Richard “Dick” Osburn, Marion High School Class of 1963, worked at NASA on navigation systems for both the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs, one of the youngest engineers to man a console during the Apollo moon landings.
After graduating from Marion High School, Osburn earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 1967. He accepted a position with NASA in Houston in June 1967.
In the 1960s, the U.S. Space Program was a source of pride, excitement, and inspiration for the nation. Osburn played an integral role in the program during both the Apollo flights and the Space Shuttle flights that followed, specifically working on the navigation systems of both types of craft.
He worked on the development of the landing navigation procedures that resulted in pinpoint landings on Apollo 12 through Apollo 17. He then led the NASA-wide working group that certified the Tracking Data Relay Satellite System for Space Shuttle navigation and led the team that developed Space Shuttle navigation procedures. He also led the Orbiter Process Analysis Team which streamlined and improved Space Shuttle Orbiter hardware processing procedures across all NASA facilities.
Osburn worked at NASA’s Johnson Space Center from 1967 to 1985, and then for Rockwell International and the United Space Alliance, which operated NASA’s Space Shuttle fleet, from 1985 to 2003.
He published more than 25 NASA Technical Papers, including the navigation procedures for Apollo 10 through 17, and presented his Technical Paper “Manned Spacecraft Navigation” at the 1986 meeting of the Institute of Navigation in Darmstadt, Germany.
He earned numerous NASA Group Achievement awards and was presented with the U. S. Presidential Medal of Freedom as part of the Apollo 13 Mission Operations Team. He also earned the Rockwell President’s Award in 1986 and 1990.
Osburn’s interest in numismatics (the study or collection of coins and currency) led him to his next career as a rare coin dealer, from 2003 to 2010, during which time he earned numerous awards for papers and articles relating to Liberty Seated half dollars and dollars. His self-published book “Liberty Seated Dollars – A Register of Die Varieties” has become one of the field’s top reference books.
That is not the only hobby in which he reached expert level or earned accolades.
In the 1970s, he was a nationally-ranked water skier, earning the title of U.S. National Water Ski Champion in the category of Men’s Tricks in 1973, and coming in third place in 1974 and 1977.
And his talent and love for ballroom dancing led him to become a strong supporter of that art in the Houston/Clear Lake area. Dick and Ruth have given numerous exhibitions for ballroom dance clubs during the past 10 years.
He and his wife, Ruth Ann Osburn, were married in 1966, and have two sons and seven grandchildren.
From 1995 to 2000 he and Ruth co-led the Houston Area Lutheran Marriage Encounter program.
Osburn has been retired since 2010.
He was presented with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s highest alumni award, the Honor Alumni Award, in 2018.