Jesco von Puttkamer

Jesco Freiherr von Puttkamer was a German-born American aerospace engineer and senior NASA manager, who served as special science advisor on the first Star Trek film,. Among others, Puttkamer came up with the theory behind the faster-than-light warp speed drive, and the slogan "The Human Adventure is Just Beginning". He also explained the scientific principles behind certain phenomena, such as the wormhole, to production staffers in order for them to be more accurate in displaying them in the movie. The memo he wrote to Gene Roddenberry, concerning the wormhole, is reproduced in Starlog, issue 33, April 1980, page 25.

Von Puttkamers scientific input was not lost on the Star Trek fan community, and he has been invited to several period conventions, which he attended. (Starlog, issue 3, January 1977, p. 27) Nor did his acquaintance with the frachise stop there, as Puttkamer also wrote the short story "The Sleeping God" for the anthology The New Voyages 2, edited by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath.

Puttkamer was later the management leader of the International Space Station at the NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C.

He died of a sudden illness on 27 December 2012 at his home.