▁and ▁his ▁ten ure ▁was ▁marked ▁with ▁many ▁re assign ments ▁or ▁fir ings . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁Pet r one ▁left ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Center ▁to ▁accept ▁an ▁appointment ▁at ▁NASA ▁Head quarters , ▁assuming ▁the ▁post ▁of ▁NASA ▁Associ ate ▁Administr ator , ▁the ▁third - high est ▁ranking ▁official ▁within ▁the ▁ag ency . ▁ ▁After ▁NASA ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁Pet r one ▁retired ▁from ▁NASA ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁president ▁and ▁chief ▁executive ▁officer ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Center ▁for ▁Resource ▁Rec overy , ▁a ▁joint ▁industry / l abor ▁effort ▁to ▁develop ▁and ▁encou rage ▁ways ▁to ▁recover ▁materials ▁and ▁energy ▁from ▁solid ▁waste . ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁Pet r one ▁held ▁senior ▁posts ▁at ▁Rock well ▁International , ▁manufact urer ▁of ▁the ▁Space ▁Sh utt le ▁Or b iter . ▁ ▁He ▁eventually ▁rose ▁to ▁become ▁head ▁of ▁Rock well ' s ▁space ▁transport ation ▁division . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁morning ▁that ▁the ▁Space ▁Sh utt le ▁Ch allen ger ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁launch ▁on ▁ST S - 5 1 - L , ▁Pet r one ▁and ▁several ▁of ▁his ▁colle agues ▁were ▁al ar med ▁at ▁the ▁massive ▁amount ▁of ▁ice ▁that ▁had ▁built ▁up ▁over night ▁on ▁the ▁Or b iter ▁due ▁to ▁un season ably ▁cold ▁temper atures . ▁ ▁Pet r one ▁fe ared ▁that ▁the ▁ice ▁could ▁seriously ▁damage ▁the ▁sh utt le ' s ▁thermal ▁protection ▁system ▁when