Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], B. P. Blasingame Papers, Ms1987-010, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The B. P. Blasingame Papers were donated to Special Collections and University Archives in 1987.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the B. P. Blasingame Papers was completed in April 2015.

Biographical Note

Dr. Benjamin Paul Blasingame was born on August 1, 1919 in State College, Pennsylvania. He majored in mechanical engineering at Pennsylvania State College and was a cadet in the school's ROTC program. He graduated in 1940 and was called to active duty in the United States Air Force in 1941. While still in the Air Force, Blasingame received his Doctor of Science degree in 1950 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After his military career, Blasingame became the director of engineering at AC Spark Plug, the Electronics Division (Delco) of General Motors. Under his leadership Delco would become the leading contractor for NASA's Apollo guidance and navigation systems.

For a more complete biographical sketch of Dr. Blasingame see: http://www.afspc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-100405-043.pdf

Scope and Content

The B. P. Blasingame Papers contains several books, reports, and papers about navigation, inertia, and space flight. Although the majority of the materials are undated, they are likely from the 1960s and 1970s. Series I: Books and Record Albums includes three books related to the Skylab I-IV space projects, five books related to the Apollo 12, 14, 16, 17, and Apollo-Soyuz missions, and one guide to orbital flight, as well as two copies of the CBS production "Man on the Moon," narrated by Walter Cronkite. Series II: Papers and Reports consists of four official reports by Charles Stark Draper, of Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., regarding inertial guidance and navigation. There is also a report on the optical tracking of the Apollo 12 spacecraft, published by the Manned Spacecraft Center, and an unpublished report on inertial systems by Dr. Blasingame in this series.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in two series by material type.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Apollo 12 (Spacecraft)
• Apollo 14 (Spacecraft)
• Apollo 16 (Spacecraft)
• Apollo 17 (Spacecraft)
• Apollo Soyuz Test Project
• Archives of American Aerospace Exploration (AAAE)
• Science and Technology
• Skylab Program

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the B. P. Blasingame Papers by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).