astronomy

Ron Dittemore

Ron Dittemore is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ron Dittemore rather than just read about it. In short: Ron D. Dittemore (born April 13, 1952 Cooperstown, New York) is a former Space Shuttle program manager for NASA.

Key takeaways

Ron Dittemore belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ron Dittemore to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ron Dittemore from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Ron D. Dittemore (born April 13, 1952 Cooperstown, New York) is a former Space Shuttle program manager for NASA. He was the shuttle program manager during the timeframe of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. He later served as President of ATK Launch Systems Group. He is currently retired.

Education Ron Dittemore graduated from Medical Lake High School in Medical Lake, Washington in 1970. He received a bachelor's degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Washington in 1974, and a master's degree in the same subjects one year later.

Career Before joining NASA at Johnson Space Center (JSC) in 1977, Dittemore worked as a turboprop/turbofan engine development engineer in Arizona. While at JSC, Dittemore held several positions, including flight director on 11 Space Shuttle missions, deputy assistant director of the Space Station Program, and manager of Space Shuttle Program Integration. He assumed the position of manager of the Space Shuttle Program in 1999. Dittemore was the Shuttle Program Manager for NASA at the time of the disastrous loss of Space Shuttle Columbia in February 2003. On February 5, 2003, Dittemore incorrectly asserted that foam debris from the shuttle's external tank that struck the left wing during the launch could not have caused the reentry disintegration of the shuttle. Dittemore announced his resignation from NASA in April 2003. After leaving NASA, Dittemore became president of ATK Thiokol Propulsion, renamed ATK Launch Systems Group in May 2006, a division of Alliant Techsystems (ATK); Thiokol and NASA had been found responsible, in the 1986 report of the Rogers Commission Report, for that year's Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, which also resulted in the death of seven astronauts. As of 2024, the then 72-year-old Dittemore is retired.

Personal Ron Dittemore is married to Shirley Ann Seibolts. They have two children. Dittemore is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ron Dittemore

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ron Dittemore claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ron Dittemore before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ron Dittemore ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ron Dittemore

In research: Ron Dittemore appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ron Dittemore in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ron Dittemore is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1952 births, Latter Day Saints from New York (state), Latter Day Saints from Washington (state), so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ron Dittemore outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ron Dittemore in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ron Dittemore means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ron Dittemore out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ron Dittemore in simple terms?

Ron D. Dittemore (born April 13, 1952 Cooperstown, New York) is a former Space Shuttle program manager for NASA.

Why does Ron Dittemore matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ron Dittemore?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ron Dittemore.