Mr. Svoboda's career in the aerospace industry spanned over four decades, beginning in 1958 as a new graduate of the University of Illinois school of Mechanical engineering.

He joined Lockheed as a Research Engineer on the WS1171 program, working in guidance and controls on the Agena upper stage which was to boost the nation's first photo-reconnaissance payload into orbit.

He received his MSME from Stanford on the Honors Co-op program while working for Lockheed. He moved on to the Gemini Agena Target Vehicle program, worked for a time on the Polaris Fleet Ballistic Missile Program and then moved on to a series of highly classified programs involving National assets.

There, he progressed through a number of positions including Program Engineering Manager, Chief Systems Engineer and Program Manager.

He lived by the creed "The Devil is in the details." and his personal observations were responsible for saving at least two spacecraft from catastrophic failure. He retired in 1998 as Program Manager of the Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space Company's portion of the Darkstar stealthy unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicle.