For Release: Aug. 3, 1999

Ed Medal
Media Relations Department
(256) 544-0034
Ed.Medal@msfc.nasa.gov
/centers/msfc/NEWSROOM/

NEWS RELEASE: 99-174

Axel Roth Named Director of Marshall Center's
Flight Projects Directorate

William Humphries Appointed Assistant to the Director

Axel Roth has been named director of the newly created Flight Projects Directorate at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The directorate is a key element created in a recent reorganization of the Center.

Dr. William R. Humphries has been appointed assistant to the director.

The Flight Projects Directorate was created to oversee all flight projects at the Marshall Center, including design, development, testing, integration and operation of ground and flight systems for the International Space Station and other programs. The directorate further explores innovative flight technologies, seeking new business solutions and pursuing future space projects. By unifying all Marshall's flight projects activities into a single organization, the directorate is structured to provide the best overall efficiency and service to Marshall's customers.

Prior to assuming the directorship of the Flight Projects Directorate, Roth headed Program Development for Marshall, beginning in 1995.

Roth, a Huntsville native, is a 1959 graduate of the aeronautical engineering program at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala. He joined Marshall the following year as a structural engineer for the Apollo and Saturn programs.

In 1971, Roth was named to the systems engineering team for Skylab, the first space station to orbit Earth. Three years later he advanced to the Spacelab Program Office and in 1981 became operations director for Spacelab 2, a reusable laboratory flown on the Space Shuttle in July 1985.

Roth’s experience on the Skylab and Spacelab programs earned him the role of operations office manager for the Space Station Projects Office in 1985. His duties included managing the Habitability Module Office, serving as chief engineer for Spacelab payload integration, and, in 1991, assuming the role of deputy manager of the Space Station Projects Office.

Roth has earned more than 15 awards and citations for service to NASA and the Marshall Center, including the Director’s Commendation Award, a Sustained Superior Performance Award and a NASA Medal for Exceptional Service. He and his wife Gloria reside in Huntsville.

Humphries, a native of Macon, Ga., previously served as director of the Structures and Dynamics Laboratory in the former Science and Engineering Directorate. He holds a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas in Austin.

In 1963, Humphries joined the Marshall Center as an aerospace test engineer. He served in increasingly responsible management roles in the areas of propulsion, mechanical systems design and analysis, and testing of launch and space vehicles.

In 1993, Humphries was appointed deputy director of the Propulsion Laboratory, overseeing a wide variety of propulsion and mechanical projects, as well as flight operations activities for the Space Shuttle propulsion system.

During his tenure with the Marshall Center, Humphries has taught graduate and undergraduate courses at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He and his wife Joyce are residents of Huntsville.

Note to Editors/News Directors: For interviews with Mr. Roth and Dr. Humphries, or to obtain photography supporting this release, media representatives may contact the Marshall Center Media Relations Department at (256) 544-0034. For an electronic version of this release, visit Marshall’s News Center on the Web at:

/centers/msfc/NEWSROOM/

NASA Photo #9903839: Axel Roth, director of the Flight Projects Directorate at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. A print-quality photo may be downloaded at:

/centers/msfc/NEWSROOM/news/photos/1999/photos99-174.htm

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