Frederick C. Durant

Frederick Clark Durant III (December 31, 1916- October 21, 2015) was an American author, naval test pilot, chemical engineer, and expert in rocketry and spaceflight. Durant served as a "key advisor" to U.S. military, intelligence, and space-flight programs, playing a central role in Project Orbiter, the first US satellite program.

In his later years, Durant served as assistant director of the National Air and Space Museum and an editor of Encyclopædia Britannica.