Ghanaian Wins Aeronautical Award in the US

A 35 year old Ghanaian, Ave Kludze, has excelled as the first Ghanaian ever to have commanded and controlled a spacecraft in orbit under the auspices of the US National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA). For this, and other accomplishments, the prestigious space technology establishment conferred on him the coveted NASA Award for Outstanding Performance.

Ave Kludze had earlier been decorated with NASA's Superior Accomplishment Award for outstanding performance in March 2001, and with the symbolic US Sapphire Award also for outstanding performance in the same year.

Prior to moving to study and work at NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia, Ave worked at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland as a Senior Spacecraft Analyst where he became the first Ghanaian to ever command and control a Spacecraft in Orbit, having already controlled and commanded several other spacecraft including the TRMM, ERBS, ACE, SAMPEX, and GRO. XTE, makes, to name a few.

He became so good at what he did that he was put in charge of the certification of new engineers recruited by NASA to be trained to command and control spacecraft.

Currently at the NASA Langley Research Center, he is involved in the design and development of future aircraft and complex space missions including those to Mars and other planets. Ave has been very instrumental in the development and implementation of future and ongoing lowearth orbiting, deep space and other inter-planetary missions including SAGE, CALIPSO, Hyper-X, GIFTS etc.

Mr. Kludze was a member of a joint US/Russian Mission that launched last year's review board .He has written quite a number of computer-programs that are being used to control spacecraft from the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center.

He designed the Human Locator System, which he called the "HuLos" as part of his Masters thesis at the Johns Hopkins University. The HuLos uses nanotechnology (microscopic technology) and is intended to locate human beings anywhere on this planet using satellite communication, the GPS and other technologies. What makes the system unique is the miniaturized size and the concept of global location. The device is to be implanted under the human skull, skin bone or teeth and activated when required.

The system could be used in locating missing children, the elderly, stolen cars and hardened criminals, to name a few. The thesis which contains the design is currently at the Applied Physics Laboratory of the Johns Hopkins University in Maryland and.Mr. Kludze is in the process of securing a patent for his design.

Ave grew up in Dansoman-Sahara, Accra where he made a name for himself as a young genius, who was fascinated with science at an early age and had a reputation for questioning almost everything. It was this quest for knowledge that sent him to the highest scientific organization in the world, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States.

He was born at Hohoe, in the Volta Region to Professor A.K.P Kludze, a distinguished professor of Law, currently practising in the US and Madam Comfort Brempong in 1966, and was educated at the prestigious Adisadel College, Cape Coast.

He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rutgers University in New Jersey. His Master of Science in Engineering was received from the renowned Johns Hopkins University in the U.S.

And for these distinguished achievements, Mr. Kludze was recently recognised and honoured at the Second Biennial Adisadel College Excellence Awards at a colourful ceremony at the State House in Accra, by the Adisadel College Old Boy's Association and the College.