Business, Media Criticism, Space

Patti Grace Smith

13 Comments

I don’t see anything on line about it, but I’ve been informed by a mutual friend that she has died from pancreatic cancer. It’s kind of a shock, because I was at a workshop in DC with her in March, and I saw her at the National Space Symposium in April, and had no idea that she was ill. She was George Nield’s predecessor at FAA-AST, and a good friend to commercial space.

[Tuesday-morning update]

Here’s the story at Space News.

[Afternoon update]

[Thursday-morning update]

Here’s the obit at the New York Times, but I don’t think this is correct:

Appointed in 1998 to a newly created post, Ms. Smith was the first person to head the Federal Aviation Administration’s agency for commercial space transportation.

This implies that she was the first head of the office, but the post had been “newly created” five years earlier, when Gore demoted OCST and moved it under the FAA. Frank Weaver was the first head of the office.

[Bumped]

[Update a few minutes later]

Here’s Jeff Foust’s piece. I don’t understand what Jim Muncy means when he says she was the first “real Associate Administrator.” That she was more pro-active than Frank?

13 thoughts on “Patti Grace Smith”

  3. Pancreatic cancer is the worst. From the time my mom’s diagnosis was confirmed, to her death, was less than two weeks. Granted, when I had seen her a few months before I had noticed how old she was looking, so symptoms had started earlier. She hadn’t wanted to be tested until it become impossible to ignore.

    2. “She hadn’t wanted to be tested until it become impossible to ignore.”

      That’s never good to do. I have a cousin who ignored penile cancer until he started bleeding one day. Had to have the whole thing amputated. Would’ve been treatable, probably, had he gone to a doctor 6 months earlier.

      1. In her case, it would very likely have made no difference. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma in a large majority of cases has already spread and become incurable (certainly by the standards of the time, some 20 years ago) by the time the first symptoms are noticed.

        1. “already spread and become incurable […] by the time the first symptoms are noticed.”

          Oh, one of the nasty ones, eh? Still a good idea not to ignore, in case it’s not.

          1. It’s probably the worst common cancer (1 in 67 people will get it). Five year survival rate for PA is 6%, and that’s up from less than 2% back then.

    3. My condolences. A friend of my wife had a similar experience with pancreatic cancer. From diagnosis to death was about two weeks. With that type of cancer, by the time most people notice the symptoms, it’s too late.

    4. Sorry to hear about your Mom Paul. My condolences go out to both you and Patti Smith’s family. Your story reminds me of a former neighbor who went to the doctor’s thinking he had the flu only to receive a diagnosis of liver cancer and 6 mos. He was gone by the following autumn.

      I’m not an activist on the New Space scene but from what I’ve read Ms. Smith played a significant role in securing a regulatory place within FAA for recoverable space vehicles. Without her help, the regulatory climate could have been far more hostile. We owe her a debt of gratitude and thanks.

  5. I had no idea she was ill, and she will be missed. She was a powerful voice for commercial space in the early, fragile days of the industry when such voices were few. She was also a great person to know.

  6. She was a true light in our stars. The privilege of family brought her into my life and I will forever be grateful to God for her life and love. I will carry all that she brought into my life with me always.

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