Lee Correy
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

George Harry Stine (March 26, 1928 – November 2, 1997) was one of the founding figures of
model rocket A model rocket is a small rocket designed to reach low altitudes (e.g., for a model) and #Model rocket recovery methods, be recovered by a variety of means. According to the United States National Association of Rocketry, National Associati ...
ry, a science and technology writer, and (under the name Lee Correy) a science fiction author.


Education and early career

Stine grew up in Colorado Springs and attended
New Mexico Military Institute New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) is a public military junior college and high school in Roswell, New Mexico. Founded in 1891, NMMI operates under the auspices of the State of New Mexico, under a dedicated Board of Regents that reports t ...
and Colorado College in Colorado Springs, majoring in physics. Upon his graduation he went to work at
White Sands Proving Grounds White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) is a United States Army military testing area and firing range located in the US state of New Mexico. The range was originally established in 1941 as the Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range, where the Trinity t ...
, first as a civilian scientist and then, from 1955 to 1957, at the U.S. Naval Ordnance Missile Test Facility as head of the Range Operations Division. Stine and his wife Barbara were friends of author
Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein ( ; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific acc ...
, who sponsored their wedding, as Harry's parents were dead and Barbara's mother too ill to travel. Several of Heinlein's books are dedicated to one or both of them, most particularly ''
Have Space Suit—Will Travel ''Have Space Suit—Will Travel'' is a science fiction novel for young readers by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialized in ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (August, September, and October 1958) and published by S ...
''. Stine wrote science fiction under the pen name "Lee Correy" in the mid-1950s and under his own name in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as writing science articles for ''
Popular Mechanics ''Popular Mechanics'' (often abbreviated as ''PM'' or ''PopMech'') is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do it yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation an ...
''.


Model rocketry

After White Sands, Stine was employed at several other aerospace companies, finally ending up at
Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...
working on the
Titan Titan most often refers to: * Titan (moon), the largest moon of Saturn * Titans, a race of deities in Greek mythology Titan or Titans may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities Fictional locations * Titan in fiction, fictiona ...
project. This job was short-lived: he was abruptly fired in 1957 when
United Press United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ...
called him for a reaction to the launch of
Sputnik 1 Sputnik 1 (, , ''Satellite 1''), sometimes referred to as simply Sputnik, was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 as part of the Soviet space program ...
, and he repeated to them a passage from his just-published book ''Earth Satellites and the Race for Space Superiority'', in which he wrote, "For the first time since the dawn of history, the Earth is going to have more than one moon. This is due to happen within the next few months—or it may have already happened even at the time you are reading this." The next day he was told to clear out his desk. In his "The Formative Years of Model Rocketry, 1957–1962; A Personal Memoir" (International Astronautical Federation, IAF XXVIIth Congress, Anaheim, CA, October 10–16, 1976 (76-241), he wrote "I was fired by the Martin Company on October 5, 1957, for telling
United Press United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ...
that the Soviets had used their ICBM as a launch vehicle (which they had), that Sputnik meant that the entire United States was open to nuclear ICBM attack (which it still is), and that the United States was not first in space because we did not have a serious space program (which we did not under the Eisenhower administration)." Back in his days at White Sands he had handled inquiries from young people concerning rockets, and early in 1957 he wrote an article for '' Mechanics Illustrated'' about rocket safety. Shortly thereafter he received a letter from Orville Carlisle, who had begun making small models and, more importantly, replaceable solid fuel engines to power them. Stine was impressed with the samples that Carlisle had sent him, and wrote a cover article for the October ''MI'' issue about them. After the Martin firing, he contacted Carlisle and the two of them formed Model Missiles Inc., the first manufacturer of model rockets and their engines. Stine also founded the
National Association of Rocketry The National Association of Rocketry (NAR) is a non-profit tax-exempt scientific organization dedicated to consumer safety, youth education, and the advancement of technology in the hobby of sport rocketry in the United States. Founded in 1957, t ...
(initially called the Model Missile Association) and wrote the safety code which became its centerpiece; he served as its president until the late 1960s. MMI was short-lived, as they were unprepared to handle the level of business they attracted and because of some poor business decisions. Issues with the production of early engines caused them to seek out
Vernon Estes Vernon "Vern" Estes (born January 4, 1930) is the founder and namesake of Estes Industries, the highly recognized model rocket production company, headquartered in Penrose, Colorado. In 1957, G. Harry Stine and Orville Carlisle founded the first ...
, who came to them in the summer of 1958. Estes's design and construction of "Mabel", the first engine-manufacturing machine, was the foundation of his success and put
Estes Industries Estes Industries is a model rocket company that was started in Denver, Colorado, USA. History Estes Industries was founded by Vernon Estes in 1958; in 1961, the company moved to a 77-acre tract of land on the outskirts of Penrose, Colorado. I ...
in a dominant position in the hobby which it was never to relinquish. Stine continued to work to popularize the hobby, writing the ''Handbook of Model Rocketry'' in 1965, which went on through seven editions over the years. He returned to the aerospace industry, continuing to write under his pen name, including a ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'' novel called '' The Abode of Life'' and the original novel '' Shuttle Down''. Under his own name, he was a regular science-fact columnist for ''
Astounding ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William Cl ...
'' and its later successor ''
Analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...
''. He was a consultant to
CBS News CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio broadcaster CBS. It is headquartered in New York City. CBS News television programs include ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs ''CBS News Sunday Morn ...
during the
Apollo program The Apollo program, also known as Project Apollo, was the United States human spaceflight program led by NASA, which Moon landing, landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969. Apollo followed Project Mercury that put the first Americans in sp ...
, along with Lindy Davis, Charles Friedlander and Richard C. Hoagland. Stine would also occasionally advise
Rick Sternbach Richard Michael Sternbach (born July 6, 1951) is an illustrator who is best known for his space illustrations and his work on the ''Star Trek'' television series. Early years Born July 6, 1951, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1969 Sternbach enr ...
and
Mike Okuda Michael Okuda is an American graphic designer best known for his work on ''Star Trek'' including designing futuristic computer user interfaces known as "okudagrams". Early life and education Okuda received a bachelor of art in communications fro ...
in their work for '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' as technical artists and advisors, and was credited in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual'' for that assistance. The character named "Harry Stein" in the novel ''
Stardance ''Stardance'' is a science fiction novel by Spider Robinson and Jeanne Robinson, published by Dial Press in 1979 as part of its Quantum science fiction line. The novel's opening segment originally appeared in '' Analog'' in 1977 as the novella ...
'' (by
Spider Robinson Spider Robinson (born November 24, 1948) is an American-Canadian science fiction author. He has won a number of awards for his hard science fiction and humorous stories, including the Hugo Award 1977 and 1983, and another Hugo with his co-author ...
and
Jeanne Robinson Jeanne M. Rubbicco Robinson (March 30, 1948 – May 30, 2010) was an American-born Canadian choreographer who co-wrote three science fiction novels, ''The Stardance Saga'', with her husband Spider Robinson. ''Stardance'' won the Hugo Award and N ...
) is a homage to Stine.


