Born February 28, 1924 (Phoebus, Virginia)

American flight director for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Christopher Kraft played a significant role in the development of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He was recruited by NASA in 1958, at a crucial time in U.S. history. In 1957 the former Soviet Union surprised the Americans and the rest of the world by launching the Sputnik 1 satellite (an object that orbits in space) to study the atmosphere of Earth. Since the end of World War II (1939–45), the United States and the Soviet Union had been engaged in a period of hostile relations known as the Cold War (1945–91). Not only were the two powers involved in an arms race for military superiority, but they were also competing for dominance in space. Sputnik 1 was therefore a sign that the Soviet Union was moving ahead in the Cold War. The United States...