Ave Kuludze: Meet the First Ghanaian To Control a NASA Spacecraft in Orbit
- A Ghanaian spacecraft systems engineer, Ave Kludze, is trending for all the right reasons
- This comes after his achievements and contributions in the fields of aeronautics, nanotechnology, engineering, and space exploration were highlighted
- He also became the first Ghanaian to command and control a spacecraft in orbit from a mission control centre
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The news that Christina Koch, one of the four astronauts in the Artemis II programme, was once a student at the University of Ghana has been well received by many Ghanaians.
Source: UGC
She also made history by becoming the first woman to travel around the Moon as part of the Artemis II programme.
Victor Glover also made history as the first Black astronaut to travel around the Moon as part of the Artemis II programme.
The exploits of these astronauts highlight the need to celebrate Ave Kludze Jr, a Ghanaian and one of the few Africans who made history during his time at NASA, contributing to major space missions and advancing aerospace engineering.
He has made major contributions to complex systems engineering and spacecraft operations at NASA.
We take a trip down memory lane to look at the life and profile of Ave Kludze Jr.
Ave Kludze Jr was born in Hohoe in the Volta Region of Ghana, where he developed an interest in science.
Pursuing his education, Ave Kludze Jr attended Adisadel College in Cape Coast and later Swedru Secondary School for his A-levels.
He moved to the United States in the 1980s, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Rutgers University.
He later earned a master’s degree in systems engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a PhD in systems engineering from George Washington University.
During his time at Goddard Space Flight Centre, Ave Kludze made history as the first Ghanaian to command and control spacecraft in orbit from a mission control centre.
He also worked on missions such as the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM).
Source: AFP
The prominent Ghanaian is also credited with designing the Human Locator System, known as “HULOS”, a system designed to help locate people in emergency situations such as disasters.
He has also contributed immensely across aeronautics, nanotechnology, engineering, and space exploration.
Ave Kludze currently serves as a senior spacecraft systems engineer and has worked at major NASA centres, including the NASA Langley Research Centre in Virginia.
Another notable Ghanaian who has also raised the flag of the country high is Dr Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu, a renowned robotics engineer who worked at NASA.
University of Ghana celebrates Christina Koch
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that US astronaut Christina Koch went viral in Ghana because of her educational history.
She was an exchange student at the University of Ghana over 20 years ago.
The University of Ghana acknowledged Koch, wishing her and her team well on their mission in a post on X following the unmanned Artemis I mission in 2022. NASA’s Artemis programme is preparing for deep-space missions and hopes to reach Mars in the 2030s.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
