By Cyntra Brown
news@salisburypost.com
Ronald Gerlock never dreamed he would create an engine for an Apollo mission. But his love of metal led to just that.
“The thing I remember the most,” Gerlock said, “is being in the Rocket Test Center with a microscope.”
A graduate of the Michigan Technological Institute, Gerlock studied metallurgy, the chemical and physical behavior of metals.
He was then hired at Bell Aerosystems, a company that provided products for the aerospace industry. There, he worked on rocket engines.
“That’s where I settled in,” Gerlock said.
At the age of 26, Gerlock’s life, and luck changed.
Bell Aerosystems was one of the four subcontractors chosen to build a part of the ship for the Apollo 11 mission.
Gerlock was given the opportunity to put his love and knowledge of metals to the test.
He put in numerous hours over three years working on the ascent module for the mission. His job was to examine the rocket engines for defects and complications after every test run was completed.
“It took a lot of concern and effort,” he said.
Gerlock had to make sure everything was “done properly.” He said he must have examined the same rocket engine at least “several dozen times.”
The module had to perform with incredible accuracy, as a serious malfunction could have stranded the astronauts on the moon.
Gerlock now works in a private office in Salisbury with Designed Alloys.
The company makes metals for the dental and welding industries. Gerlock handles the technical and corporate aspects, such as answering technological questions and dealing with complaints.
His former employer, Bell Aerosystems, was purchased in 1960 by Textron, and is now known as Bell Helicopter.
Gerlock thinks back on July 20, 1969, when he and his wife watched Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins land on the moon.
While Americans reflect over the 40 years since the first astronauts walked on the moon, Gerlock thinks about the hard work it took to get them there.
“I was very proud of the moment and what we accomplished at the time,” Gerlock said. “We beat Russia to the moon.”