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Summary

This collection consists of approximately 15 cubic feet of papers, mostly reports and articles, written or collected by Fred W. Redding for his work on space system concepts for national defense and commercial space industry and services.

Biographical / Historical

Fred "Bud" Redding was an aerospace engineer, specifically concerned with space systems concepts for national defense and commercial space industry and services. He worked on the following major programs: the Strategic Defense Initiative (integrated space system concept architecture); the MX ICBM (post-boost vehicle and reentry system deployment systems); Apollo Program (resident Project Engineer for Rockwell, Command Module); B-70 Strategic bomber (bombing navigation and missile guidance systems); and the X-10 and Navaho intercontinental cruise missiles. Redding also provided strategic concept analysis and support for the Office of Deputy Undersecretary of Defense R&D (Strategic and Space Systems) and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). One of the projects that Redding worked on with DARPA in the early 1980s was the Space Cruiser. When the government failed to pursue the idea, he began to refine it on his own for commercial use. He set up a commercial space company, Cislunar Corporation, to market the Space Cruiser for commercial and military interspace and trans-atmospheric operations, including in-space servicing of space assets and serving as a taxi, rescue and service vehicle for the planned U.S. space station, and for the existing Soviet Mir station.

Identifier

NASM.2019.0032

Creator

Redding, Fred

Date

circa 1960-circa 2000

Provenance

Mary Redding, Gift, 2019, NASM.2019.0032

Extent

18 Cubic feet (16 boxes)

Archival Repository

National Air and Space Museum Archives

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of approximately 15 cubic feet of papers, mostly reports and articles, written or collected by Fred W. Redding for his work on space system concepts for national defense and commercial space industry and services. Of particular interest is his work on a manned Space Cruiser for commercial, civil and military space operations.

Arrangement note

Unprocessed, but a box listing is available.

Rights

Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.

Restrictions

No restrictions on access

Citation

Fred W. Redding Papers, NASM.2019.0032, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Topics

Aeronautics

Astronautics

Space flight

Astronautics, Military

Type

Collection descriptions

Archival materials