NASA support missions, occasional research flights and continued his Marine Reserve flying duties until 1971. During his flying career, Peterson logged more than 6,000 flight hours in nearly 70 types of aircraft. Peterson continued at Dryden as research project engineer on the F-8 Digital Fly-By-Wire program of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later assumed responsibility for safety and quality assurance for Dryden until his retirement in 1981. Post-NASA career He then joined the Northrop Corporation, where he assumed responsibility for safety and quality assurance for testing of the B-2 Advanced Technology Bomber. From 1982 until 1994 Peterson worked in Northrop's B-2 division (Advanced Systems Division) in Pico Rivera, California, at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, and at Edwards Air Force Base, becoming manager of system safety and human factors. Later life and death Peterson resided in Orange County, California and Ocean Springs, California until his death on May 1, 2006 at age 72, after a long illness. Organizations and special honors Peterson was a fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and 2002 recipient of the Tony LeVier Flight Test Safety Award. He was honored by NASA with an Exceptional Leadership Award for his work on preparations for the first Space Shuttle landing at NASA Dryden in April 1981. In 2003 he was inducted into the Lancaster, California Aerospace Walk of Honor. References External links Peterson bio at Astronautix.com Peterson bio at NASA Boston Globe article 1933 births 2006 deaths 20th-century American engineers American aviators American aerospace engineers American test pilots Aviators from North Dakota California Polytechnic State University alumni Engineers from North Dakota Military personnel from North Dakota NASA people People from McLean County, North Dakota United States Naval Aviators United States Marine Corps officers University of California, Los Angeles alumni U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School alumni