Mario Acuña
Encyclopedia
Mario Acuña born in Córdoba, Argentina
, was a research scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
in the Space Plasmas and Planetary Magnetospheres Branches, and then as a Senior Astrophysicist. He was a major pioneer in the field of planetary magnetism.
Acuña became a naturalized U.S. citizen in April 1994. He earned a B.A. degree from the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba in 1958, an MSEE degree from the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán in 1967, and a Ph.D. from the Catholic University of America in 1974.
Acuña was a principal investigator on magnetometer
experiments flown on numerous missions over the years, from the Pioneer 11
Fluxgate Magnetometer Experiment in 1973 to the Mars Global Surveyor
Magnetic Field Experiment in 1994, and the MESSENGER
magnetometer. He was also the recipient of many professional awards, including election to the National Academy of Science, the Moe Schneebaum Memorial Award (the highest engineering award at Goddard), the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.
Dr. Acuña died March 5, 2009, aged 68, of multiple myeloma at his home in Bowie, Maryland
.
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
, was a research scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Goddard Space Flight Center
The Goddard Space Flight Center is a major NASA space research laboratory established on May 1, 1959 as NASA's first space flight center. GSFC employs approximately 10,000 civil servants and contractors, and is located approximately northeast of Washington, D.C. in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA. GSFC,...
in the Space Plasmas and Planetary Magnetospheres Branches, and then as a Senior Astrophysicist. He was a major pioneer in the field of planetary magnetism.
Acuña became a naturalized U.S. citizen in April 1994. He earned a B.A. degree from the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba in 1958, an MSEE degree from the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán in 1967, and a Ph.D. from the Catholic University of America in 1974.
Acuña was a principal investigator on magnetometer
Magnetometer
A magnetometer is a measuring instrument used to measure the strength or direction of a magnetic field either produced in the laboratory or existing in nature...
experiments flown on numerous missions over the years, from the Pioneer 11
Pioneer 11
Pioneer 11 is a 259-kilogram robotic space probe launched by NASA on April 6, 1973 to study the asteroid belt, the environment around Jupiter and Saturn, solar wind, cosmic rays, and eventually the far reaches of the solar system and heliosphere...
Fluxgate Magnetometer Experiment in 1973 to the 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...
Magnetic Field Experiment in 1994, and the MESSENGER
MESSENGER
The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging space probe is a robotic NASA spacecraft in orbit around the planet Mercury. The spacecraft was launched aboard a Delta II rocket in August 2004 to study the chemical composition, geology, and magnetic field of Mercury...
magnetometer. He was also the recipient of many professional awards, including election to the National Academy of Science, the Moe Schneebaum Memorial Award (the highest engineering award at Goddard), the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.
Dr. Acuña died March 5, 2009, aged 68, of multiple myeloma at his home in Bowie, Maryland
Bowie, Maryland
Bowie is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 54,727 at the 2010 census. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County, and the fifth most populous city and third largest city by area in the state of...
.
External links
- Dr. Mario Acuña Vitae
- Super Mario's Blog
- Interview on The Space Show
- Mario Acuña at Hispanics Americans in Physics: Past Present, and Future
- Mario Acuña at Lunar and Planetary Institute
- Obituary in the Washington Post