The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is remembering a pioneering figure in America’s space education efforts following the death of its founding executive director, Edward O. “Ed” Buckbee.

In a statement, the Rocket Center said it was saddened by Buckbee’s passing, highlighting his decades of leadership and lasting impact on generations of students and space enthusiasts.

“In his 23-year tenure at the Rocket Center, he accomplished many things but perhaps none greater than opening Space Camp in 1982,” the statement read. “The future engineers, scientists, and astronauts Space Camp inspires are his enduring legacy.”

A tribute video honoring Buckbee has been shared on the Rocket Center’s social media.

Buckbee, who began his career with NASA in 1959, was selected by Wernher von Braun in 1970 to serve as the first director of the Rocket Center. He went on to build it into a globally recognized destination, assembling one of the world’s largest collections of space artifacts and launching the internationally known Space Camp and Aviation Challenge programs.

During his early career, Buckbee witnessed key moments in space history, including the launches of Alan Shepard and John Glenn, as well as Apollo-era missions to the Moon.

He retired from the Rocket Center in 1994 but remained active as an advisor and consultant, helping organize major commemorations of milestones in human spaceflight, including events honoring Skylab astronauts and Apollo moonwalkers.

The Rocket Center noted the timing of his passing alongside a milestone in modern space exploration. On Monday, Christina Koch, a five-time Space Camp alumna, became the first woman to orbit the Moon as part of the Artemis II mission.

The center said that connection underscores Buckbee’s enduring influence, with Space Camp continuing to inspire future explorers decades after its founding.