William I. McLaughlin
Encyclopedia
William I. McLaughlin is a retired American
space scientist.
After being award his PhD in mathematics at the University of California at Berkeley in 1968 (with a thesis on celestial mechanics
), he worked at Bellcomm, Inc. in Washington D.C. on the Apollo lunar-landing program. In 1971 he joined the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
, where he remained until his retirement in 1999. He participated in a number of projects, including Viking
, SEASAT
, and the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS). He served as the JPL deputy directory of astrophysics, the manager of the Voyager 2
flight engineering office during the spacecraft's encounter with Uranus
, and manager of the Mission Profiling and Sequencing Section.
In 1977 he suggested that widely observable celestial events such as nova
explosions may be used by hypothetical extraterrestrial intelligences for scheduling the transmission of signals. This would allow receivers in other stellar systems to estimate when the signals would arrive. To test this concept, during a six month period in 1988, the star Epsilon Eridani
was observed using a 40-foot radio telescope
at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory
in Green Bank, West Virginia
, with Nova Cygni 1975 being used as the timer. However, no anomalous radio signals were observed. This does not, of course, preclude the idea from being confirmed at a later date.
He received the NASA Exceptional Service Medal in 1984 for his work on the IRAS and the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal for his work on the Voyager encounter with Uranus. Asteroid 4838 Billmclaughlin
is named after him.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
space scientist.
After being award his PhD in mathematics at the University of California at Berkeley in 1968 (with a thesis on celestial mechanics
Celestial mechanics
Celestial mechanics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the motions of celestial objects. The field applies principles of physics, historically classical mechanics, to astronomical objects such as stars and planets to produce ephemeris data. Orbital mechanics is a subfield which focuses on...
), he worked at Bellcomm, Inc. in Washington D.C. on the Apollo lunar-landing program. In 1971 he joined the 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...
, where he remained until his retirement in 1999. He participated in a number of projects, including Viking
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...
, SEASAT
Seasat
SEASAT was the first Earth-orbiting satellite designed for remote sensing of the Earth's oceans and had on board the first spaceborne synthetic aperture radar . The mission was designed to demonstrate the feasibility of global satellite monitoring of oceanographic phenomena and to help determine...
, and the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS). He served as the JPL deputy directory of astrophysics, the manager of the Voyager 2
Voyager 2
The Voyager 2 spacecraft is a 722-kilogram space probe launched by NASA on August 20, 1977 to study the outer Solar System and eventually interstellar space...
flight engineering office during the spacecraft's encounter with Uranus
Uranus
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It has the third-largest planetary radius and fourth-largest planetary mass in the Solar System. It is named after the ancient Greek deity of the sky Uranus , the father of Cronus and grandfather of Zeus...
, and manager of the Mission Profiling and Sequencing Section.
In 1977 he suggested that widely observable celestial events such as nova
Nova
A nova is a cataclysmic nuclear explosion in a star caused by the accretion of hydrogen on to the surface of a white dwarf star, which ignites and starts nuclear fusion in a runaway manner...
explosions may be used by hypothetical extraterrestrial intelligences for scheduling the transmission of signals. This would allow receivers in other stellar systems to estimate when the signals would arrive. To test this concept, during a six month period in 1988, the star Epsilon Eridani
Epsilon Eridani
Epsilon Eridani is a star in the southern constellation Eridanus, along a declination 9.46° south of the celestial equator. This allows the star to be viewed from most of the Earth's surface. At a distance of 10.5 light years , it has an apparent magnitude of 3.73...
was observed using a 40-foot radio telescope
Radio telescope
A radio telescope is a form of directional radio antenna used in radio astronomy. The same types of antennas are also used in tracking and collecting data from satellites and space probes...
at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center of the United States National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc for the purpose of radio astronomy...
in Green Bank, West Virginia
Green Bank, West Virginia
Green Bank is a census-designated place in Pocahontas County in West Virginia's Potomac Highlands inside the Allegheny Mountain Range. Green Bank is located along WV 28. Green Bank is also close to the Snowshoe Mountain ski resort...
, with Nova Cygni 1975 being used as the timer. However, no anomalous radio signals were observed. This does not, of course, preclude the idea from being confirmed at a later date.
He received the NASA Exceptional Service Medal in 1984 for his work on the IRAS and the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal for his work on the Voyager encounter with Uranus. Asteroid 4838 Billmclaughlin
4838 Billmclaughlin
4838 Billmclaughlin is a main-belt asteroid discovered on July 2, 1989 by E. F. Helin at Palomar. It is named in honor of retired JPL space scientist William I. McLaughlin.- External links :*...
is named after him.