Alderson, Daniel J. 1941-1989.

Daniel John Alderson was born October 31, 1941. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Astronomy from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1963, and attended but did not complete graduate studies in Astronomy at Caltech in 1963-64. Alderson was hired by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in June 1960 as a part-time engineer in Section 292, System Design and Integration. He became a full-time JPL employee in 1962 and was promoted to a Programmer in Section 315, Program Engineering in November 1966. During the early 1970s, Alderson worked in JPL Section 914, Science and Engineering Computing. In 1976 he moved to Section 372, General Purpose Computing Services. In 1978 Alderson moved to Section 314, Navigation Systems, where he stayed for the rest of his employment.

Alderson specialized in mathematics and computer programming. Among the projects he worked on as a Cognizant Programmer, either alone or in collaboration, were the Asymptotic Series for Trajectories of Spacecraft with Low Thrust (ASTRAL), beginning in 1967; Pioneer Maneuver Operations Program System (PMOPS), beginning in 1971; Trajectory Monitor (TRAM), beginning in 1972; Fast Phi-Factor Generator Program (FPGP), beginning in 1975.

Alderson was a member of the Mariner Jupiter/Saturn Command Software Team, beginning in 1974, and a member of the JPL Committee on Modern Programming (COMP) and its Language Working Group, beginning in 1975.

Alderson took disability leave from Section 314 beginning in late 1987. He died May 17, 1989, while on disability leave.

From the description of Daniel J. Alderson Collection, 1962-1986. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory Library and Archives). WorldCat record id: 733100093