1966: Graduated from Uniontown Joint Senior High School, Uniontown, Pennsylvania
1970: Received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Penn State University
1973: Received a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Penn State University
1977: Received a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University.
Born November 5, 1948 and raised near Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Married to Barbara Ann (Cosentino) Cenker. Associate Fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Registered Professional Engineer in the state of New Jersey
Tau Beta Pi
Sigma Gamma Tau
Cenker currently consults with various firms in the areas of spacecraft design, assembly, and flight operations, and micro-gravity research.
This has included launch vehicle evaluation and systems engineering support for Motorola on Iridium.
Avionics architecture, generation of performance specification, and generation of performance map for small expendable launch vehicle. And constellation configuration and launch vehicle performance definition for proprietary smallsat communications system.
Last two years with Radio Corporation of America were spent as Manager of Payload Accommodations on EOS Platform. Prior assignments at Radio Corporation of America included Integration and Test Manager for the Satcom Doctorate & East spacecraft, responsible for implementation of all launch site activities, and Spacecraft Business Manager on the Spacenet/Gstar programs, responsible for satisfaction of multiple launch vehicle interfaces (Delta, STS and Ariane) by the spacecraft bus design.
Other efforts include systems engineering and operations support for International Telecommunications Satellite Organization on Intelsat K and Intelsat VIII.
American Telephone & Telegraph Company on Telstar 401 and 402. Fairchild Matra on SPAS III. And Martin Marietta on Astra 1B, BS3N, Acts of the Apostles, and Series 7000 communications satellites.
Systems engineering and architecture for various spacecraft studies, ranging from individual Smallsats, military communications constellations, and large, assembled-in-orbit platforms. In 18 years with General Electric (formerly Radio Corporation of America) he worked in a variety of functions, including satellite attitude control and in-orbit operations.
Spacecraft assembly, test, and pre-launch operations.
And satellite hardware and system design. Approximately two years of this experience were with a Navy navigation satellite program, with the remaining time spent on various commercial communications satellite efforts. Selected by Radio Corporation of America as a Payload Specialist.
And approved by National Aeronautics and Space Administration to fly on the Space Shuttle Columbia on Space Shuttle mission STS-61-C. During the six-day mission, (January 12–18, 1986) he performed a variety of physiological tests, observed the deployment of the Radio Corporation of America Satcom Ku-1 satellite, and operated primary experiment, an infrared imaging camera.
In completing this flight, Cenker traveled over 2.1 million miles in 96 Earth orbits and logged over 146 hours in space.
Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Life Member of the Penn State Alumni Association
Life Member of the Association of Space Explorers
Former member of the technical staff at the Radio Corporation of America/General Electric Astro Space Division.
