Col John Insprucker USAF

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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

Colonel John Insprucker was a linchpin in making mission success happen for national security space systems throughout his Air Force career. He retired from the Air Force with a flawless record of 30 rocket launch successes and 9 satellites delivered and operating on orbit. He culminated his career with a direct role in setting a new record of 44-straight successful launches at the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC). He concluded his AF career as the System Program Office (SPO) Director of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Rocket Program and head of SMC/EV. He led the Space and Missile System Center's (SMC) acquisition and operation of the Delta IV and Atlas V rockets from 13 Dec 2003 through 30 Nov 2005. During that time he served as mission director of the inaugural test flight success of the Delta IV Heavy, the largest rocket ever flown by the Air Force, setting a cargo-lift record.
Growing up in Detroit, Ml, the colonel received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Ml in 1978. He spent his entire career in military space systems acquisition and operations, serving in several SPOs as well as a five-year tour at Vandenberg AFB's Space Launch Complex-4. His breadth of experience includes space system advanced planning, ground systems design and development, system engineering, spacecraft assembly, and test.
Prior to his serving as the EELV SPD, Col Insprucker was the Titan Rocket Program Manager. During his tour leading SMC/CLT, he successfully launched 11 Titan II and Titan IVB rockets, first as the Deputy PM from 2000 to 2002, and then as he assumed command of the Titan program from 2003 to 2004. Previously, he served at Space and Missile Systems Center as the Chief, Space-Based Radar Project Office in the Developmental Planning Office (SMC/XR). He managed the Center's efforts in the maturation and acquisition of space-based radar systems employing moving target indication technology.
Col Insprucker served as the Deputy Director for Space and Ground Systems Acquisition in the National Reconnaissance Office's Signals Intelligence Low Orbiting Program. There he managed daily operations of a 60-person program office department and 2000 contractors in design, manufacture, test and delivery of $2.5B NRO space system. He also served as program manager for a follow-on satellite program valued at $700M. He was the Senior Air Force officer in the 107-member tri-service program office. Prior to that, he served as the program manager for development of a new satellite ground system for the NRO's SIGINT Directorate.
Starting in 1980, he served in a variety of roles including pad engineer, payload/vehicle engineer, and senior crew position as a certified satellite countdown controller at SLC-4 on the West Coast. During that five year stint, he was involved in the perfect launch record of 17 Titan NIB and IIID/34D launches and 9 Agena upper stages. Taking an assignment with the Secretary of the Air Force's Special Projects office (SAFSP-14) in 1985, he was the Chief of the Spacecraft Attitude Control Division. He successfully led the government's development of ACS and flight software system for a reconnaissance satellite system and was commended for saving a nationally critical satellite from an on-orbit ACS failure.