Robert Winglee, 1958-2020: UW’s ‘Rocket Man’ launched thousands of space and science careers January 24, 2021 at 3:02 pm Robert Winglee on July 17, 2019, at the opening of the “ANGLes Challenge,” marking the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. (Mark Stone/University of Washington Photo) The global aerospace community and students across the Northwest have lost a researcher, mentor and “Rocket Man” who inspired and guided thousands of young people toward careers in the stars. That’s what colleagues and friends of the late University of Washington Professor Robert Winglee said during a virtual memorial service held last weekend. “The community has lost not only a strong researcher but also an architect of experiences,” said Jonathan Wrobel, a research engineer at Lockheed Martin who worked as a graduate student under Winglee. “Robert instilled a positive trajectory on so many careers and lives, and made the world a better place by it.”