Thomas Ronald "Tom" Baron (c. 1938 – April 27, 1967)[1] was a quality control and safety inspector for North American Aviation (NAA), when NAA was the primary contractor to build the Apollo command module.[2]
Early life and education
Baron was born in or around 1938, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.[3] He attended Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.[3]
Career
Baron initially enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he was stationed at Eglin Air Force Base in Okaloosa County, Florida.[3] He was later hired as a quality control inspector with North American Aviation, the prime NASA contractor for construction of the Apollo spaceship.[3]
Whistleblower report
Baron compiled a 169-page report critical of safety standards at North American Aviation, and leaked his report to the media.[4] After NAA learned of this, they fired him.
After the Apollo 1 fire, Baron wrote a 275-page report on NASA safety protocol violations, which he gave to Rep. Olin E. Teague's investigation at Cape Kennedy in Florida, on April 21, 1967.[5]
The chairman of the NASA Oversight Committee claimed that Baron had made a valuable contribution to the Apollo fire probe, but that he had been "overzealous".[6]
Death
Six days after his testimony, Baron was killed instantly, along with his wife and stepdaughter, when a train crashed into their car just north of their home in Titusville, Florida.[1][7][8]
References
- ^ a b Garber, Steve (January 27, 2010). "Chapter 9". Apollo-1 (204). NASA. Archived from the original on January 31, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
- ^ "Source Notes: Chapter 18: The Fire That Seared the Spaceport". NASA. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
- ^ a b c d "3 in Ex-Bethlehem Family Killed". The Morning Call. 30 April 1967. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ^ "Report of Apollo 204 Review Board" (PDF). NASA History. NASA. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
- ^ "Report of Apollo 204 Review Board" (PDF). NASA History. NASA. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
- ^ Daytona Beach Morning Journal, May 4, 1967.
- ^ "Baron Report (1965-1966)". history.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ^ [https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1986/02/10/shuttle-workers-say-they-are-afraid-to-talk-about-challenger/ "SHUTTLE WORKERS SAY THEY ARE AFRAID TO TALK ABOUT CHALLENGER", Orlando Sentinel, July 23, 2021