Georg von Tiesenhausen was the last surviving member of a German rocket team that had an incredible impact on space exploration.

Von Tiesenhausen Dies At Age 104

Von Tiesenhausen passed away on June 3 at the age of 104. He lived in Huntsville, Alabama. A representative from the U.S. Space and Rocket Center confirmed the details on June 5.

"He will be missed," Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle told Al.com. "He's the last of a generation that was always reaching for the stars."

Funeral services have not been publicly disclosed, but family members were reportedly traveling to Huntsville.

The Early Life Of von Tiesenhausen

Although von Tiesenhausen is known for growing up in Germany, he was actually born in the Russian Empire. He graduated from Hamburg University in 1943.

During World War II, he worked for Germany as an engineer by developing military rockets. His official title was section chief.

Von Tiesenhausen's Career As A Rocket Scientist

Although von Tiesenhausen worked with Germany after the war, it didn't last for long. In 1953, von Tiesenhausen was brought to the United States under Operation Paperclip, a secret program in which German scientists and engineers were recruited.

At first, he worked with fellow German engineer Wernher von Braun to build guided missiles in the United States. A few years later, von Tiesenhausen and von Braun transferred to NASA.

Over the course of his career with the Marshall Space Flight Center, von Tiesenhausen built a reputation for developing the foundation of the space exploration program. Among his accomplishments, von Tiesenhausen is credited for creating and developing the first lunar rover. It was used during the final three Apollo missions.

"It took a lot of sales effort on the part of von Braun, von Tiesenhausen, and others to convince headquarters," said former colleague Ed Buckbee. "It really needs to be recognized. He put wheels on our American astronauts on the moon's surface." 

In addition to the lunar rover, von Tiesenhausen developed the first mobile launch facilities for the Saturn V. He was also instrumental in helping the first NASA astronauts conduct missions in space. During his time at NASA, von Tiesenhausen was a vocal proponent of establishing a permanent base on the moon.

His Post-Career

In 1986, von Tiesenhausen retired from NASA. In 2011, Neil Armstrong presented him with a lifetime achievement award.

"He is and has been a person who imagines what can be, and he has the skills to convert that image into reality," Armstrong said in 2011.