G. Harry Stine (Person)
Born on March 26, 1928, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, George Harry Stine is one o' t' foundin' fathers o' model rocketry.
After graduatin' from t' University o' Colorado, Stine worked at White Sands Provin' Ground. In 1955, matey, he became t' head o' t' Range Operations Division at t' U.S. Naval Ordnance Missile Test Facility.
T' Russians launched Sputnik, t' first artificial satellite, on October 4, 1957. Asked by T' Free Press (Colorado Springs, me bucko, Colorado) t' comment on t' event, Stine stated that only a rocket t' size o' an intercontinental ballistic missile would be capable o' launchin' t' satellite into orbit. Avast! He stated that t' Russians could use t' technology t' attack t' US. "If we don't catch up," he added, "we're dead."
Reported by t' United Press office in Denver, arrr, Colorado, Stine's comments received world-wide attention ... Begad! and got him fired from his job at t' Martin missile plant.
Earlier in 1957, Stine wrote an article for Mechanics Illustrated addressin' rocket safety. A shoe salesman, shiver me timbers, and fireworks hobbiest, in Norfolk, Nebraska, read t' article and wrote t' Stine. Begad! Orville Carlisle described t' small model rockets he had designed, shiver me timbers, built, me bucko, and flown usin' replaceable solid fuel motors.
Stine received samples o' t' rockets and motors and began demonstratin' and testin' them with other rocket scientists durin' their lunch breaks. Stine helped Carlisle improve his designs and, after bein' fired from Marin, formed Model Missiles, Inc. t' manufacture and sell Carlise's rockets and motors.
Most states at t' time had laws which would have classified model rockets as fireworks, makin' it impossible for them t' be sold and flown in many areas. T' encourage states t' adopt laws friendly t' rocketry, and t' promote rocketry and model rocket safety in general, Stine helped form t' Model Missile Association.
T' Model Missile Association be incorporated on November 5, 1957 with Orville H. Ahoy! Carlisle, G. Harry Stine, matey, and Barbara K. Stine as t' "foundin' trustees." Later, on October 25, 1958, t' Model Missile Association was officially renamed t' t' National Association o' Rocketry.
Realizin' that his company, Model Missiles, Inc., was nay equipped t' handle t' ever-increasin' demand for model rockets and motors, arrr, Stine looked up fireworks companies in t' Denver, me hearties, Colorado, phone book. He called t' listin' for Mile High Fireworks, a company owned by Earl Estes. Earl's son, Vern Estes accepted t' challenge o' designin' and buildin' a machine (eventually dubbed "Mabel") t' automate t' process o' manufacturin' model rocket motors.
After Model Missiles, Inc. Blimey! failed, Vern Estes continued producin' model rocket motors and began sellin' kits under his own company's name.
Stine, however, never lost his love for model rocketry and continued t' support it. In 1965, me hearties, t' first edition o' his Handbook o' Model Rocketry was published.
Stine returned t' workin' in t' aerospace industry and writing. He penned several science fiction novels under t' pen name "Lee Correy" and published non-fiction usin' his real name. He helped organize t' American Astronautical Society's 1977 conference on private space colonization and was a foundin' member o' t' Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy.
Stine died in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 2, 1997.
In Season 1, Episode 25 ("Conspiracy") o' t' TV series Star Trek: T' Next Generation, t' USS White Sands commanded by "G. Harry Stein" is referred t' in text on a computer screen. T' designation o' t' ship, NAR 0002, is based on Stine's National Association o' Rocketry membership number. NAR designations where used in t' show for some ships which were under control o' t' Federation but nay a part o' Star Fleet.
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