Gerald Driggers

Gerald W. Driggers retired after a highly successful career as an Aerospace Engineer and is now writing science fiction for fun and profit. He was prominent in studies of space colonization and space industrialization with Dr. Gerard K. O’Neill in the 1970s and later enjoyed success in such diverse engineering areas as air pollution control, missile defense and maritime security. Gerald was born the son of sharecroppers in rural Geneva County, Alabama. He went on to earn Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Auburn University. He also served as an officer in the United States Air Force working on satellite launch vehicles and in the Alabama Air National Guard as a battlefield Civil Engineer. He has published over 35 technical papers and general interest articles and contributed to three books on technical subjects. One of his greatest privileges was to receive a prestigious national award presented by Sir Arthur C. Clarke, the famed author. Gerald embraced the dreams of Dr. Werner von Braun and his team at an early age and he was privileged to meet and work with many of them. He sought to contribute to the realization of their dreams until it became obvious that the space leadership and general populous of the United States did not share those dreams. Gerald’s series of books “The Earth-Mars Chronicles” brings that dream back to life with new vigor. In the spirit of “put your money where your mouth is,” Gerald and his wife became the first U.S. Sponsors of the Mars One Project whose objective is to place a team on Mars in 2025. A portion of the proceeds from sales of “The Earth-Mars Chronicles” goes to the Mars One Project. For 17 years Gerald lived on a series of boats because, as he states; “It was the closest thing I could get to a space ship.” He currently resides in Florida with his wife, Wilson the cat, and Holly the lovable K-9.