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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

WORK EXPERIENCE
Hired directly out of UCLA where Robert was a graduate student and a teaching assistant to Dr. Howard Seifert, an early pioneer of rocket systems. He went to work for Dr. Seifert at the Guided Missile Research Division (GMRD) of Ramo Wooldrige in Inglewood, California in January 1956 (now TRW). Dr. Seifert assigned Robert to work on liquid rocket engine controls. Dr. Seifert said, "Your job is to control a steady-state explosion."
While at TRW he worked on control systems of the early Atlas, Titan and Thor boosters. His efforts contributed to head suppression control and propellant utilization systems. He was asked to re-design the Thor liquid rocket engine start mechanisms by Louis Dunn, President of TRW. Mr. Gaylord's efforts to simplify the many mechanisms then required for a liquid rocket engine start became the so-called "Boot Strap" engine start sequence.
He was the project leader for the earliest NASA rendezvous and docking studies interacting with Dr. Werner von Braun in discussing von Braun's ideas requiring lights for visual control by spacecraft pilots versus TRW-designed radar guidance methods.
Mr. Gaylord has been credited with the development of the attitude control approach for the Defense Support Program satellite (DSP). While at TRW he also worked on early designs for attitude orientation of the Discoverer Program. This began his 30 year career of support to the National Space Program.
In 1962 Mr. Gaylord joined the new not-for-profit Aerospace Corp. where he provided engineering support to many space programs including satellite, mission payload and booster upper stage control systems.

In 1969 the family moved to the Northwest in the wake of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory program cancellation. This change pleased Mr. Gaylord as it appeared to give him the opportunity to pursue his interests in aviation at the Boeing Company in Seattle, WA. Although he enjoyed some success as a Development Program Manager for two airplane programs, most of his 15 years at Boeing found him assigned to development efforts aimed at gaining significant space business for the company.
Mr. Gaylord returned to The Aerospace Corp. (A) in 1984 for a staff assignment in DSP. He became the General Manager (GM) of DSP working closely with the Air Force and contractors on many improvements to the program and assisting the Air Force with the launch into geostationary orbit of these key national assets.
His next assignment was as GM of the Electronics and Optics Division of (A). This position provided many opportunities for ad Hoc technical assignments. Among these, he was Chairman of an important production readiness review, Co-chair of the first Titan IV Independent Readiness Review (IRR) and Co-chair of a major mishap investigation team.
In 1990 Mr. Gaylord was asked to go to Washington DC and start up two new divisions for the company. The two divisions grew their new business from zero to 125 members of the technical staff in three years. The activity established primary facilities in Herndon, Virginia and pursued a wide range of space related activities with nearly all branches of the US Government
His last assignment before retirement from (A) was as West Coast GM for Orbital Systems Operations where he formulated strategic planning and implementation for the needed shift of program office responsibility of National Space Programs to East Coast Operations.
Mr. Gaylord is presently the Vice President of Operations for Celsat America, Inc. In this position he developed the Satellite Network Form of Notice (ApS4/II) required to gain FCC approval for Celsat geostationary communication satellites.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
Mr. Gaylord is the Vice President of the Plateau Area Writers Association, a non-profit organization formed to help seniors and young people with their creative writing efforts in the Enumclaw, Washington area. He has been a Boy Scout leader and active with many charitable activities in his community.

AWARDS RECEIVED
Several Letters of commendation from the US Air Force, member of Tau Beta Pi and Phi Beta Kappa.