Frank Cepollina - Life and Education

Life and Education

A Northern California native, Cepollina attended the University of Santa Clara and earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering in 1959. Before joining NASA in 1963, he worked for four years for the Aerojet General Corporation and the Defense Intelligence Agency. When he was 27 years old, he signed on with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center where he helped developing several spacecraft. He also led the development of the Explorer Platform, which enabled the exchange of scientific payloads in orbit.

Since his early career, he specialized in designing satellites and spacecraft, and looked for engineering solutions that would make satellites more robust. The problems he dealt with were the difficulties spacecraft industry was facing in the late 1960s. His list of accomplishments includes innovative techniques for servicing satellites, designing new tools and interfaces for astronauts, and leading the historic 1993 repair mission for the Hubble Space Telescope.

Cepollina is a researcher even in his everyday life; it is noted that when he is not busy looking for ways to improve Hubble's eye on the universe, he can be found at home tinkering with model O gauge railroads. "I've found great satisfaction in this hobby for more than 40 years," he says. "And it's a nice escape from the daily grind. "

Cepollina is currently the manager of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Development Project at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. He and his wife, Ann raised their 4 children in Annandale, Virginia. Cepollina has eight grandchildren (one deceased) located in the Northern Virginia area, as well as on the West Coast.