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Portrait of Jay F. Honeycutt

Jay F. Honeycutt

Kennedy Space Center Director (1995–1997)

Jay F. Honeycutt became the director of NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center effective January 22, 1995.

Honeycutt served as the director of Shuttle Management and Operations, Kennedy Space Center, from March 1989 until he was named KSC Director by NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin. Honeycutt was responsible for engineering management and technical direction of preflight, launch, landing and recovery activities for Shuttle vehicles.

Honeycutt began his Government career at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, as an engineer in 1960. He began his NASA career at the Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston, Texas, in 1966 as an engineer in Flight Operations for the Apollo Program. Honeycutt subsequently served in several key positions in Flight Operations until 1988.

In 1981 Honeycutt served as technical assistant to the associate administrator for the Space Transportation System, NASA Headquarters. From 1982 to 1986, he served in management positions in the Space Shuttle Program Office at JSC.

From 1986–1987, he was special assistant to the associate administrator for Space Flight, and coordinated Presidential Commission and Congressional activities relative to the Challenger accident. Honeycutt served as deputy manager, NSTS Program Office, NASA Headquarters, from 1987 to 1989.

Jay F. Honecutt (left) shakes hands with Scott Cilento (right)
KSC Center Director Jay F. Honeycutt, at left, shakes hands with Scott Cilento, the new flow director of the Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery, in the firing room of the Launch Control Center (LCC) during the STS-82 launch of Discovery on the second Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. This is Cilento’s first launch as Discovery’s flow director and Honeycutt’s last launch as center director.
NASA

Honeycutt was born May 7, 1937, in Jena, Louisiana. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana.

Among the significant awards Honeycutt has earned are: Exceptional Service Medal, April 1974; Special Achievement Award, February 1978 and July 1982; NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, February 1988 and April 1995; NASA Exceptional Service Medal, December 1988; NASA Equal Employment Opportunity Award, March 1993; Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award, 1993.

Honeycutt and his wife Peggy have four children: Barry Honeycutt, Jeff Honeycutt, Delise DelFavero, and Daniel DelFavero.