Thomas Baron
Thomas Baron | |
|---|---|
| Born | Thomas Ronald Baron c.1938 Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Died | April 27, 1967 (aged 28–29) Mims, Florida, United States |
| Occupations | quality control and safety inspector |
| Known for | 169-page report critical of safety standards at North American Aviation |
| Notable work | 275-page report on NASA safety protocol violations after Apollo 1 fire |
Thomas Ronald "Tom" Baron (c. 1938 – April 27, 1967)[1] was a quality control and safety inspector for North American Aviation (NAA), when NAA was the primary contractor to build the Apollo command module.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]Baron was born in or around 1938, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.[3] He attended Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.[3]
Career
[edit]Baron initially enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he was stationed at Eglin Air Force Base in Okaloosa County, Florida.[3] He was later hired as a quality control inspector with North American Aviation, the prime NASA contractor for construction of the Apollo spaceship.[3]
Whistleblower report
[edit]Baron compiled a 169-page report critical of safety standards at North American Aviation, and leaked his report to the media.[4] After NAA learned of this, they fired him.
After the Apollo 1 fire, Baron wrote a 275-page report on NASA safety protocol violations, which he gave to Rep. Olin E. Teague's investigation at Cape Kennedy in Florida, on April 21, 1967.[5]
The chairman of the NASA Oversight Committee claimed that Baron had made a valuable contribution to the Apollo fire probe, but that he had been "overzealous".[6]
Death
[edit]Six days after his testimony, Baron died instantly, along with his wife and stepdaughter, when a train crashed into their car near their home in Mims, Florida.[1][7][8]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Garber, Steve (January 27, 2010). "Chapter 9". Apollo-1 (204). NASA. Archived from the original on January 31, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
- ↑ "Source Notes: Chapter 18: The Fire That Seared the Spaceport". NASA. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
- 1 2 3 4 "3 in Ex-Bethlehem Family Killed". The Morning Call. 30 April 1967. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ↑ "Report of Apollo 204 Review Board" (PDF). NASA History. NASA. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
- ↑ "Report of Apollo 204 Review Board" (PDF). NASA History. NASA. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
- ↑ Daytona Beach Morning Journal, May 4, 1967.
- ↑ "Baron Report (1965-1966)". history.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ↑ "Shuttle Workers Say They Are Afraid to Talk About Challenger", Orlando Sentinel, July 23, 2021