Fred Auchenpaugh trained as a Marine pilot during World War II. He flew photo reconnaissance missions in the South Pacific with US Marine Corps Photographic Squadron VMD 354.
He worked at the Malta Test Station, Malta NY on the research and development of projects involving liquid rocket engines, components, and fuels. The projects included Vanguard and Bumper, an early project using a German V-2 engine. His liquid rocket engine ejector head design developed at Malta was used by many later rocket engines.
At Vandenberg Air Force Base he worked on the initial operating capability of the Atlas weapon system, serving as quality manager for General Electric. He was responsible for the quality of the re-entry vehicles and for sites from Omaha NE west and from Canadian border to Mexican border. During the sixties Vandenberg was launching 150 vehicles a year. This included many of the flights, some research and development, and some testing of the deployed Atlas missiles and the crews. They would be brought to a silo at Vandenberg, and the crew would launch an Atlas into the Pacific with an instrumented nose cone. He worked on the Titian Missile nose cone and its 6,000 pound hydraulic flap system.
While at Kesselring Site, West Milton, NY he was quality engineer on the prototype of the largest missile launching submarine, the Triton. He prepared all the required ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) documents and participated in radiation testing of the completed vessel.
He worked for various body shops on projects such as the quality of MX Missile trailer erection system compressor, flexible drive diaphragms for nuclear submarines, and ASME requirements for four commercial nuclear Power Plants.
As a member of the Planetary Society made he made donations to the Mars Lander and SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) programs. As a result his name is on a plaque on Mars. He is a member of the National Space Society, and has been a Mason and Shriner for over fifty years.