Born in Belgium, Karel Jan Bossart moved to America and worked with brilliant and colorful aircraft designers in the 1930s. After the Second World War, he developed the first American intercontinental ballistic missile, employing radical innovations in design. Initially skeptical, the US Air Force embraced his plan after they realized that the Soviet Union was close to completing a similar weapon system.
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The book looks very interesting and I just bought a copy on Amazon. I met Dr. Bossart in 1962 when my Dad was working on a 1960s SDI type project in Santa Barbara. We went to a party at his house in La Jolla. My sister was a good friend of his daughter-in-law and I’ve met a couple of his grandchildren.
Coincidentally, Charlie’s son lives just a mile from me, which I did not know when I first decided to investigate this book project.
I bought a copy of your book on GPS. My brother was in the Air Force and evaluated and inspected the GPS system in the first years of its development.
I know his son Jan. The last time we talked, a couple of years ago, he was living in Maine. I assume that you live near his other son.
Yes, I know Newell, but I’ve met Jan several times when he was visiting here. Charlie’s sister lived to be nearly 100, and I was able to get a few questions to her just before she passed away. Her sons have been very helpful too, as have cousins in Belgium.
Thanks. Let me know what you think.
This is a wonderful book. I’m going to give it five stars on Amazon. I have a few minor quibbles. P 59 The USSR was attacked by Germany in June, not April. P 147 What knocked out the Navy’s rocket program was the transfer of Rosen and most of the Vanguard people to NASA in October, 1958. Marty Votaw and my Dad were exceptions. P 158 Khrushchev called the Vanguard satellite a grapefruit not an orange. I mentioned to his son on 10/4/2007 that my Dad designed the satellite which his Dad called the grapefruit. Please contact me. I have a couple of ideas for marketing this fine book.
Thanks you so much. The grapefruit quote is interesting. I decided to hunt for the Russian quote and found Khrushchev’s original comment:
США придется запустить «много спутников размером с апельсин, чтобы догнать Советский Союз»
I talked to a Russian friend about this, and he said that grapefruit was not something Russians really eat or know about, and “apelsin” is an orange. I probably should have said more about why I changed it to orange, because the “grapefruit” quote is so famous.
Do you have my email address?
No – you can either give it here or send a note to my email.
Hello Mr. Mitchell,
I recently purchased your book after I found out that there was a rocket genius living in my neighborhood. I am a 22 year old engineering student, living in Kalmthout, where also Mr. Bossart grew up. Although his work seemed very imported, people here in Belgium seem to have forgot him, unfortunately. I gave a presentation about Mr. Bossart in my engineering class to give Mr. Bossart the attention he deserves, since nobody knew him.
My grandparents were friends with Daisy Dent and my father was friends with the children of Daisy, many years ago. I asked my father and my grandparents about Mr. Atlas, but they didn’t know much about him. They knew he was a rocket genius, but that’s it.
I also visited the home of his parents in Kalmthout recently, where now lives a former mayor of the city of Antwerp. It’s only 2 km from where I live.
So I really enjoyed your book! I have read it with lots of pleasure. Congratulations with this wonderful biography of Mr. Atlas and the history of his rocket. I will recommend it to all my friends.
Best regards,
Nick