Sunday, May 3, 2009

EDUARDO C. SAN JUAN

EDUARDO SAN JUAN

Eduardo C. San Juan (aka The Space Junkman) is a Filipino Mechanical Engineer Inventor. He worked on the team that invented the Lunar Rover or Moon Buggy. He is considered the primary designer of the Lunar Rover used by NASA astronauts. San Juan is a NASA engineer was also the designer for the Articulated Wheel System. Prior, to the Apollo Program, Eduardo San Juan worked on the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).Despite using home-made materials, his model which was chosen over other hi-tech designs.

Moon Buggy

The Moon Buggy was first used by during the Apollo 12 landing to explore the Moon, in 1971. Filipinos consider Eduardo San Juan as the inventor of the Lunar Rover, or more popularly known as the Moon Buggy. The Moon Buggy was the car used by Neil Armstrong and other astronauts when they first explored the moon in 1969. He worked for Lockheed Corporation and conceptualized the design of the Moon Buggy that the Apollo astronauts used while in the moon. As a NASA engineer, San Juan reportedly used his Filipino ingenuity to build a vehicle that would run outside the Earth's atmosphere.

Education & Awards: ·

* Graduated from Mapua Institute of Technology.
* He then studied Nuclear Engineering at the University of Washington. ·
* In 1978, San Juan received one of the Ten Outstanding Men (TOM) awards in science and technology.

On a Personal Note:

Elisabeth San Juan, the proud daughter of Eduardo San Juan, had the following to say about her father. When my Father submitted the conceptual design for the Lunar Rover he submitted it via Brown Engineering, a company owned by Lady Bird Johnson. During the final test demonstration to select one design from various submissions, his was the only one that worked. Thus, his design won the NASA Contract. His overall concept and design of the Articulated Wheel System was considered brilliant. Each wheel appendage was mounted not underneath the vehicle, but were placed outside the body of the vehicle and each was motorized. Wheels could work independently of the others. It was designed to negotiate crater ingress and egress. The other vehicles did not make it into or out of the test crater. Our Father, Eduardo San Juan, was a very positively charged creative who enjoyed a healthy sense of humor.

Siya ang nagimbento ng Lunar Rover na ginamit sa Apollo XV Moon Exporation na ginamit ng mga astronaut sa pangongolekta ng mga bato sa buwan.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Famous-Filipino-Scientists-and-Inventors-Part-5



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