Jim Cast
Headquarters, Washington                        February 8, 1999
(Phone:  202/358-1779)

Fred A. Brown
Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA
(Phone:  805/258-2663)

RELEASE:  99-14

PETERSEN NAMED DRYDEN DIRECTOR

     NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin today named Kevin L. 
Petersen as Director of NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, 
Edwards, CA.  Petersen has been Acting Director of Dryden since 
August 1, 1998.  Previously, he had served as the center's Deputy 
Director since January 1996.

     "As Director of the Agency's premier flight research center," 
Goldin said, "Kevin brings to the job a wealth of aeronautical 
experience, expertise and leadership at Dryden.  This will be 
absolutely essential in guiding NASA into the next century with 
some of the most advanced research aircraft and aviation 
activities in the nation."

     Since joining Dryden as an aerospace engineer in 1974, 
Petersen's experience has included work on F-8 Digital Fly-by-
wire, Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology (HiMAT) and X-29 
forward-swept wing flight research projects.  He also served as 
chief of the Vehicle Technology Branch and chief of the National 
Aerospace Plane projects office. 

     A graduate of Iowa State University and UCLA, Petersen 
received NASA's Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal in 1985 
and NASA's Exceptional Service Medal in 1987. 

     The Dryden Flight Research Center is chartered to conceive 
and conduct experimental flight research for integrated flight and 
propulsion controls; advanced optical sensors and controls; 
viscous drag reduction; advanced configurations; high-altitude, 
long-endurance aircraft; remotely piloted vehicle technology; 
hypersonic vehicle experiments; high-speed research for civil 
transportation; atmospheric tests of advanced rocket and air-
breathing propulsion concepts; instrumentation systems; and flight 
loads predictions.

                           - end -