PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Kathy Winters, 45th Weather Squadron meteorologist, was nominated by the club for space flight support.
“Kathy has been a stalwart in the launch business dating back to the shuttle program,” said Col. Burton Catledge, 45th Operations Group commander. “We rely on her exceptional knowledge of meteorology and her professional assessments of how weather conditions may negatively impact getting a rocket into a precise geosynchronous window when making critical launch decisions.”
Winters was the Space Shuttle weather officer for 11 years and served in the Air Force as a weather officer for nine years. She currently supports Delta IV operations at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., and provides forecast information to Kennedy Space Center during launches.
Roger McCormick, an Air Force Space and Missile Museum volunteer for 27 years, was nominated by the club for space flight advocacy and education.
“Mr. McCormick has an incredible wealth of knowledge about rocketry and our nation’s space program from beginning to present,” said Emily Perry, Air Force Space and Missile Museum director. “We rely on him as one of the most accurate sources of information when interacting with visitors from around the world, corresponding to inquiries on social media and interfacing with local media.”
Prior to volunteering, McCormick was an aerospace technician processing Space Shuttle flights for 23 years. The Morgantown, West Virginia, native who moved to the Space Coast in 1979 is currently in the process of publishing a book of 200 vintage photos chronicling the history of the 45th Space Wing.
Both inductees have experience sharing the 45th Space Wing mission with audiences around the world. Winters appeared on the Weather Channel three times and McCormick is a reliable source for historical space and rocket information as caretaker of the museum’s archives.
The National Space Club Florida is one of three regional committees of the National Space Club and Foundation in Washington, D.C., and is a non-profit corporation composed of private individuals representing industry, government, the Department of Defense, regional educational institutions, and the public. Their major goals are to increase public awareness of America's aerospace programs, sponsor educational initiatives, and recognize achievement by those who make significant contributions to the space program in Florida.
For a full list of inductees, go to the club’s website, http://www.nscfl.org/#!hall-of-fame/lnzfd.