Robert Price

Robert Price

Instrument Bearing Guru

"I was a member of the Draper staff before and during the Space Age guidance system development. I was primarily involved in the instrument bearing evolution that transpired during this period. The enormous stress the system bearings might be exposed to and the critical accuracy required of that system, required bearings that could sustain accuracy and rotation beyond the capacity of those currently being manufactured. I was a team leader in the effort that really redefined and improved the bearings in all those systems. The lubricant, the retainers, and all the races and balls underwent a major upgrade which allowed unprecedented accuracy to be maintained throughout our space missions. These improvements were incorporated in the reaction wheels for over 100 satellites we built at Draper. All the branches of the military utilized our "Bearing Group" for troubleshooting submarine, missile, and aircraft bearing improvement."