Thomas Richard Holtz, Sr., a Career in Space Aviation
Thomas R. Holtz, a Wauwatosa, Wl, native, entered on a long and successful career in space and aviation following his graduation from the School of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin in 1958, where he joined North American Aviation, Los Angeles, CA, to work on the development team for the B-70 Valkyrie. In 1960, he joined Pratt and Whitney in East Hartford, Connecticut, to work on jet engine development, including engine design for the SR-71 Black Bird, as well as experimental research on magneto-hydrodynamic drives. 1962 brought Mr. Holtz back to California under the Marquardt Corporation, where he continued his design work in hybrid engines and ram jet design.
In 1963, Mr. Holtz began some of his most satisfying work - space exploration. From 1963 through 1975, first for Aerospace Corporation and later TRW, Mr. Holtz supported numerous NASA projects. Initially working on the Titan and advanced projects, Mr. Holtz moved to support Gemini and Apollo, and related Saturn rocket second stage design. In 1967, his work on Saturn and Apollo projects brought him to Houston, Texas, where he continued to support NASA efforts, to include Skylab, until the end of the Apollo program in 1975 with the Apollo-Soyuz mission.
With the completion of Apollo, TRW relocated Mr. Holtz to Washington, DC, where he worked contracts in support of the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA), and later the US Department of Energy (DOE). During the many projects with ERDA and DOE, Mr. Holtz's work included satellite programs and other special projects related to his propulsion and engineering backgrounds.
In 1992, Mr. Holtz retired from TRW. He worked briefly on the EER Conestoga rocket project, and then served as a consultant for CTA on various efforts to the Federal Aviation Administration from 1997 to 2004. Mr. Holtz
retired again in 2004.
Mr. Holtz considers the work on the following as highlights in his career: the Titan II Gemini Launch Vehicle Second Stage, the Titan III Liquid Rocket Stages, and US Air Force Advanced Launch Systems. Additional special projects included the Apollo Lunar Rover, with related crew moon walks and rover trips, and development of experiment mission requirements and integration.