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Dr. Noel Hinners was known for his ability to create an atmosphere where scientists could thrive and discover, which was recognized at the dedication of the main auditorium at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, on June 24.
Hinners, who passed away in 2014, served as center director from 1982 to 1987.
Current Center Director Chris Scolese presented the auditorium’s plaque to Hinners’ wife, Diana. Scolese, whom Hinners hired into NASA in 1987, praised Hinners’ foresight in science and his willingness to take chances and make changes at Goddard.
“Noel continues to influence the center in ways that will go on for decades,” said Scolese. “It’s in our DNA now.”
Scolese cited the James Webb Space Telescope and ICESat-2, both of which are in production at Goddard, as examples of the lasting success Hinners found in bringing science and engineering together.
“All of us in science have heroes – those who guide us and enable us,” said Goddard Chief Scientist Dr. James Garvin, whom Hinners also hired. “His enabling encouragement is seen every second of every day here.”
The auditorium was filled with Hinners’ family and friends, as well as past center directors and current NASA employees, some of whom knew Hinners personally and some of whom only knew of his legacy.
“We’re really happy that we can come visit this auditorium because it means a lot to us,” said Hinners’ eldest daughter Elana, who attended the ceremony with her two daughters. “It’s going to mean a lot to the kids, to help them know their grandfather.”
A. Thomas Young, who served as center director before Hinners, recounted the number of connections he and Hinners had during their four decades working together. They were each other’s bosses, they were each other’s reviewers, but most importantly, Young said, they were friends. Young told a story of the trips he would take to Capitol Hill with Hinners to watch him testify before Congress.
“He talked about the science,” Young said. “When Noel started talking, even the principles came in to listen. He was incredible.”
Hinners got his start with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, but his interests moved to geology and later space. Scolese cited a quote from Hinners: “Of course, that’s why I’m in the space program. With the turkeys and the chickens.”
Hinners’ space career began as a contractor with the Apollo missions. Then he became the deputy director of lunar programs in the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters. He served as director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum as well before coming to Goddard. Following his tenure at Goddard, he served at NASA Headquarters during the agency’s recovery from the Challenger accident, before spending the remainder of his career working at Lockheed Martin.
Of these experiences, his time at Goddard was a personal highlight: “Goddard is the best of the NASA centers, and this is the best job in NASA,” he said in 1987.
Related Links
- Event images on Flickr
- Noel W. Hinners Oral History Interviews
- Feature: “NASA Mourns Passing of Noel Hinners” (Sept. 11, 2014)
By Elaine Hunt
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.