Wilson, Sir Robert

▪ 2003

      British astrophysicist (b. April 16, 1927, South Shields, Durham, Eng.—d. Sept. 2, 2002, Chelmsford, Essex, Eng.), was the guiding force behind the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite, an Earth-orbiting astronomical observatory that was the forerunner of the Hubble Space Telescope. Wilson already was well known for his research in the optical spectroscopy of stars and solar plasma spectroscopy when in 1964 he was put in charge of a British team of scientists designing what came to be called the Ultraviolet Astronomical Satellite for the European Space Research Organization. When the project was abandoned in 1967, he submitted the idea to NASA, which spearheaded a collaborative project. The IUE satellite was launched in January 1978 for a three-year mission but collected valuable data for more than 18 years. Wilson served as head of spectroscopy (1962–68) and director of astrophysics research (1968–72) at Culham Laboratory (the U.K.'s atomic-energy research centre) and was Perren Professor of Astronomy at University College, London (1972–94). In 1987 he was granted the Science Award by the International Academy of Astronautics, and the next year he became the first non-American to receive a U.S. Presidential Award for Design Excellence. Wilson was a fellow of the Royal Society from 1975 and was knighted in 1989.

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