John F. McCarthy Jr.

John Francis McCarthy Jr. (August 8, 1925 – February 7, 1986) was an American scientist and engineer. He worked for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as director of its Center for Space Research; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as the director of its Lewis Research Center; the United States Air Force, where he served with the Strategic Air Command and as a member of the United States Air Force Scientific Advisory Board; North American Rockwell, where he oversaw the design and development of the Apollo command and service module that took the first men to the Moon, and the S-II of the Saturn V rocket. His work doubled, and in the case of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, tripled, the service life of aircraft.

Early life John Francis McCarthy Jr. was born on August 8, 1925. At North American he oversaw the design and testing of the Apollo command and service module that took the first men to the Moon, and the S-II of the Saturn V rocket that launched it. For his services, he received the Apollo Achievement Award from NASA in 1969, and the Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service Award from the USAF in 1973.