Loren Acton
Encyclopedia
Loren Wilber Acton is an American
physicist who flew on Space Shuttle mission STS-51-F
as a Payload Specialist
for the Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory.
Acton was born in Lewistown, Montana
. He went on to receive a bachelor of science degree in Engineering Physics from Montana State University
in 1959, and a Doctor of Philosophy
in Solar Physics
from the University of Colorado at Boulder
in 1965.
Acton was the senior staff scientist with the Space Sciences Laboratory, Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory, California
. As a research scientist, his principle duties included conducting scientific studies of the Sun and other celestial objects using advanced space instruments and serving as a co-investigator on one of the Spacelab
2 solar experiments, the Solar Optical Universal Polarimeter. He was selected as one of four payload specialists for Spacelab 2 on August 9, 1978, and after seven years of training he flew on STS-51-F
/ Spacelab-2. At mission conclusion, Acton had traveled over 2.8 million miles in 126 Earth orbits, logging over 190 hours in space.
He is married and has two children. In 2006 he ran in elections to be the state representative of Montana's District 69, as a Democratic candidate. In the event he lost to the Republican incumbent, Jack M. Wells of Belgrade.http://www.acton4montana.com/home.htm
Acton is currently a Research Professor of Physics in the Solar Physics Group at Montana State University
, where he oversees the solar physics group, which carries on an active research program under NASA support. The group is actively involved in day-to-day operation and scientific utilization of the Japan/US/UK Yohkoh mission
for studies of high-energy solar physics. This satellite carries a solar X-ray telescope, prepared under the leadership of Acton, for the study of high-energy processes, such as solar flares, on the sun. The primary emission of the extremely hot outer atmosphere of the sun, the solar corona, is at X-ray wavelengths and the extended duration, high resolution X-ray imagery from Yohkoh are being analyzed in an effort to learn why the sun has a corona at all and why it varies in intensity so strongly in response to the 11-year sunspot cycle.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physicist who flew on Space Shuttle mission STS-51-F
STS-51-F
STS-51-F was the nineteenth flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the eighth flight of Space Shuttle Challenger...
as a Payload Specialist
Payload Specialist
A Payload Specialist ' was an individual selected and trained by commercial or research organizations for flights of a specific payload on a NASA Space Shuttle mission...
for the Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory.
Acton was born in Lewistown, Montana
Lewistown, Montana
Lewistown is a city in and the county seat of Fergus County, Montana, United States. The population was 5,813 at the 2000 census. Lewistown is located in central Montana, the geographic center of the state, southeast of Great Falls...
. He went on to receive a bachelor of science degree in Engineering Physics from Montana State University
Montana State University - Bozeman
Montana State University – Bozeman is a public university located in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's land-grant university and primary campus in the Montana State University System, which is part of the Montana University System...
in 1959, and a Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in Solar Physics
Solar physics
For the physics journal, see Solar Physics Solar physics is the study of our Sun. It is a branch of astrophysics that specializes in exploiting and explaining the detailed measurements that are possible only for our closest star...
from the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
in 1965.
Acton was the senior staff scientist with the Space Sciences Laboratory, Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. As a research scientist, his principle duties included conducting scientific studies of the Sun and other celestial objects using advanced space instruments and serving as a co-investigator on one of the Spacelab
Spacelab
Spacelab was a reusable laboratory used on certain spaceflights flown by the Space Shuttle. The laboratory consisted of multiple components, including a pressurized module, an unpressurized carrier and other related hardware housed in the Shuttle's cargo bay...
2 solar experiments, the Solar Optical Universal Polarimeter. He was selected as one of four payload specialists for Spacelab 2 on August 9, 1978, and after seven years of training he flew on STS-51-F
STS-51-F
STS-51-F was the nineteenth flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the eighth flight of Space Shuttle Challenger...
/ Spacelab-2. At mission conclusion, Acton had traveled over 2.8 million miles in 126 Earth orbits, logging over 190 hours in space.
He is married and has two children. In 2006 he ran in elections to be the state representative of Montana's District 69, as a Democratic candidate. In the event he lost to the Republican incumbent, Jack M. Wells of Belgrade.http://www.acton4montana.com/home.htm
Acton is currently a Research Professor of Physics in the Solar Physics Group at Montana State University
Montana State University - Bozeman
Montana State University – Bozeman is a public university located in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's land-grant university and primary campus in the Montana State University System, which is part of the Montana University System...
, where he oversees the solar physics group, which carries on an active research program under NASA support. The group is actively involved in day-to-day operation and scientific utilization of the Japan/US/UK Yohkoh mission
Yohkoh
Yohkoh , known before launch as Solar-A, was a Solar observatory spacecraft of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science with United States and United Kingdom collaboration...
for studies of high-energy solar physics. This satellite carries a solar X-ray telescope, prepared under the leadership of Acton, for the study of high-energy processes, such as solar flares, on the sun. The primary emission of the extremely hot outer atmosphere of the sun, the solar corona, is at X-ray wavelengths and the extended duration, high resolution X-ray imagery from Yohkoh are being analyzed in an effort to learn why the sun has a corona at all and why it varies in intensity so strongly in response to the 11-year sunspot cycle.