Kenneth Lee Atkins

Kenneth proudly served in SAC as a Missile Crew Commander for the Minuteman I ICBM system during the Cuban Missile Crisis era.  He piloted the T28, T33, KC97 refueling aircraft, C47, and supersonic T38 Talon.  He was a distinguished graduate of his pilot training class at Webb AF Base, Big Spring, Texas. Following his Air Force service, he served at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory where he was the project manager for the Stardust Mission to Comet Wilt II which collected comet dust and returned to earth. His project was on time and under budget which is rarely accomplished. We definitely want to highlight his NASA service following his Air Force service.