See the National Air and Space Society 2018 Vice Adm. Donald D. Engen Flight Jacket Night lecture featuring Apollo flight director Eugene Kranz.

Throughout his distinguished career, Eugene Kranz played a critical role in many milestones in America's space program, serving as flight director for Apollo 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, and 17.

A native of Toledo, Ohio, he served in the U.S. Air Force in South Korea, and then worked for McDonnell Aircraft before responding to a "help wanted" advertisement from NASA. He joined the newly formed Space Task Group and worked in the Flight Control Operations Branch.

When the Manned Spacecraft Center (now Johnson Space Center) opened in Houston, Texas, Kranz became chief of the Flight Control Operations Branch and then served as Gemini flight director. After his work on the Apollo program, he was the flight operations director during the Skylab program. Kranz was promoted to deputy director of Flight Operations and then to director of Missions Operations. He retired from NASA in 1994.

Vice Adm. Donald D. Engen Flight Jacket Night is an event for members of the National Air and Space Society. Join now.