Mike Cruise | |
|---|---|
 Cruise in 2019 | |
| Born | (1947-05-12)12 May 1947 |
| Died | 7 February 2026(2026-02-07) (aged 78) |
| Alma mater | University College London (BSc, PhD)[3] |
| Awards |
|
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | X-ray astronomy,spacecraft instrumentation,gravitational-wave detectors |
| Institutions | University of Birmingham;Rutherford Appleton Laboratory;Mullard Space Science Laboratory |
Adrian Michael CruiseOBE (12 May 1947 – 7 February 2026) was a British astronomer andastrophysicist. Initially anX-ray astronomer, he also worked oninstrumentation for space missions at other wavelengths. In his later career, he worked on the design and operation ofgravitational wave detectors.[3][4]
Cruise held positions at theMullard Space Science Laboratory,Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, andUniversity of Birmingham. He wasPresident of the Royal Astronomical Society from 2018 to 2020.[3][4] In 2024, he received an OBE for services to space science.[1]
Cruise was born on 12 May 1947.[5] He obtained his BSc fromUniversity College London (UCL).[3] His PhD was at UCL'sMullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL), where he worked on instrumentation for X-ray astronomy under the supervision of Peter Willmore.[3][6] His PhDthesis analysed X-ray observations collected during threeSkylark launches (asounding rocket); the doctorate was awarded in 1973.[6]
Cruise remained at MSSL as a staff researcher; from 1985–1986 he briefly served as its Deputy Director.[4][3] He then moved to theRutherford Appleton Laboratory, initially as the head of its Astrophysics Group and later as its Associate Director for Space.[3]
In 1995 he was appointed professor at theUniversity of Birmingham, where he later spent five years as Head of School and then five years asPro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Transfer.[4][3] He formally retired from Birmingham in 2012 but remained an honorary professor (emeritus status).[4]
Cruise was heavily involved in theRoyal Astronomical Society (RAS), serving as a council member, secretary, treasurer, vice president and wasPresident of the RAS from 2018–2020.[3][4] From 2003–2008 he was on the board of directors for theThinktank, Birmingham science museum.[7]
Cruise developedspacecraft instrumentation, initially forX-ray astronomy, contributing toX-ray space telescopes includingAriel V,Ariel VI,ROSAT,XMM-Newton andSpektr-RG.[4] He later worked on instruments forspace telescopes at other wavelengths, particularly those of theEuropean Space Agency, includingHipparcos,SOHO andSTEREO.[4]
In his later career, Cruise became involved ingravitational wave research, particularlygravitational wave detectors that could operate at high frequency.[4] He proposed a new type of detector that would be sensitive to gravitational waves at MHz frequencies,[8][9] and built several prototypes of such instruments in his laboratory at Birmingham.[4][10] He was a member of theLaser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) collaboration, and obtained grant funding for the UK's contribution to theAdvanced LIGO instrument.[11] His work led to UK involvement in theLaser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission[3] and he helped design and build instruments on its precursorLISA Pathfinder.[4][12]
Cruise died on 7 February 2026, at the age of 78.[13]
In 2016, Cruise was one of approximately 1000 authors listed on the paper announcing thefirst observation of gravitational waves.[14] All members of that team were jointly awarded theBreakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics and theGruber Prize in Cosmology later that year.[3]
Cruise was appointed anOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the2024 New Year Honours for services to space sciences.[1][2]
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