Other work

Stine was very interested in the interaction of volunteer/free market Libertarian ideas with space colonization and as a tool of citizen diplomacy and world peace, and so was called to serve as Chair of the Advisory Board of the Libertarian International Organization where he mentored various citizen initiatives until his death. In the wake of his book, ''The Third Industrial Revolution'', he was asked to co-organize the
American Astronautical Society Formed in 1954, the American Astronautical Society (AAS) is an independent scientific and technical group in the United States dedicated to the advancement of space science and space exploration. AAS supports NASA The National Aeronau ...
1977 conference on private space colonization to re-channel focus away from space exploration alone, and where he received an award as a founder of the international space effort. He was interested in the concept of non-immediate profit-driven free markets, and was seen as a developer and defender of the "
pay it forward Pay it forward is an expression for describing the beneficiary of a good deed repaying the kindness to others rather than paying it back to the original benefactor. It is also called serial reciprocity. The concept is old, but the particular ph ...
" approach with
Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein ( ; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific acc ...
, a term also popularized in a movie of that name, starring Kevin Spacey and other stars. In addition to ''The Third Industrial Revolution'', he wrote several other books encouraging public awareness of the possibilities of a lucrative and socially beneficial active space industry. Stine was a founding member of the Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy and attended several meetings including the 1980 meeting that prepared the space defense policy papers for the Reagan Transition Team. Stine was active in the development of fire safety standards dealing with model rocketry and pyrotechnics. He served on the
National Fire Protection Association The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a U.S.-based international nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property damage, and economic loss due to fire, electrical, and related hazards. , the NFPA claims to have 5 ...
's (NFPA) Technical Committee on Pyrotechnics, representing the National Association of Rocketry, being first appointed in 1967 and then appointed as committee chair in February 1974. This technical committee was responsible for drafting the Association's Code for Model Rocketry, NFPA 41L, which is now known as NFPA 1122, Code for Unmanned Rockets. He chaired the committee until January 1994 and received the Association's Committee Service Award in 1993. He died on November 2, 1997, in
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
, of an apparent stroke. SFWA Obituaries, G. Harry Stine


