Richard Passman, aeronautical engineer
Richard Passman ‑ an aeronautical engineer and space scientist from the United States – succumbed to Covid-19 virus on April 1, 2020.
He worked on projects including the Corona, the first spy satellite. He was a volunteer in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and author.
Passman was born in Cedarhurst, New York to Ethel and Matthew Passman. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1944 and mathematics in 1946. He earned a master's in aeronautical engineering in 1947. He joined the Navy Pilot Training program during WWII, but was discharged for medical reasons.
He worked for Bell Aircraft, General Electric, the U.S. Department of Energy, and Grumman Corp.
Passman worked on the team that created Bell X-1, the first airplane to ...