Paul Siemers III: April 26, 1939-Jan. 20, 2025

Paul M. Siemers, III, a dedicated engineer and loving family man, passed away peacefully at his residence on January 20, 2025. He was born on April 26, 1939, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Paul M. Siemers, Jr. and Hilda Douglas Siemers.

Paul received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He did graduate work at The University of Virginia and Virginia Polytechnic Institute in fluid dynamics and heat transfer. Paul joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1961. During his NASA career at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, he was involved in many engineering, research, and flight activities as a designer, researcher, principal investigator, experiment development manager, project scientist, and project manager. He designed hypersonic wind tunnels and arc jet facilities to address the Lunar mission rerun to earth reentry. He served on the Lunar Orbiter Spacecraft Operations team as the assistant to the Space Flight Operations Director.

Paul then transitioned to the Viking Program and served as the aerothermodynamics engineer/manager with responsibility for the development of the entry Aerodynamic, Aeroheating, and Vehicle Dynamics databases required in the design of what is now called the Entry, Descent, and Landing, EDL system. Given that Viking was to become the first spacecraft to successfully soft land on Mars and that there was uncertainty in
the knowledge and definition of the Martian atmosphere and planet’s surface, the design of the Viking entry and lander systems was a major challenge that Paul successfully met. The Viking database is still the go-to reference for Mars entries.

After Viking, Paul worked on defining, developing, and implementing the multi-center Orbiter Experiments program OEX. He served as a project scientist for OEX, participated in designing and developing the Shuttle Development Flight Instrumentation DFI, and served as principal  investigator and experiment development manager for the Shuttle Entry Air Data System (SEADS), which successfully flew and validated the flush orifice air data system (FADS) concept across the entry the speed range — Hypersonic to subsonic.

Paul received numerous awards, including a NASA Medal for Exceptional Engineering Achievement for SEADS and individual group achievement awards for Viking and SEADS. 

After retirement in 1998, Paul moved to the hill country. He enjoyed restoring old cars and motorcycles and riding his Harley Davidson. On his motorcycle, he rode to all forty-eight continental states. Water conservation was dear to his heart, and Paul was elected to the Headwaters Groundwater Conservation District, where he served one term.

He returned to the Langley Research Center to consult on the design, development, and implementation of the Mars Entry Air Data System,  MEADS. MEADS successfully flew on the NASA/ JPL Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft and demonstrated the feasibility of the Flush Air Data System concept.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents, Paul M. Siemers, Jr., and Hilda Siemers. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; sisters Claudia Kendall (Robert) and Janet Bell; daughter Kelly (Robert) Ducham; sons Christopher (Sue) Siemers and Andrew Siemers; grandchildren Brittany and Brenden Ducham and Anastasia and Sean Siemers.

Paul will be remembered for his pioneering spirit, his love for adventure, and his unwavering dedication to his family and community.

The family thanks the nurses and staff at Peterson Hospice for their compassionate care. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Peterson Hospice in Paul’s memory. There are no services. Paul’s life will be celebrated at the Siemers’s residence later.