Georg von Tiesenhausen, the last of the German rocket team that launched the US space program, has died at his home in Alabama, aged 104.
US Space and Rocket Centre spokeswoman Pat Ammons confirmed that Mr von Tiesenhausen died on Sunday in Hunstville.
He had worked alongside Wernher von Braun during the Second World War, and was part of the team that launched the first US satellite and the first US astronauts.
After the war, the two again came together in Huntsville, where he created and designed the famous "moon buggy" that accompanied the last three Apollo missions in 1971 and 1972.
The rocketry pioneer was presented a lifetime achievement award in 2011 by Neil Armstrong at the rocket centre in Huntsville.
