Person in history

Glynn Lunney

Glynn Lunney, American engineer (born 1936)

Life at a glance

Died
2021 · March 19
Known as
military flight engineer, engineer, and flight controller. Citizenship: United States

Their story

Who they were

Personal life Lunney in December 2008 While at Lewis Research Center , Lunney met Marilyn Kurtz, who worked there as a nurse. They were married in 1960 and had four children: Jennifer, Glynn Jr., Shawn, and Bryan . [ 1 ] Their youngest son Bryan also pursued a career at NASA, becoming a flight director in 2001 and retiring in 2011. [ 2 ] Lunney and his son Bryan were the first multi-generational flight directors to have served NASA. [ 3 ] During his leisure hours, Lunney enjoyed sailing;

Glynn Stephen Lunney was an American NASA engineer. Lunney was an employee of NASA since its creation in 1958, a flight director during the Gemini and Apollo programs. Lunney was on duty during historic events such as the Apollo 11 lunar ascent and the pivotal hours of the Apollo 13 crisis. At the end of the Apollo program, he became manager of the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project, the first collaboration in spaceflight between the United States and the Soviet Union. Later,

Early life

Educated at: University of Detroit Mercy and Scranton Preparatory School.

Early life and NACA career Glynn Stephen Lunney was born in the coal city of Old Forge, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania , on November 27, 1936, [ 1 ] the eldest son of William Lunney, a welder and former miner who encouraged his son to get an education and to find a job beyond the mines, and his wife Helen Glynn Lunney. He graduated from the Scranton Preparatory School in 1953. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] A childhood interest in model airplanes prompted Lunney to study engineering in college. [ 4 ]

Path and career

Worked with / for: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Awards / honours: Presidential Medal of Freedom, NASA Distinguished Service Medal, NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and Allan D. Emil Memorial Award.

Career at Rockwell Upon leaving NASA in 1985, Lunney took a position at Rockwell International , the contractor responsible for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Space Shuttle. At first he worked in California, managing a Rockwell division that was building satellites for the Global Positioning System ; this was his first experience with satellites. [ 1 ] In 1990, he returned to Houston as President of the Rockwell Space Operations Company,

Why this date

Glynn Lunney appears on our March 19 calendar for 2021 as a death entry.

Sources

Cite this page

“Glynn Lunney”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/people/glynn-lunney, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about Glynn Lunney

When did Glynn Lunney die?

March 19 2021.

Who else was born on this day?

The date page lists everyone we hold for that calendar day.

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