The Aerospace Historian

In this episode of the Aerospace Historian, we’re continuing our exploration of my family’s role in the business of launching people and payloads into orbit that has spanned three generations. For over 60 years, at any given time, at least one member of my family has been working in support of human spaceflight. In fact, my grandfather, dad and I each worked on the Space Shuttle program at the end, middle, and beginning of our respective aerospace careers. I had the chance to sit down with my dad, Tony Quandt, and my grandfather, Paul Quandt, to discuss the past, present, and future of working in the aerospace industry. In this episode, we launch into my grandfather’s transition from carpenter, to rocketeer.

Tony Quandt’s career in aerospace has featured many memorable moments including the brink of a nuclear war and rocket scientist blow gun pranks. Sit back and listen as we explore his career as well as his thoughts on the current efforts to occupy mars and return humans to the surface of the moon.

Bio:

Tony Quandt, grew up on Merritt Island, Florida just minutes away from the Kennedy Space Center. Tony witnessed the triumph of Apollo 11 sending humans to the lunar surface, as well as the tragedy of the Space Shuttle Challenger. Shortly after graduating from the University f Central Florida with a degree in Mechanical Engineering Tony joined his father, Paul Quandt, in the business of flying people and payloads into in orbit. Since 2000, Tony currently has worked on the International Space Station Program seeing it go from single module to fully functional space laboratory in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

At the Aerospace Historian we feature stories told from the perspective of the people and places who brought aerospace to life.

In this episode, we’re exploring my family’s role in the business of launching people and payloads into orbit that has spanned three generations. For over 60 years, at any given time, at least one member of my family has been working in support of human spaceflight. In fact, my grandfather, dad and I each worked on the Space Shuttle program at the end, middle, and beginning of our respective aerospace careers. I had the chance to sit down with my dad, Tony Quandt, and my grandfather, Paul Quandt, to discuss the past, present, and future of working in the aerospace industry. In this episode, we launch into my grandfather’s transition from carpenter, to rocketeer.

From Intercontinental ballistic missiles stored underground, to the space shuttle, Paul Quandt’s career included many memorable moments including the brink of a nuclear war and rocket scientist blow gun pranks. Sit back and listen as we explore his career as well as his thoughts on the current efforts to occupy mars and return humans to the surface of the moon.

Bio:

Paul Quandt, never imagined that his life would take him from a farm in Mount Pulaski, Illinois to the Florida’s Space Coast where he bore witness, and took part, in many historical highs and lows of human spaceflight. While Paul could not have imagined the route his own career would take, he was even more surprised to see two more generations of his family join the family business of putting people and payloads into space.

Be sure and join us for Part 2 of our three generations of aerospace discussion. In our next episode the focus shifts to the second and third generations of aerospace workers. At the Aerospace Historian we feature stories told from the perspective of the people and places who brought aerospace to life.