Merton Edward Davies

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Merton Edward Davies

Merton Edward Davies (born September 13, 1917 in St. Paul , USA , † April 17, 2001 in Santa Monica , USA ) was an American astronomer . He received his education at Stanford University and worked from 1940 to 1948 for the Douglas Aircraft Company . In 1948 he moved to the Rand Corporation when it was split off from Douglas, where he stood out as a pioneer in the field of spy satellites . Among other things, he worked on the Corona project. Although most of his work in this regard is classified as secret, he was recognized by the National Reconnaissance Office on August 18, 2000 for his invention of the spin-pan ( torque-compensated ) camera used in the keyhole satellites and his participation in numerous espionage committees during the 1950s and early 1960s award.

In the late 1960s, he used his knowledge of satellites and space for planetary research and participated in the Mariner program, where he evaluated the images of Mars sent back by the Mariner probes. He was responsible for creating a geodetic reference network for mapping the surface of Mars and many other bodies in the solar system .

At the time of his death, Torrence Johnson, the project leader of the Galileo project , referred to him as the one who had observed a larger part of the solar system than any other person ("single-handedly observing more of the solar system than any other human").

Davies crater on Mars was named after him.

literature

  • Morton, Oliver (2002): "Mert Davies' Net", Mapping Mars: Science, Imagination, and the Birth of a World, pages 22-29, Picador USA, New York, ISBN 0-312-24551-3
  • Davies, Merton E. (1986). Reference coordinate systems of the moon and planets, Rand Corp., Santa Monica

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Davies, Merton Edward
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American astronomer
DATE OF BIRTH September 13, 1917
PLACE OF BIRTH St. Paul , USA
DATE OF DEATH April 17, 2001
Place of death Santa Monica , USA