Edward C. Stone American physicist, specialist in the field of astronautics Date of Birth: 23.01.1936 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Education
2. Career at Caltech
3. Voyager Program and JPL Directorship
4. Later Career
5. Honors and Recognition
6. Legacy

Early Life and Education

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Edward C. Stone received his Master's degree (1959) and Ph.D. in Physics (1964) from the University of Chicago.

Career at Caltech

Stone joined the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) as a Research Fellow in 1964. He became a full-time faculty member in 1967, serving as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor from 1971, and Full Professor from 1976. In 1994, he was named the David Morrisroe Professor.

Voyager Program and JPL Directorship

In 1972, Stone joined NASA's Voyager program, led by JPL. As a result of his contributions to the program, he gained international recognition. From 1991 to 2001, he served as Director of JPL.

Later Career

After retiring from JPL in 2001, Stone continued his full-time research and teaching at Caltech. He also served as Director of the W. M. Keck Foundation. From 1972 to 2022, he was the Project Scientist for the Voyager program, overseeing the spacecraft's exploration of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and beyond.

Honors and Recognition

In addition to receiving the National Medal of Science (1991) and the Shaw Prize (2019), Stone has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (1984) and the American Philosophical Society (1993). He is the author of over 1,000 scientific papers.

Legacy

Edward C. Stone's pioneering work in planetary exploration has revolutionized our understanding of the solar system and beyond. His leadership and contributions to the Voyager program have cemented his place in the annals of scientific history.