Ron Dittemore
{{Short description|American NASA official (born 1952)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
File:Ron Dittemore and Michael Kostelnik - GPN-2003-00087.jpg
Ron D. Dittemore (born April 13, 1952 Cooperstown, New York) is a former Space Shuttle program manager for NASA. He was the shuttle program manager during the timeframe of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. He later served as President of ATK Launch Systems Group. He is currently retired.
Education
Ron Dittemore graduated from Medical Lake High School in Medical Lake, Washington in 1970. He received a bachelor's degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Washington in 1974, and a master's degree in the same subjects one year later.{{cite news |author= |title=Ron Dittemore Biographical Information |agency=Associated Press |work=Midland Daily News |date=February 1, 2003 |url=https://www.mrt.com/news/article/Ron-Dittemore-Biographical-Information-7715140.php |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325163509/https://www.mrt.com/news/article/Ron-Dittemore-Biographical-Information-7715140.php |archive-date=2023-03-25 |url-status=live}}
Career
Before joining NASA at Johnson Space Center (JSC) in 1977, Dittemore worked as a turboprop/turbofan engine development engineer in Arizona. While at JSC, Dittemore held several positions, including flight director on 11 Space Shuttle missions,{{cite news|title=Shuttle chief put in the spotlight|date=February 4, 2003|url=https://www.recordnet.com/story/news/2003/02/05/shuttle-chief-put-in-spotlight/50735266007/|publisher=The Stockton Record|access-date=March 25, 2023}} deputy assistant director of the Space Station Program, and manager of Space Shuttle Program Integration. He assumed the position of manager of the Space Shuttle Program in 1999.{{cite web|title=NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project - Edited Oral History Transcript - Ronald D. Dittemore|author=Rebecca Wright |url=https://historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/history/oral_histories/DittemoreRD/DittemoreRD_8-24-07.htm|date= August 24, 2007|publisher=NASA|access-date=March 25, 2023}}
Dittemore was the Shuttle Program Manager for NASA at the time of the disastrous loss of Space Shuttle Columbia in February 2003. On February 5, 2003, Dittemore incorrectly asserted that foam debris from the shuttle's external tank that struck the left wing during the launch could not have caused the reentry disintegration of the shuttle. Dittemore announced his resignation from NASA in April 2003.{{cite news|title=NASA Shuttle Manager to Resign As Planned|author=Kirsten Hays
|date=April 19, 2003|url=https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/NASA-Shuttle-Manager-to-Resign-As-Planned-7137533.php
|publisher=Midland Daily News|access-date=March 25, 2023}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/news/special/dittemore.html|title=Letter from Ron Dittemore, Space Shuttle Program Manager|publisher=NASA|accessdate=28 January 2013}}
After leaving NASA, Dittemore became president of ATK Thiokol Propulsion, renamed ATK Launch Systems Group in May 2006, a division of Alliant Techsystems (ATK);{{cite news |title=Rocket-engine maker renamed as ATK Launch Systems Group |first=Steven |last=Oberbeck |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=May 13, 2006 |url=https://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/business/ci_3818008 |access-date=March 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325163512/https://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/business/ci_3818008 |archive-date=2023-03-25 |url-status=live}} Thiokol and NASA had been found responsible, in the 1986 report of the Rogers Commission Report, for that year's Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, which also resulted in the death of seven astronauts.{{cite news |title=Highlights of the Rogers Commission report |agency=Reuters |work=The Christian Science Monitor |date=1986-06-10 |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1986/0610/a1rog.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-12-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210225357/https://www.csmonitor.com/1986/0610/a1rog.html |archive-date=2023-12-10 |url-status=live}} {{As of|2024}}, the then 72-year-old Dittemore is retired.
Personal
Ron Dittemore is married to Shirley Ann Seibolts. They have two children. Dittemore is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.{{cite magazine |title=Mormons in Space: 4 Fascinating Firsts |first=Danielle B. |last=Wagner |date=February 25, 2018 |url=https://www.ldsliving.com/mormons-in-space-4-fascinating-firsts/s/87810 |magazine=LDS Living |access-date=March 25, 2023}}
References
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Category:Latter Day Saints from New York (state)
Category:University of Washington College of Engineering alumni
Category:People from Cooperstown, New York