Larry F. Collins
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Oral Histories
The interviews in this collection were selected from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Oral History Program, which contains interviews with aerospace legends, analyses of key events, aerospace chronologies, and more. The interviews included here are those that relate specifically to NOAA's mission.
For more information and to explore the larger collection, visit NASA's Oral Histories.
Larry F. Collins is a Florida native, born and raised in Gainesville, where he also attended college and majored in accounting. However, his career took a different path when he developed a passion for diving while teaching the sport during his college years. This passion led him to a unique opportunity at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, where he was hired as a lead diver for Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) Recovery Ships. Collins initially intended to stay for a few years, but his tenure extended to over three decades. His primary responsibility was to lead teams of divers, particularly during Shuttle missions, which constituted 90% of their work. When not on missions, Collins worked on disassembling the boosters and maintaining the dive gear and retrieval equipment. Over the years, Collins played a significant role in developing many of the procedures used in the recovery operations. His first Shuttle mission was STS-3, and he was also present during the Challenger accident. Collins' expertise in technical diving led to significant improvements in the divers' gear, including the introduction of double tanks and dive computers.
Scope and Content Note
This interview with Larry F. Collins, conducted by Rebecca Wright on April 10, 2012, provides an in-depth look into Collins' career as a lead diver at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The interview covers Collins' early life, his transition from accounting to diving, and his significant SRB Recovery Ship program contributions. Collins shares his experiences from his first Shuttle mission, STS-3, to the last, STS-135, and discusses the evolution of recovery procedures over the years. He also recounts the harrowing experience of the Challenger accident and the subsequent salvage operation. The interview delves into the technical aspects of diving, including the challenges faced by divers and the changes Collins implemented to improve safety and efficiency, such as the introduction of double tanks and dive computers. Collins also shares his experiences from the Ares mission, highlighting the spectacular sight of the spacecraft's crash into the water. The interview concludes with Collins expressing his hope for future opportunities to witness more spacecraft descents.
Please Note: The oral histories in this collection are protected by copyright and have been created for educational, research and personal use as described by the Fair Use Doctrine in the U.S. Copyright law. Please reach out Voices@noaa.gov to let us know how these interviews are being used in your research, project, exhibit, etc. The Voices staff can help provide other useful resources related to your inquiry.
The NOAA mission is to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. The Voices Oral History Archives offers public access to a wide range of accounts, including historical materials that are products of their particular times, and may contain offensive language or negative stereotypes.
Voices Oral History Archives does not verify the accuracy of materials submitted to us. The opinions expressed in the interviews are those of the interviewee only. The interviews here have been made available to the public only after the interviewer has confirmed that they have obtained consent.