An Essex engineer’s groundbreaking work helped NASA land on the moon, earning him praise from President Nixon and recognition from Queen Elizabeth II.
Billericay: A remarkable story comes from an Essex engineer. This guy, Francis Thomas Bacon, worked for 37 years to help send humans to the moon. Can you believe that? He was part of a project that laid the groundwork for NASA’s Apollo missions.
Tom, as he liked to be called, was at Trinity College, the same place as his ancestor, Sir Francis Bacon. He was trying to create a new way to generate power back in 1932. It was a tough road for him at first. His ideas were based on research from a century earlier, and funding was hard to come by.
But he didn’t give up. He invented a fuel cell that used hydrogen and oxygen. This technology was crucial for the Apollo 11 mission. It powered the cabin using elements already on the rocket. Pretty smart, right?
President Nixon recognized Tom’s contributions. He even invited him to the White House! Nixon told him, “Without you, Tom, man wouldn’t have got to the moon.” That’s some serious praise. Plus, two years before the moon landing, Queen Elizabeth II honored him with an OBE.