Bibliography


Science fiction

; Hardback, as Lee Correy * '' Starship Through Space'', Henry Holt, 1954 * ''Rocket Man'', Henry Holt, 1955 ; Paperback, as Lee Correy * ''Contraband Rocket'', Ace Double, 1955, * ''
Star Driver ''Star Driver'', also known as is a Japanese anime television series created and animated by Bones. It was broadcast for twenty-five episodes on MBS and TBS from October 2010 to April 2011. The anime was licensed in North America by Anip ...
'', Del Rey, July 1980 * '' Shuttle Down'', Del Rey, April 1981 * '' Space Doctor'', Del Rey, June 1981 * '' The Abode of Life'', Pocket Science Fiction, May 1982 * ''Manna'', DAW Science Fiction, January 1984 * ''A Matter of Metalaw'', DAW Science Fiction, October 1986 ; Paperback, as G. Harry Stine * * ''Warbots'', Pinnacle Science Fiction, May 1988, * ''Warbots #2: Operation Steel Band'', Pinnacle Science Fiction, July 1988, * ''Warbots #3: The Bastaard Rebellion'', Pinnacle Science Fiction, September 1988, * ''Warbots #4: Sierra Madre'', Pinnacle Science Fiction, November 1988, * ''Warbots #5: Operation High Dragon'', Pinnacle Science Fiction, January 1989, * ''Warbots #6: The Lost Battalion'', Pinnacle Science Fiction, April 1989, * ''Warbots #7: Operation Iron Fist'', Pinnacle Science Fiction, August 1990, * ''Warbots #8: Force of Arms'', Pinnacle Science Fiction, March 1990, * ''Warbots #9: Blood Siege'', Pinnacle Science Fiction, September 1990, * ''Warbots #10: Guts and Glory'', Pinnacle Science Fiction, June 1991, * ''Warbots #11: Warrior Shield'', Pinnacle Science Fiction, February 1992, * ''Warbots #12: Judgement Day'', Pinnacle Science Fiction, September 1992, * ''Starsea Invaders: First Action'', New American Library, August 1993 * ''Starsea Invaders: Second Contact'', New American Library, March 1994 * ''Starsea Invaders: Third Encounter'', New American Library, May 1995 * ''Open Space'' (graphic novel, 1989)


Non-fiction

* ''Earth Satellites and the Race for Space Superiority'', 1957 * ''Rocket Power and Space Flight'', Henry Holt & Co., 1957 * ''Man and the Space Frontier'', 1962 * ''The Third Industrial Revolution'', Putnam, 1975, * ''Shuttle into Space: A Ride in America's Space Transportation'', 1978 * ''The Third Industrial Revolution'', Ace Science Fiction, May 1979, * ''The Space Enterprise'', Ace Science, August 1980, * ''Confrontation in Space'', Prentice-Hall, 1981 * ''Space Power'', Ace Science, September 1981, * ''The Space Enterprise'', 1982 * ''The Hopeful Future'', MacMillan, 1983, * ''The Silicon Gods'', Dell, October, , 1984 * ''The Untold Story of The Computer Revolution'', Arbor House, 1984, * ''Frontiers of Science: Strange Machines You Can Build'', Atheneum, 1985, * ''Handbook for Space Colonists'', Henry Holt & Co., 1985, * ''On the Frontiers of Science'', Atheneum, 1985, * ''The Corporate Survivors'', Amacom Books, 1986, * ''ICBM: The Making of the Weapon That Changed the World'', Crown, 1991, * ''Mind Machines You Can Build'', Top Of The Mountain Publishing, 1992, * ''Halfway to Anywhere'', M. Evans and Company, N.Y., 1996, * ''Living in Space'', M. Evans & Co., 1997, * ''The Manna Project: Business Opportunities in Outer Space'', 1998


Model rocketry

* ''The Handbook of Model Rocketry'' 1st ed., Follet Publishing, 1965 * ''The Handbook of Model Rocketry'' 2nd ed., Follet Publishing, 1967 * ''The Handbook of Model Rocketry'' 3rd ed., Follet Publishing, 1970 * ''The Handbook of Model Rocketry'' 4th ed., Follet Publishing, 1976, * ''The Handbook of Model Rocketry'' 5th ed., 1985, * ''The Handbook of Model Rocketry'' 6th ed., John Wiley & Sons, 1994, * ''The Handbook of Model Rocketry'' 7th ed., with Bill Stine, Wiley, 2004, * ''The Model Rocketry Manual'', 1969 * ''The New Model Rocketry Manual'', Arco Publishing, 1977 * ''The New Model Rocketry Handbook'', Arco Publishing, 1977, (paper edition) * ''The New Model Rocketry Handbook'', Arco Publishing, 1977, (library edition)


References


External links

*
G. Harry Stine Space History and Model Rocketry Collection
at The Museum of Flight Digital Collections {{DEFAULTSORT:Stine, G. Harry 1928 births 1997 deaths 20th-century American engineers 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American short story writers American engineering writers American male non-fiction writers American male novelists American male short story writers American science fiction writers Analog Science Fiction and Fact people Model rocketry Space advocates