Foil: 17 Panel: 2 Column: 3 Line: 14

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

Mr. Kirschner made significant contributions to Space exploration in his 38 years at Thiokol/ATK, Elkton Division. He was responsible for grain design and/or performance predictions for upper stage and space motors. These include 3rd and 4th stages of the Scout launch vehicle, the AKM motors for the CTS, RAE, XRAY satellites, kick motors for Pioneer 10 and 11, Voyager 1 and 2 probes, and the OIM motor for the Pioneer Venus probe. He designed the head end web grain design used in the new generation of space motors used on the Delta 3rd stage and the Shuttle PAM kick motors. It also is used for the PKM and AKM motors for the Hughes 376 and other communication satellites, kick motors for Ulysses, and Messenger probes, Mars Pathfinder, Spirit and Opportunity landers and the Magellan OIM. He developed the gas generator inflation system used on the Mars Pathfinder and MER airbag landing system.