Edward C. Stone
Encyclopedia
Edward Carroll Stone (b. 1936) is a professor
of physics
at Caltech
, space scientist, and former director of the NASA
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL).
He was named professor of physics in 1976, and was chair of the Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy from 1983 to 1988.
He was director of the Space Radiation Laboratory at Caltech and has also served the Institute as Vice President for Astronomical Facilities.
Since then, he has been principal investigator on nine NASA
spacecraft missions and coinvestigator on five more.
As Project Scientist for the spectacular Voyager
spacecraft missions to the outer Solar System
since 1972, and a major spokesman for the Voyager Science Team, he became especially well known to the public in the 1980s.
from 1991 to 2001.
During his tenure at JPL, the Mars Pathfinder
and its Sojourner rover were viewed on TV by large audiences.
Other JPL missions in the period included
Mars Global Surveyor
, Deep Space 1
, TOPEX/Poseidon
,
NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) and the launches of Cassini, Stardust
, and 2001 Mars Odyssey
.
He is now a vice president of the Institute and the Morrisroe Professor of Physics.
.
He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences
and a recipient of the National Medal of Science
.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at Caltech
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
, space scientist, and former director of the NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
(JPL).
Caltech
Stone came to Caltech as a research fellow in 1964 after earning his MS and Ph.D. in physics from the University of Chicago.He was named professor of physics in 1976, and was chair of the Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy from 1983 to 1988.
He was director of the Space Radiation Laboratory at Caltech and has also served the Institute as Vice President for Astronomical Facilities.
Space Science
His connection to space goes back to his first cosmic-ray experiments on Discoverer satellites in 1961.Since then, he has been principal investigator on nine NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
spacecraft missions and coinvestigator on five more.
As Project Scientist for the spectacular Voyager
Voyager program
The Voyager program is a U.S program that launched two unmanned space missions, scientific probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. They were launched in 1977 to take advantage of a favorable planetary alignment of the late 1970s...
spacecraft missions to the outer Solar System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
since 1972, and a major spokesman for the Voyager Science Team, he became especially well known to the public in the 1980s.
JPL Director
He was the director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CaliforniaPasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
from 1991 to 2001.
During his tenure at JPL, the Mars Pathfinder
Mars Pathfinder
Mars Pathfinder was an American spacecraft that landed a base station with roving probe on Mars in 1997. It consisted of a lander, renamed the Carl Sagan Memorial Station, and a lightweight wheeled robotic rover named Sojourner.Launched on December 4, 1996 by NASA aboard a Delta II booster a...
and its Sojourner rover were viewed on TV by large audiences.
Other JPL missions in the period included
Mars Global Surveyor
Mars Global Surveyor
The Mars Global Surveyor was a US spacecraft developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and launched November 1996. It began the United States's return to Mars after a 10-year absence. It completed its primary mission in January 2001 and was in its third extended mission phase when, on 2...
, Deep Space 1
Deep Space 1
Deep Space 1 is a spacecraft of the NASA New Millennium Program dedicated to testing a payload of advanced, high risk technologies....
, TOPEX/Poseidon
TOPEX/Poseidon
Launched in 1992, TOPEX/Poseidon was a joint satellite mission between NASA, the U.S. space agency, and CNES, the French space agency, to map ocean surface topography. The first major oceanographic research vessel to sail into space, TOPEX/Poseidon helped revolutionize oceanography by proving the...
,
NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) and the launches of Cassini, Stardust
Stardust (spacecraft)
Stardust is a 300-kilogram robotic space probe launched by NASA on February 7, 1999 to study the asteroid 5535 Annefrank and collect samples from the coma of comet Wild 2. The primary mission was completed January 15, 2006, when the sample return capsule returned to Earth...
, and 2001 Mars Odyssey
2001 Mars Odyssey
2001 Mars Odyssey is a robotic spacecraft orbiting the planet Mars. The project was developed by NASA, and contracted out to Lockheed Martin, with an expected cost for the entire mission of US$297 million. Its mission is to use spectrometers and electronic imagers to hunt for evidence of past or...
.
He is now a vice president of the Institute and the Morrisroe Professor of Physics.
Awards
He was the recipient of the 1999 Carl Sagan Memorial AwardCarl Sagan Memorial Award
The Carl Sagan Memorial Award is an award presented jointly by the American Astronautical Society and The Planetary Society to an individual or group "who has demonstrated leadership in research or policies advancing exploration of the Cosmos." The annual award, first presented in 1997, was created...
.
He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
and a recipient of the National Medal of Science
National Medal of Science
The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and...
.