Frederick I. Ordway III

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Frederick Ira Ordway III (born 1927) was a space scientist and well-known author of visionary books on spaceflight. Ordway was in charge of space systems information at the Marshall Space Flight Center from 1960 to 1963 and before that performed a similar function for the Army Ballistic Missile Agency. For many years he was a professor at the University of Alabama’s School of Graduate Studies and Research. However, his greatest contribution has been to the popularization of space travel through dozens of books that he has authored or coauthored. He was also technical consultant to the film 2001: A Space Odyssey and owns a large collection of original paintings depicting astronautical themes. Ordway was educated at Harvard and completed several years of graduate study at the University of Paris and other universities in Europe.

Ordway worked with Wernher von Braun at the former Army Ballistic Missile Agency and later at the NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. He is a member of many leading professional societies and is the author, co-author, or editor of more than thirty books and over three hundred articles.


[1] A history of NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center.

NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center engineer F.I. Ordway was primary technical adviser for 2001:A Space Odyssey.[1] Detailed design information is also given by Ordway in the American Astronautical Society History Series[2]


  1. ^ F.I.Ordway (March 1970). "2001: A Space Odyssey, Spaceflight". Spaceflight 12: 110–117. British Interplanetary Society. 
  2. ^ Ordway, F.I. (1982). "Part B: 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY IN RETROSPECT". Eugene M. Emme American Astronautical Society History Series SCIENCE FICTION AND SPACE FUTURES: PAST AND PRESENT 5: 47 - 105. 

[edit] See also

  • Ordway's essay about his work as scientific advisor and technical consultant to the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
    1. Frederick I. Ordway III (2003), The Rocket Team: Apogee Books Space Series 36 (Apogee Books Space Series) (Hardcover), Collector's Guide Publishing Inc; Har/DVD edition (September 1, 2003), ISBN 1894959000