Jack Parsons: podcast appearances and interviews

John Whiteside Parsons was an American rocket engineer, chemist, and occultist known for his significant contributions to rocket technology and his involvement in occult practices. He was one of the principal founders of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Aerojet. Parsons invented the first rocket engine to use a castable, composite rocket propellant and was a pioneer in the development of both liquid-fuel and solid-fuel rockets. Raised in Pasadena, California, he began amateur rocket experiments with a school friend in 1928. Parsons attended Stanford University but left before graduating due to financial difficulties during the Great Depression. In 1934, he co-founded the Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory Rocket Research Group at Caltech, which eventually evolved into the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1943. Parsons collaborated on projects such as Jet-Assisted Take Off for the U.S. military and helped establish Aerojet in 1942 to develop JATO technology during World War II. Besides his technical work, Parsons was involved with the religious movement Thelema, founded by Aleister Crowley, which he embraced after converting in 1939. He and his first wife joined the Ordo Templi Orientis, and Parsons became the California O.T.O. branch leader. His involvement with occult practices led to his dismissal from JPL and Aerojet in 1944. Parsons's personal life was marked by marriages, financial disputes with L. Ron Hubbard, and his death at age 37 in a laboratory explosion. Although officially ruled an accident, speculation persists regarding the circumstances of his death. Today, Parsons is recognized for his innovative contributions to rocket engineering and space exploration history.