William Hayward Pickering ONZ KBE (24 December 1910 – 15 March 2004) was a New Zealand-born aerospace engineer who headed Pasadena, California's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for 22 years, retiring in 1976.

William Henry Pickering (February 15, 1858 – January 16, 1938) was an American astronomer. [1] Pickering constructed and established several observatories or astronomical observation stations, notably including Percival Lowell's Flagstaff Observatory.

Dec 20, 2024 · William Hayward Pickering was a New Zealand-born American engineer, physicist, and head of the team that developed Explorer 1, the first U.S. satellite. He played a leading role in the development of the U.S. space program.

Apr 26, 2007 · William Pickering was behind some of the finest moments in the early exploration of the Solar System, from the first US satellite to orbit Earth to missions to the Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and beyond.

Mar 15, 2004 · On September 1, 1954 Dr. William H. Pickering became Director of JPL, after serving as head of the Guided Missile Electronics Division. At a gathering of JPL managers, Pickering was given a congratulatory "bouquet" wishing him good luck in his new position.

Mar 16, 2004 · Dr. William H. Pickering, a central figure in the U.S. space race and former director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., from 1954 to 1976, has died.

William Pickering, Rocket Man. The launch of Sputnik in 1957 forced the United States into the space race. Fighting in the Cold War the Americans needed to show the world that they too could launch a rocket into space—and they had to do it quickly.