Charles Stark Draper Prize for Engineering

2005 Draper Prize - Corona Historic Images

Corona, the first space-based earth observation system:

The 2005 Charles Stark Draper Prize was awarded "for the design, development, and operation of Corona, the first space-based Earth observation system."

Meet the Recipients

From left to right: Dr. Edward A. Miller, GE Program Manager, Lieutenant General Bernard Schriever, USAF, Brigadier General Richard Curtin, USAF, and Mr. Reginald Kearton, Vice President of Lockheed

Photo courtesy of Edward Miller

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At Lockheed, standard procedure at celebrations of major successes is to throw the Program Manager, James W. Plummer, in the pool. Here is the occasion of the first recovery from space.

Photo courtesy of James Plummer

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Senior Air Force Officers presenting the flag from the first successful mission and capsule recovery from space to President Eisenhower.

Photo courtesy of James Plummer

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Dr. Edward A. Miller with scalemodel of Discoverer 3, and much smaller scale model in the lower right hand corner of the photo. Miller is holding a scale model of the retro-rocket used to de-orbit the recovery vehicle.

Photo courtesy of Edward Miller

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Mr. James W. Plummer and the Recovery System of Corona.

Photo courtesy of James Plummer

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Mr. James W. Plummer evaluating telemetry records of Corona flight.

Photo coutesy of James Plummer

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