abstract
| - During his early years, his father went of to serve in the military, and Brady was cared for by his mother. He became an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. This and high school got him interested in science. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and got a Master's Degree in flight science. His dad also was experienced in artillery, and helped him understand it. In 1965, Brady went to work for the USAF, and was part of the design team that created the blueprints for the B65 Jet Bomber. He also helped design several missiles used by the United States toward the end of the Middle East War. He was recognized for his actions many times and was subsequently promoted, and by 1972 was the leader of the design team that created new nuclear missiles. This resulted in the creation of the Scott Missile Series, which was famous for its heavy involvement in the US-Russian military exercise Able Archer 83 in 1983. In 1980, his new design team, which included Dr. John "Shaker" Fox who would later design the International Space Station, had the idea of a "space missile" which could strike at anywhere at Earth and would be impossible to shoot down. When President Reagan authorized the project, Brady's team tested many different kinds for over three years, until one kind was selected. This resulted in the creation of the Washington I satellite, which was launched in 1985 and would begin the Cold War. After this the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was formed, and Brady was its first director. Five more satellites in the Washington series were launched, until it was ended in 1988. Later, Brady's team began the Hermes program, which was a series a manned missions. However, the fail of Hermes II and Hermes III shook Brady's confidence. He felt responsible for the death of the astronauts in the destructions. Brady considered resigning, but the success of the next Hermes missions would restore his confidence. In 1998, Hermes XI reached the moon, and astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man on the moon. Several more Hermes missions placed men on the moon. After Hermes XIX launched in 2003, the Hermes program was ended and replaced by the Space Shuttle program, which was the creation of Fox. After Hermes, Brady decided to retire from NASA and Fox became its new director. Brady wrote a book on the Hermes missions and later an autobiography. He now resides in Coral Gables, Florida near Cape Canaveral, which is home to one of the most famous space centers in the US. In 2009, the new space center in San Diego was named Brady Space Center in honor of him.
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