8
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Ad Astra, Len (Cormier)
On Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:33:36 GMT, h (Rand
Simberg) wrote: I think that it's a sign of the death of this newsgroup that there has been so little commentary about this post. At sci.space.policy, there has been none at all. ....Yeah, I noticed that. But to be honest, I've actually found a newsgroup that's actually a bigger festering morass of trolling trash than .policy. So, anyone here dropped by rec.arts.drwho in, say the past 24 hours? OM -- ]=====================================[ ] OMBlog - http://www.io.com/~o_m/omworld [ ] Let's face it: Sometimes you *need* [ ] an obnoxious opinion in your day! [ ]=====================================[ |
#9
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Ad Astra, Len (Cormier)
"Rand Simberg" wrote in message ... I think that it's a sign of the death of this newsgroup that there has been so little commentary about this post. At sci.space.policy, there has been none at all. Ya know, most people would consider such a quickly and sloppily written eulogy rather insulting. The lack of response is more likely due to poor writing skills and weak efforts by the posters. Len Cormier: X Van Project Manager On 4 October 1957, the Soviets surprised the world with the launch of Sputnik at a reception for rocket and satellite engineer/scientists. As a result of being a guest at this reception, Len has dedicated most of his efforts during the past 40 years to the pursuit of lower cost access to space. Len began his career in the space business at the National Academy of Sciences in 1956 and at NASA headquarters in 1959. In the early and mid-1960s, he was project engineer for space transportation systems at the Los Angeles Division of North American Aviation, Inc. Frustrated with government and industry approaches to space transportation, Len formed his own company in 1967 to pursue commercial approaches. The initial company was called TranSpace -- later renamed Third Millennium Aerospace, Inc. Except for a two-year period when he was project engineer and program manager for fighter systems at North American Rockwell, Len and his company have sustained themselves for the past thirty years with a wide variety of aerospace consulting projects. Len feels that he and his company have made evolutionary improvements on their launch vehicle concepts over the years -- with the result that the 1998 concepts are superior, particularly from the business and investment points of view. From 1943 to 1967, Len served as a Naval Aviation cadet, Navy fighter pilot, and executive officer of an ASW patrol squadron on active duty and in the Naval Reserve. Len has BA in physics from the University of California. Len speaks Russian (more vocabulary needed) and is proficient in Pascal. Len was a charter member and a reappointed member of the Dept. of Transportation's Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC). The Heinlein Prize is in the process of choosing its first winner. In late 2003 Virginia Heinlein passed away, leaving intact a considerable estate from her work and that of her late husband, the prolific author Robert Heinlein. One of the bequests from the estate was the creation of the Robert Heinlein Prize for commercial space. The purpose of the prize is to reward the person or persons who achieve practical accomplishments in the field of commercial space activities. It is my contention that several substantial events in the last 50 years have passed this test and that several highly deserving individuals from separate eras and events merit this award. It is the author's hope that the readers of this article will feel inspired to contact the Heinlein Prize with their suggestions for prize recipients. This year's award is $500,000 and deserves substantial public input. Heinlein Prize Award candidates Peter Diamandis, Greg Maryniak, and the Ansari X Prize Foundation: Burt Rutan, Brian Binnie, Mike Melville, and the Scaled Composites team: Paul Allen, Vulcan Ventures: Richard Branson and the Virgin Galactic team: Dennis Tito: Eric Anderson and Space Adventures: Vladomir Syromiatnikov and RSC Energia: Walt Anderson and MirCorp: Walt Anderson and FINDS: Tom Rogers and the Sophron Foundation: Len Cormier, PanAero: A founding member of the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC), Len has devoted his life's work towards low-cost reusable spaceflight. Len has stood tirelessly for this dream at tremendous personal and financial cost to himself. Quote from Len Cormier "The X PRIZE provides a potentially powerful incentive for opening space to commercial competition and development. Our concept appears to be feasible with far lower investment than any of the other concepts proposed for winning the X PRIZE. Accordingly, we feel that we can offer a potentially leveraged return on investment based solely upon potential revenues from sponsors and possibly the prize money. Like the other teams, we also feel that even a good showing with respect to competing for the X PRIZE could be highly beneficial to our other plans of commercial opportunities in near Earth orbit and deep space." Tour2Space.com http://www.tour2space.com/ s |
#10
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Ad Astra, Len (Cormier)
"jonathan" wrote:
"Rand Simberg" wrote in message ... I think that it's a sign of the death of this newsgroup that there has been so little commentary about this post. At sci.space.policy, there has been none at all. Ya know, most people would consider such a quickly and sloppily written eulogy rather insulting. The lack of response is more likely due to poor writing skills and weak efforts by the posters. Most likely it's due to the increasing number of people who have killfiled Rand - precisely because of the sloppy writing and logic he has displayed in recent years. (And whose verbal diarrhea and encouragment of trolls is one of the leading causes of the death of these groups.) That being said, I'll miss Len. He and I did not see eye-to-eye on many issues, but he was always willing to debate and discuss and support his views and positions. We had a bet on the outcome of the Google Lunar Prize, and tommorow I'll pick up a bottle of Grand Marnier (his chosen prize) and raise a glass to his memory. "There is a port of no return, where ships May ride at anchor for a little space And then, some starless night, the cable slips, Leaving an eddy at the mooring place . . . Gulls, veer no longer. Sailor, rest your oar. No tangled wreckage will be washed ashore." My condolences to his family. D. -- Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh. http://derekl1963.livejournal.com/ -Resolved: To be more temperate in my postings. Oct 5th, 2004 JDL |
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