The head of NASA’s Apollo project from 1963 to 1969. He was also responsible for the Gemini and Saturn programmes. He originated the Skylab space station and has been called the ‘Father of the Space Shuttle’. After leaving NASA in 1969, Mueller was senior vice-president of the General Dynamics Corporation 1969–71 and held executive positions in other corporations before becoming chief executive officer of Kistler Aerospace Company in 1995. He was awarded the 1970 President's National Medal of Science and has three NASA Distinguished Service Medals. Mueller died of congestive heart failure at the age of 97 in October 2015.