NASA Administrator's Certificate of Appreciation Awarded to Professor Yiguang Ju
Dr. Ave K. Kludze, Jr.
NASA Headquarters
Washington, DC 20546
Dear Dean Poor,
It is with great pleasure that I write to notify you of the award of the rarely given National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator’s Certificate of Appreciation to Professor Yiguang Ju in recognition of his outstanding contribution to NASA’s space missions - in completion of the NASA Rockets Study resulting in an objective understanding of the rocket motor/engine landscape within NASA and the United States.
NASA called on Professor Ju, and he graciously volunteered his time to support the NASA Rocket Study with his exceptional experience and expertise in addressing complex NASA and U.S. rocket motor/engine related issues, including those faced by the U.S rocket industry. NASA is extremely grateful he answered our call.
The NASA Rockets Study was a multidisciplinary effort undertaken by a team made up of subject matter experts in solid rocket propulsion, liquid rocket propulsion, rocket industry infrastructure and industrial base, cost analysis, safety and reliability, environmental factors, and international rocket propulsion trends.
This was one of the best but, most challenging projects I have ever managed for the agency, and I was very glad to have someone of Professor Ju’s caliber on my team. The effort required the reconciliation of strongly held and often contradictory positions and afforded the team the opportunity to examine and re-examine the underlying biases and assumptions that had led to basic (and sometimes incorrect) perceptions, understandings and concepts of liquid and solid rocket propulsion systems. The team was also required to weigh and interpret the positions of the various rocket propulsion system manufacturers and integrators to obtain a coherent, concise picture of the US rocket industry. With Professor Ju, the team performed the entire effort with exceptional diligence, integrity, professionalism, and intellectual rigor, which required them to look beyond their specific interests to the needs of the greater community.
The NASA Rockets Study team’s work resulted in a document or body of knowledge that fosters objective understanding of the rocket motor/engine landscape within the U.S and in the international arena. The study provides a clear picture of the state of the United States rocket industry in a way that will influence not only NASA but the overall national policy and decisions for years to come.
I plan to visit Princeton on September 14 or 15, 2011 to present the Certificate of Appreciation to Professor Ju. I would be happy if we could arrange a small ceremony for this occasion. Please let me know which day might work best for you.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you very much.
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