NASA Office of Logic Design

A scientific study of the problems of digital engineering for space flight systems,
with a view to their practical solution.

2005 MAPLD International Conference

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
Washington, D.C.

September 7-9, 2005

John R. Garman
Technical Director, NASA Services
Lockheed Martin Information Technology
Formerly (NASA JSC and MSC)

Presenting: Invited Mishap and Lessons Learned Talk: "Computer Overload and The Apollo 11 Lunar Landing: An Insider's View"

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Biography

John R. Garman was born in Oak Park, Illinois and was raised in the Chicago area. He went to the University of Michigan where he received an Engineering Degree in Physics. Mr. Garman began his professional career with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which spanned almost 34 years in a number of computer systems, software engineering, and management positions both at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston and at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. After retiring from NASA in January 2000 he joined OAO Corporation of Greenbelt, Maryland. Two years later OAO was acquired by Lockheed Martin Information Technology, Seabrook, Maryland, at which point he assumed his current position.

As Technical Director of NASA Services, Mr. Garman oversees all technical activities and development efforts in support of the NASA/JPL line of business within LMIT. This encompasses continuing internal development and improvement efforts, new projects and efforts for existing NASA work, as well as strategic and tactical planning activities for LMIT’s business with NASA.

At OAO, he was Vice President, Enterprise I/T Outsourcing, for OAO Corporation was primarily responsible for the desktop outsourcing business with NASA’s Code M Centers covering some 65,000 desktop, network, and telephone seats at the Johnson, Marshall, Kennedy, and Stennis NASA Centers.

Until his retirement from NASA Mr. Garman served as the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Chief Information Officer (CIO) with overall responsibility for Information Technology (IT) Security and setting IT standards and architecture at the Center.

His career with NASA spanned the NASA Apollo, Shuttle, and Space Station programs and he held significant positions in each. He was a project manager for elements of the onboard computer software development in Apollo and worked in Houston’s mission control during all the major Apollo flights. During the development of the Space Shuttle Orbiter, Mr. Garman managed the development of the high order programming language used on the Shuttle, the onboard multi-computer operating system, as well as the overall software development and test facility (called the SPF or Software Production Facility). He moved into institutional IT operations as a Division Chief for the Data Processing Systems Division and then over much of the IT at the Center as Deputy Director of the Mission Support Directorate. During 1987-1988 Mr. Garman was detailed to the NASA Headquarters' Space Station Program Office as Director, Information Systems Services. During these activities he received the U.S. Government Presidential Rank in the Senior Executive Service, several performance and leadership medals, and numerous other awards and certificates.

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Abstract: garman_a.html

Presentation: garman_p.ppt

Notes for the 2005 MAPLD International Conference Invited Mishap and Lessons Learned Talk: "Computer Overload and The Apollo 11 Lunar Landing," part of Session G: "Digital Engineering and Computer Design: A Retrospective and Lessons Learned for Today's Engineers"

JSC Biography

ORAL HISTORY: 27 March 2001, 5 April 2001

 

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