By Anna Heiney
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida
A familiar voice will be absent from the NASA Television airwaves as veteran launch commentator George Diller launches into retirement.
Diller is stepping away from the microphone after nearly four decades at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. His unique blend of expertise, accessibility and humor has made him a favorite among journalists and colleagues alike during his 37-year tenure at the spaceport. He’s been seated at the commentator console for countless countdowns and launches as a NASA Public Affairs specialist.
“It was always neat to hear his voice, knowing his shuttle heritage and hearing that for virtually half my life. To know that this is that guy, next to you, interviewing you for a particular launch, was really cool,” said Omar Baez, a NASA launch manager in the agency’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy.
As the Public Affairs team’s lead for the expendable launch vehicle fleet, Diller has covered the vast majority of the agency’s planetary, astrophysics and Earth-resources missions, including probes launched to asteroids and comets, the moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury and Pluto. He worked closely with the LSP team, which manages the processing and launch of these unpiloted scientific and planetary spacecraft.
Commentary duty rotated through the specialists in the office. As the roster changed over the years, Diller remained, becoming the agency’s longest-serving commentator and helping to train others. He was frequently heard during space shuttle countdowns and was the lead for the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990, as well as all five shuttle flights to repair and maintain the orbiting observatory.
It was his voice viewers heard when they tuned in for liftoff of STS-114, the shuttle’s return to flight in 2005, and when the storied program completed its final mission, STS-135, in 2011.
“All three engines up and burning,” Diller called as shuttle Atlantis’ trio of main engines ignited. “Two, one, zero and liftoff — the final liftoff of Atlantis. On the shoulders of the space shuttle, America will continue the dream.”
Diller got his start in radio at a young age. Calm under pressure, his voice never wavered, regardless of whether the countdown or launch went according to plan. His smooth, matter-of-fact delivery made him famous within the industry and among space enthusiasts who knew him by voice.
Amanda Mitskevich, director of LSP, recalls attending her first NASA Social, with a select group of the agency’s social media followers in the audience.
“We walked in and George walked up to the front,” Mitskevich said. “He said one word, and the entire audience of all these tweeters jumped up and started taking pictures. ‘That’s George Diller!’ He was a total rock star.”
He made a point of working as closely as possible with each spacecraft’s payload team in order to thoroughly understand the hardware, instruments and objectives of the mission — all so he could share this information in a clear and interesting way to the news media and, ultimately, to the TV audience on launch day. His willingness to share information, not just among members of the news media but also with members of his own team, who came to rely on his status updates and in-depth knowledge of spacecraft and rockets making their way to the launch pad.
Spacecraft and launches are not Diller’s only areas of expertise. As the liaison to the Kennedy weather office, he kept his colleagues and the public informed about potential weather impacts to launches or center assets, even staying at Kennedy through hurricanes as a member of the center’s Rideout Team. He also was Kennedy Public Affairs’ resident expert on the NASA Railroad, which was used during the Apollo and Shuttle Programs.
“It really was very clear, very fast, that George was one of those guys who really knew what he was doing,” CBS News space correspondent Bill Harwood said. “He made a real effort to understand these missions. George put an enormous amount of time into this, and that was the key to his success.”
Diller’s professional calm on television masks a friendly, funny personality off the air. His unexpected one-liners are renowned, and he is well-regarded as an invaluable, yet approachable resource for newcomers to the NASA News Center.
“When you’re new to the press site, it’s overwhelming,” veteran space journalist Jim Banke explained. “There’s so much to learn, so many people to meet — figuring out who to call, who to ask. He knew his stuff. He still knows his stuff.”
As Diller embarks on a new chapter, he leaves a well-built legacy of professionalism and enthusiasm. His love of space exploration and his appreciation of the technology and human talent required to achieve it helped explain to audiences worldwide that the effort to expand the human presence in space is always worthwhile.
“He wanted to tell that story, and he made it easier for us to tell that story,” Banke said.
During NASA Television’s post-launch interview after the successful liftoff of Orbital ATK CRS-7 on April 18, Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana turned the tables and interviewed Diller, surprising the veteran commentator as his final turn at the microphone drew to a close.
“George didn’t know I was going to recognize him today, but I could not let this opportunity pass,” Cabana said. “You’ve just done an outstanding job, and we’re really, really going to miss hearing your golden voice on console during launch.”
Diller, a Florida native, has plans to relocate to the northeast now that his life is not governed by the ups and downs of a launch schedule. But after so many years on the job, it’s a part of him, he told Cabana.
“I’m sure when I’m retired and up in the mountains somewhere, and there’s a launch going, it’ll be hard not to tune it in, on satellite radio or something, to see it,” Diller replied.
“You can take the boy out of the launch, but you can’t take the launch out of the boy.”