Harold Masursky
Harold Masursky (born December 23, 1922 in Fort Wayne , Indiana , † August 24, 1990 ) was an American geologist and astronomer .
Masursky studied at Yale University and then worked for the US Geological Survey for eleven years . He then moved to NASA and dealt with the surface of the Earth's moon and the planets , where he was responsible for the selection of suitable landing sites for landing capsules and unmanned space probes . During the Apollo program , he was a member of the working group that accompanied the moon landings and then evaluated the data obtained. In 1971, he headed the working group for observing the planet Mars using the Mariner 9 space probe . Four years later, he selected the landing sites for the two Viking probes. Later he took part in the exploration of the surface of Venus using radar probes.
In his memory an impact crater on Mars and the asteroid (2685) Masursky were named.
Web links
- Publications by H. Masursky in the Astrophysics Data System
- Biography (English) ( Memento of 6 October 2008 at the Internet Archive )
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Masursky, Harold |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American geologist and astronomer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 23, 1922 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Fort Wayne , Indiana |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 24, 1990 |