Category Archives: Presenting

In Memory of George Dosa (1922-2019)

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by Osvaldo Tarditti, President of the Reaction Research Society (RRS) and Dave Nordling, Secretary of the RRS

It is with great sorrow that we announce the death of our beloved friend, George Dosa. He passed away at his home on Sunday, August 25, 2019 at 6:15am. He was 96 years old.

George was a long-time member of the RRS and a friend to everyone he met. His personality and knowledge will be missed greatly. But even though he is no longer with us, he is still a source of inspiration to continue the effort to carry the Society forward.

George Dosa was born on November 12, 1922, in Cleveland, Ohio. He moved to Los Angeles, California, when he was 15. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1942 and became an Aviation Metalsmith, 3rd Class. He was shipped out to Guam and later to mainland China in Shanghai where he had his own metal shop until the US Navy left China before the Communist Revolution in 1949.

George Dosa serving in the U.S. Navy in World War 2

Returning to the US, he enrolled in the Northrop Aero Nautical Institute then later worked for Aerojet, Gilfillan, Harvey Aluminum, and then NCR. He took night classes at the University of Southern California in engineering and ultimately worked at TRW until his retirement in 1987.

George joined the RRS sometime in the 1950’s at the encouragement of B.J. Humphreys, another giant in amateur rocketry. George’s association with the RRS would be one of his great joys throughout his life.

George Dosa makes a presentation on rocketry at TRW in the 1960’s

George Dosa was the first licensed pyrotechnic operator in rocketry in the state of California. He made large contributions to the rules and regulations governing amateur rocketry with the Office of the Fire Marshal in the state of California (CALFIRE). Although the RRS was founded in Glendale in the shadow of what would become the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the RRS still holds its monthly meetings in Gardena, because of George. It was George that came to the Gardena Community Center (now called the Ken Nakaoka Community Center) and found our meeting place which has served us for decades and to this very day.

George never held office in the RRS executive council, instead chose to mentor, teach and research issues for the society. The office of the Director of Research in the RRS was created specifically for George Dosa. This was a role he held for many years.

He loved being out at the RRS’s testing site, the Mojave Test Area (MTA), and the metal quonset hut still in use today bears his name. George was passionate about taking data in every experiment and documented a lot of his work. A lot of George’s work survives in the RRS archives which have many documents still in need of digital conversion.

George Dosa and Marianne Butterfield at the RRS MTA
Richard Butterfield and George Dosa at the RRS MTA in 1987
George Dosa (far right) in his characteristic hat at the 50th anniversary symposium of the RRS in 1993.
George Dosa at the 2017 RRS symposium.

George’s love for the society was shown in the many people he mentored and influenced. The RRS is stronger thanks to his decades of patient dedication to amateur rocketry.

George Dosa in a recent undated photo.

The RRS, along with George’s extended family, said goodbye to George on Friday, September 6, 2019 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. He was given US Navy honors and will be remembered forever by a grateful nation for his service. Many members of the RRS were present to pay their respects and many more were there in spirit and have sent their condolences to the family.

George Dosa being laid to rest with US Navy present
from left to right: Jim Gross, Larry Hoffing, Chris Lujan, Osvaldo Tarditti, Frank Miuccio, George Garboden, David Crisalli, Dave Nordling, John Mariano, John Krell, Chip Bassett

EDITOR’S NOTE: Further expansion of this article will be done as others in the society wish to share their stories of George and his considerable influence on many people in amateur rocketry. The RRS is also grateful to the Dosa family for their help with this article.

Speaker List for the 2019 RRS Symposium

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The RRS is glad to announce our list of presenters at the 2019 Reaction Research Society Space and Rocketry Symposium on Saturday, April 27, 2019. This all-day public event will be starting at 8:45am, at the Ken Nakaoka Community Center in Gardena, California and run to 5pm. The community center is right next door to the Gardena Police Department.

Welcome to all space and rocketry enthusiasts!

Sessions will be 25 minutes each with a brief 5-minute question and answer period. We’re glad to have representatives from industry, federal and state government agencies and academia all present for this event. We’re also glad to the many exhibitors including Rocketry Organization of California, Spaceport LA, Aerospace Corporation and Additive Rocket Corporation joining us in the ballroom.

The morning schedule for the 2019 RRS symposium

Breaking the list into two parts, the symposium continues into the afternoon. We have decided not to hold the panel session at the end as we were able to fill our roster quite easily. We’re very thankful to the many presenters able to come share their thoughts and ideas with our public audience.

The afternoon schedule for the 2019 RRS sympsoium

The symposium as of this posting has 380 (free) tickets sold on Eventbrite. We expect to have the same great crowd as last year and hopefully more can share the event with us. This will be our last symposium for at least two years, so please come join us if you can. If not, you can always find us at the next RRS monthly meeting (May 10, 2019).

The Reaction Research Society is proud to hold the 2019 Space and Rocketry Symposium at the Ken Nakaoka Community Center in Gardena, CA, April 27, 2019, starting at 8:45am.

Ken Nakaoka Community Center
1670 West 162nd Street
Gardena, California, 90247
(310) 217-9537

Gardena is in the south bay of Los Angeles
Easy access from the I-405 on Western Avenue or using the CA Hwy. 91

Come see what we have in store for 2019!

RRS at the Two-Bit Circus in Hawthorne

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The Reaction Research Society (RRS.ORG) was proud to participate at the Two-Bit Circus event held in Hawthorne, California on Saturday, May 19, 2018. The Two-Bit Circus Foundation is a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) Carinval designed to inspire young people into STEAM careers to learn practical skills and build the things of imagination.

Two Bit Circus – Hawthorne 19-MAY-2018

The RRS was proud to be at the Two-Bit Circus STEAM Carnival in Hawthorne (5/19/2018)

Osvaldo, Frank, Max and Russell were at our booth at the event introducing people to the RRS and our passion for amateur rocketry. We had one of our standard alpha and standard beta rockets on display.

The RRS also brought an upgraded air rocket launcher which was used to propel small paper rockets to great heights. It was wildly successful with over the 100 kids that stopped by the RRS exhibit.

Frank’s T-shaped air launcher

The RRS was proud to hoist our banner at the event. We are thankful to the Two-Bit Circus Foundation for their consideration and inclusion in their spectacular event. We hope to present again at the next event with Two-Bit Circus.

Two-Bit Circus STEAM Carnival was a success! RRS glad to be there.

If anyone is interested in learning more about the RRS or having one of our rocket build events at their school or at a private event, please contact Larry, our events coordinator.

events@rrs.org

The RRS also works with several universities providing both technical assistance and a private site for testing in the Mojave Desert. For interest in using the RRS testing site, contact the RRS president, Osvaldo Tarditti.

president@rrs.org

Or you can just stop into one of our monthly meetings at the Ken Nakaoka Community Center in Gardena on the 2nd Friday of each month at 7:30pm. Next meeting will be June 8, 2018.