Former president of Lockheed Missiles & Space
Sam Araki of Saratonga, Calif., died Aug. 22. He was 92.
Born Minoru Araki to Misano and Sakai Araki, his family and he were incarcerated at the Poston WRA Center in Arizona in WWII.
Sam Araki had served as the executive vp of Lockheed Corp. Missiles & Space Systems Group from 1988-95 and as president of Lockheed-Martin Missiles and Space from 1995 until his retirement in 1997. He spent 38 years at the company.
Trained as a mechanical engineer at Stanford University, where he also earned a master’s degree, Araki was responsible for the development of the Corona satellite system, which was used for surveillance and reconnaissance during the Cold War. He served as the system engineer for the Agena spacecraft’s upper stage for the Corona launch vehicle. Corona is considered “the single most important source of intelligence on Soviet strategic forces.”
Araki was a fellow of the American Astronautical Society, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a recipient of the Von Braun Award for Excellence in Space Program Management and a National Academy of Engineering Draper Prize winner. He was an Asian American Engineer of the Year. The National Reconnaissance Office named him a Pioneer of National Reconnaissance.
Post-Lockheed, Araki started ST-Infonox Inc. and helped found Ecopia Farms.
— P.C. Staff Report
