Shelby Jacobs facts for kids

Shelby B. Jacobs (born April 27, 1935 – died September 5, 2022) was an American engineer. He is famous for helping to create a special camera system. This system filmed the amazing moment when the first and second parts of the Saturn V rocket separated during launch.

His Amazing Career

Shelby Jacobs spent most of his career working for Rockwell, a company that worked with NASA. He started at a division called Rocketdyne. There, he designed parts for rocket engines and other systems. He worked on hydraulics and pneumatics, which use liquids and gases to make things move.

Filming Rocket Separation

In 1965, Mr. Jacobs received a special task. He was asked to work on a camera system. This system would film the separation of the Apollo 6 rocket. NASA wanted to see how well the rocket parts separated.

The camera was first used on Apollo 4. But the footage from Apollo 6, launched on April 4, 1968, became very well known. This film showed the rocket parts separating perfectly. It was also one of the first videos to show the Earth's curve from space!

The cameras were attached to the back of the Saturn-II rocket stage. After filming, the camera would be ejected. It then fell back to Earth safely using parachutes.

Working on the Space Shuttle

Shelby Jacobs was also one of the first Black engineers hired by NASA and its main contractors. After the Apollo missions, he joined the Space Shuttle program. He worked as a Project Engineer for the Space Shuttle Main Engine. He also worked on the systems that connected the orbiter to the external fuel tank.

Mr. Jacobs later became a team leader. He helped Rockwell continue making parts for the Space Shuttle. This led to a promotion to a higher-level position. He spent the last 15 years of his 40-year career in this role.

Honored for His Work

Shelby Jacobs's achievements were celebrated in an exhibition. This exhibition was held at the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey, California.

Early Life and Education

Shelby Jacobs was born in Texas. He grew up in Val Verde, California. In high school, he was a great student and a promising athlete. He was even class president!

After high school, he did very well on a test. This earned him a scholarship to the UCLA. He attended UCLA and AVJC.

Fighting for Fairness

Shelby Jacobs cared deeply about fairness for all people. As one of the few Black engineers at the time, he sometimes faced challenges. He worked hard to make things better for everyone. In 1965, he spent two weeks helping people register to vote in Alabama.

He passed away in Oceanside, California, on September 5, 2022.