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This is the 28th volume of Memorial Tributes compiled by the National Academy of Engineering as a personal remembrance of the lives and outstanding achievements of its members and international members. These volumes are intended to stand as an enduring record of the many contributions of engineers and engineering to the benefit of humankind. In most cases, the authors of the tributes are contemporaries or colleagues who had personal knowledge of the interests and the engineering accomplishments of the deceased. Through its members and international members, the Academy...
This is the 28th volume of Memorial Tributes compiled by the National Academy of Engineering as a personal remembrance of the lives and outstanding achievements of its members and international members. These volumes are intended to stand as an enduring record of the many contributions of engineers and engineering to the benefit of humankind. In most cases, the authors of the tributes are contemporaries or colleagues who had personal knowledge of the interests and the engineering accomplishments of the deceased. Through its members and international members, the Academy carries out the responsibilities for which it was established in 1964.
Under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering was formed as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. Members are elected on the basis of significant contributions to engineering theory and practice and to the literature of engineering or on the basis of demonstrated unusual accomplishments in the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology. The National Academies share a responsibility to advise the federal government on matters of science and technology. The expertise and credibility that the National Academy of Engineering brings to that task stem directly from the abilities, interests, and achievements of our members and international members, our colleagues and friends, whose special gifts we remember in this book.
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BY DAVID W. MILLER
LAURENCE RETMAN YOUNG, the Apollo Program Professor Emeritus of Astronautics in Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, died Aug. 4, 2021, at age 85. A pioneer in bioastronautical engineering, he played a critical role in enabling humans to adapt and thrive in space.
Born Dec. 19, 1935, Larry deeply cherished his family and valued their love and support throughout his life. He often spoke fondly of his close-knit relationships with his cousins, the encouragement of his parents, and the joy of raising his children. His family was central to his life, providing a foundation of love and encouragement that he deeply appreciated.
After graduating from the Bronx High School of Science in 1952, he pursued a combined undergraduate degree at Amherst College (three years) and MIT (two years), balancing his interest in the humanities and engineering. He received a certificate in applied mathematics from the Sorbonne in Paris as a French government fellow in 1958 and earned a Doctor of Science in instrumentation from MIT in 1962 in the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory directed by Doc Draper (NAE 1965, NAS).
Larry joined the MIT faculty in 1962 and co-founded the Man-Vehicle Laboratory (now known as the Human-Systems Laboratory), where he conducted groundbreaking research on visual-vestibular interaction, spaceflight simulation, artificial gravity, and space motion sickness, applying mathematical rigor to the field. On the national and international stage, he advised on the Apollo Program and became a qualified payload specialist for Shuttle Spacelab in 1993. While he never flew, he was closely involved in seven Shuttle life science missions. He also held visiting professorships at the Collège de France in Paris, Stanford University, the Université de Provence in Marseille, the Zurich Kantonsspital, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
Larry served as director of the Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium and founded the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI). At MIT, he launched the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology’s doctoral program in bioastronautics. He also played a key role in bringing astronaut Jeff Hoffman into MIT AeroAstro as a professor of the practice.
He was a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine), and the International Academy of Astronautics. He was a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Biomedical Engineering Society, the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, and the Explorers Club.
Larry was widely recognized for his contributions to space medicine and bioastronautics. He received the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Jeffries Aerospace Medicine and Life Sciences Research Award in 1992 “for outstanding contributions to space biology and medicine as a principal investigator on the Spacelab Life Sciences 1 mission.” In 1995, NASA honored him with a Space Act Award for his development of an expert system for astronauts. He was also awarded the Betty and David Koetser Memorial Prize by the Koetser Foundation for Brain Research for his contributions to neuroscience in 1998, the NSBRI Pioneer Award in 2013, and the AIAA de Florez Award for Flight Simulation in 2018.
Beyond his professional achievements, Larry had a lifelong hobby of skiing and played a significant role in ski safety research. A former member of Amherst’s ski team, he served as director of the International Society for Skiing Safety and chaired the Ski Injury Statistics Committee for the American Society for Testing and Materials. He received the United States Ski Association Award of Merit and the Best Research Paper Award from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. He also was a member of the Waterville Valley Ski Patrol in New Hampshire. His role in research on ski binding release torques demonstrated the limitations of the “voluntary twist” technique for checking bindings and contributed to the adoption of ski brakes at North American resorts, significantly improving ski safety.
Larry was also an avid sailor and outdoorsman. He once sailed in a race to Bermuda using only celestial navigation and sailed the rugged coast of Maine as far as Labrador with friends and colleagues.
As a mentor and teacher, Larry encouraged his students to take on challenging and exciting projects, including work on Shuttle missions. He offered advice and support when needed but largely allowed them to navigate challenges independently. He counted among his mentees Apollo astronaut and moonwalker Charlie Duke. Known for his curiosity, adventurous spirit, and dedication to data-driven research, he thrived on unexpected discoveries, whether in space, in the lab, or on the ski slope. Each fall, he gathered his lab for “Mountain Day” in the White Mountains, a tradition filled with hiking, sports, apple picking, and camaraderie.
Young’s greatest scientific contributions include his pioneering work on the vestibular system and eye movements, particularly in understanding human physiology in space. His research on artificial gravity and the effects of weightlessness significantly advanced space exploration. Everyone who was mentored by, worked with, learned from, sailed with, or skied with Larry cherishes those experiences and knows he always had their best interest at heart. He is deeply missed.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Vicki Goldberg; his sister, his children, his first wife and the mother of his children, Jody Williams; and grandchildren.