Walter Riedel

Walter Riedel (1902-1968) was a German rocket engineer best-known for his pioneering work on the V-2 rocket.

Biography

Early life and career

Riedel's first place of employment was the Heylandt Company. In 1931, he collaborated with Arthur Riedel to build a 20 kgf liquid propellant engine. Later he joined the development team that worked on the German V-2 rocket at Peenemünde, serving as Wernher von Braun's deputy and chief designer with the Technical Design Office. [cite book
first=Robert S. | last=Kraemer | year=2005
title=Rocketdyne: Powering Humans Into Space
pages=p. 10 | publisher=North American Rockwell Corporation
id=ISBN 1563477548 ]

Post World War II

Following World War II he was moved to Trauen where he joined the British Saenger facility and worked on rocket engine tests. [cite web
last=Wade | first=Mark | year=2007
url=http://www.astronautix.com/astros/riealter.htm
title=Riedel Walter | publisher=Encyclopedia Astronautica
accessdate=2006-08-10] Walter Riedel became director of rocket engine research at North American Aviation Corporation (NAA). [cite journal
author=Frederick I. Ordway "et al"
title=A memoir: From peenemünde to USA: A classic case of technology transfer
journal=Acta Astronautica
year=2007 | volume=60 | issue=1 | pages=24–47
doi=10.1016/j.actaastro.2006.05.003 ]

UFO Investigations

Riedel also organized civilian investigations of UFOs with the group Civilian Saucer Investigations (CSI), which included several other NAA personnel in its ranks. [cite web
first=Ruby C. | last=Pryor | date=January 1, 2007
url=http://www.pknoll.net/knoll_aircraft/bluebook.htm
title=Meeting Minutes, Civilian Saucer Investigation
publisher=Knoll Aircraft Corporation
accessdate=2007-09-19] In a 1952 interview with "Life" magazine, Riedel was quoted [http://www.pehi.eu/UFOs/press_reports/1952_04_07_Life_Magazine_Have_we_visitors_from_space.htm "Have We Visitors From Space?"] Darrach, H. B. and Robert Ginna. "Life Magazine". 07 April 1952] as saying "I am completely convinced that [flying saucers] have an out-of-world basis." U.S. Air Force Captain Edward J. Ruppelt [Rupplet, Edward J. "The Report On Unidentified Flying Objects". New York: Doubleday, 1956] described CSI as "a well-meaning but Don Quixote-type group of individuals."

Riedel crater on the Moon was co-named forhim and the German rocket pioneer Klaus Riedel.

References