This is a featured event of the Astronaut Ice Cream Space Series at Chautauqua
Presented in partnership with:
Door time: 7:00
Show time: 7:30
As NASA’s Director, Astrophysics, Dr. Pellerin had a payload in Challenger’s cargo bay, and led the team that built, launched, and repaired Hubble. Although the root causes of failures appeared to be technical, the Failure Review Boards found that they were social. Dr. Pellerin will explore these (generally ignored) causes, and how they could have be remedied, if acknowledged.
Charles (Charlie) Pellerin, PhD (Astrophysics), MBA (Harvard Business):
In 1970, NASA/Goddard Space Center gave Charlie their highest patent-related monetary award for a “Two-axis Fluxgate Magnetometer” (US patent). He published in IEEE Transactions, then earned a PhD in Astrophysics from Catholic University of America publishing in Solar Physics and the Astrophysical Journal. He then received their Alumni Award for Outstanding Achievement in Science. Charlie then earned an “Executive MBA” at the Harvard Business School’s Program for Management Development.
In 1983, NASA made Charlie Director, Astrophysics. He led this multi-billion-dollar program for a decade launching twelve satellites. NASA awarded him the Creative Management Award, then an Outstanding Leadership Medal. Charlie invented and implemented the $20 Billion Great Observatories Program. For this, the American Astronautical Society gave Charlie their highest award, the Space Flight Award.
In 1990, Charlie’s team launched Hubble Space Telescope into space with a flawed mirror. He then mounted the successful repair mission that fixed the telescope. For this NASA awarded him a very unusual 2nd Outstanding Leadership Medal.
NASA surprised him with the Distinguished Service Medal, “when the contribution is so extraordinary that other forms of recognition would be inadequate” for a decade of leadership in Space Astrophysics. Charlie also received “Presidential Rank” awards from Ronald Reagan and from Bill Clinton for “sustained superior accomplishment.”
In 1993, Charlie joined the University of Colorado’s Business School as a professor of Leadership. He created “21st Century Leadership” for honors-undergrads, MBAs, and executives. His classes had the highest ratings in the college, consistently “A+.”
In 1995, when business CEO’s asked him to bring this material into their companies, Charlie founded “4-D Systems” with sales of $50 Million during 2002 to 2012. His team won the International Coach Federation’s 2007 Prism Award for “enhanced excellence and business achievement with quantitative measurements…”
China Aerospace made Charlie an “Honorary Professor,” and Asia America Multi-Tech Association of China made Charlie a “Professor,” the first foreigner and ninth person ever to receive this honor.
Following Hubble’s 25th anniversary, David Frigerio, an LA-based screenwriter wrote a movie about Charlie’s life and Hubble. Screenplay completed, we have a “Sizzle Reel,” https://bit.ly/3maD1C0 to market the film, which COVID has delayed completing.
COVID ended his international workshops, effectively closing his teambuilding business. His book, “How NASA Builds Teams” (Wiley, 2009) sells well in English and ten other languages, with “best-seller” status in China. All his intellectual property is free to all and his YouTube channel has educational videos at https://bit.ly/3wff6py.
He and his wife, Junko, recently rebuilt their Boulder house after the 2020 Calwood wildfire. They now particularly enjoy travelling to Ryokans (Traditional Japanese Inns). And he continues to support “4-D Systems” providers, worldwide.
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