Werner Kuers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Werner Kuers
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| Born | April 18, 1907 Berlin, Germany
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| Died | May 14, 1983 (aged 68) Oaxaca, Mexico
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| Alma mater | Berlin Institute of Technology, Berlin (1930) |
| Spouse(s) | Maria Kuers |
| Children | 2 |
Werner Richard Kuers (born April 18, 1907, died May 14, 1983) was a talented German-American engineer. He was an expert in guided missiles, which are like super-fast rockets that can be aimed. Kuers worked on important rocket projects in Germany and later in the United States, helping to build and test rockets for space exploration. He was also a very skilled violinist.
Contents
Werner Kuers: A Rocket Engineer's Story
Early Life and Education
Werner Kuers was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1907. He grew up in this big city. In 1930, he earned his Master of Science degree in Engineering. He studied at the Berlin Institute of Technology, which is a famous university.
Working on Rockets in Germany
In 1942, the German Army sent Kuers to a place called Peenemünde Army Research Center. This was a secret research center where scientists and engineers worked on rockets. There, he met a famous rocket scientist named Wernher von Braun. Von Braun asked Kuers to work in the center's machine shop. Kuers left the Army in 1944 and Peenemünde in 1945.
Moving to America: Operation Paperclip
After World War II, in 1945, Werner Kuers was invited to the United States. This was part of something called "Operation Paperclip". This special program brought many German scientists and engineers to the U.S. to help with their own research.
Kuers arrived in the U.S. on November 16, 1945. He was sent to Fort Bliss in Texas. From there, he moved to the White Sands V-2 Launching Site. His job was to put together and test launch V-2 rockets. These rockets were shipped in pieces from Germany.
A Career in Space Exploration
By 1955, Kuers had moved to the Marshall Space Flight Center. This center is a big part of NASA, America's space agency. By 1964, he became the Director of the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory there. He worked on making sure all the rocket parts were built perfectly. Kuers continued his important work until he retired in November 1968. After retiring, he moved to Mexico.
A Talented Musician
Besides being a brilliant engineer, Werner Kuers was also a very good musician. He was known as an "accomplished violinist." While he was working at Fort Bliss, he joined the El Paso Symphony Orchestra. Later, when he worked at the Marshall Space Flight Center, he was the concertmaster for the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra. He played with them from 1955 until he retired.
