Jeanne Lee Crews

Jeanne Lee Crews (born 1940) was an American aerospace engineer at NASA, and also one of the first female engineers to join the agency. She retired in November 2002 and is now living in Satellite Beach, Florida. In order to protect spacecraft from debris, she designed a "flexible multi-shock shield to protect spacecraft from debris," Jeanne Lee Crews's interest in space and science began when she was about 8 years old. She loved all kinds of science. Jeanne first believed she would be an astronomer. Her father was a pilot in the Air Force. Both her mother and father were supportive of her love for science and supplied her with telescopes, microscopes, or anything she had an interest in. It was evident by now that when a spacecraft collides with even minuscule pieces of space debris, which are traveling at orbital speeds, the damage and impact could be severe, She first started out by creating a small hydrogen fueled gun in order to test materials. She used the gun to see how well the spacecraft could withstand high-velocity impacts. After multiple tests, Jeanne soon realized that the aluminum that is used normally to build spacecraft was especially vulnerable to debris collisions. The solution she thought of was a shield comprising "multiple layers of ceramic fabric, open-cell foam and other materials." It was patented and belongs to NASA and is still in use today on the International Space Station. The shield Is designed to protect from impacts of debris with densities of 2.7 g/cm3, as well as impact velocities of 16 km/s.

While working at NASA, Crews was able to fly some of the training simulators. She could do so as long as no reporters saw her get in or out of the simulators. Donald K. Slayton told Jeanne she should not be photographed because they did not want anyone thinking that there was a woman astronaut. In 1992, she was awarded the Tech Brief Award, along with Cour- Palais and Eric Christiansen. She was also awarded the Women in Aerospace Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1993, she won the Board Award, otherwise known as a NASA Headquarters Space Act Award, as well as the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. In 1995, she won the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal. That same year, she was also awarded the Board Award for Debris Shield, Board Award for Weight Reduction Design, and the Patent Award, again. In 1998, she won the Tech Brief Award, again. In 1999, she won the Silver Snoopy Award as well as the Tech Brief Award. in 2006, Jeanne was honored for "Far-Reaching Inventions."