NASA Names Mission in Honor of Apollo-Era Visionary Dr. George R. Carruthers

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[Text on screen] Dr. George R. Carruthers

1939-2020

Astronomer

Engineer

Inventor

Teacher

Mentor

Pioneer

He built the Far Ultraviolet Camera/Spectrograph – the first Moon-based telescope. The camera was used by astronauts during the Apollo 16 mission.

“Young set up an ultraviolet camera to provide the first astronomical observations from the Moon.”

It remains on the Moon to this day.

The camera captured the first image of Earth in ultraviolet light, revealing the geocorona – the luminous part of the atmosphere's outermost layer.

50 years later, NASA has developed a mission that will build upon and continue Dr. Carruthers’ study of the geocorona.

In his honor, NASA is naming the mission for him.

The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory.

Dr. George R. Carruthers’ contributions to physics, astronomy, and education transcend time, and his namesake mission will usher in the next generation of space exploration.