The scientific world lost yet another brilliant mind this year, as Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger, the German rocket scientist, passed away on May 25, at the age of 94. Dr. Stuhlinger is one of the 126 German scientists who accompanied Dr. Wernher von Braun across the Atlantic Ocean, to work on the U.S. space program.

Although not as popular as von Braun, Dr. Stuhlinger has undoubtedly brought a significant contribution to space science, especially through his role in electric propulsion, which powers rockets and sends them into space.

He was co-author to the much appreciated book “Ion Propulsion for Space Flight” and is considered to be one true space pioneer. Dr. Stuhlinger was a dreamer, and his ion propulsion designs are a clear sign that he was a visionary with a great dream: unlimited space exploration.

The German rocket scientists, who later became a naturalized U.S. citizen, earned his Ph.D. at the University of Tbingen in 1936, and after two years in the army, he started working at the rocket development center at Peenemunde, Germany; he later became involved in U.S.’ Project Paperclip, as part of von Braun’s team of scientists.

According to the NASA biography, he took part in early planning for lunar exploration and the Apollo telescope mount, as well as produced “a wealth of scientific information about the Sun.” Furthermore, Dr. Stuhlinger contributed to the initial phases of the space telescope project.

From 1960 to 1968 he acted as a director of the space science lab at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and he later became professor and senior researcher at the University of Alabama, Huntsville.

Chuck Lundquist, scientists and collaborator, said about Dr. Stuhlinger that first and foremost he was “a gentleman of gentlemen,” kind and most understanding, while Ed Buckbee, who also worked for von Braun in the 1960s, said he was truly the chief scientist in von Braun’s team.