Gerald A. Soffen | |
|---|---|
 Gerald A. Soffen, from NASA Archives | |
| Born | (1926-02-07)February 7, 1926 Cleveland, Ohio |
| Died | November 22, 2000(2000-11-22) (aged 74) |
| Occupation(s) | Life Scientist and Educator |
Gerald A. Soffen (February 7, 1926 – November 22, 2000) was aNASA scientist and educator who served in a wide variety of roles for the space agency, primarily dealing with either education or with life sciences—especially the search for life on Mars.
He earned his A.B.S. from theUniversity of California, Los Angeles, his M.S. fromUniversity of Southern California, and his Ph.D. in Biology fromPrinceton University.[1] He pursued his postdoctoral work atNew York University.[2]
Working from NASA'sLangley Research Center in the mid- to late-1970s, Soffen was project scientist for the NASA'sViking program ofMars landers, the first successful missions to perform unmanned experiments on the surface of the planet.[3] In that role, he oversaw all scientific investigations conducted by the landers, coordinating the work of more than seventy scientists around the nation. In 1977, he appeared on an episode of the popular television seriesIn Search Of entitled "Martians" and he spoke about the Viking's findings up to that time. "We have started what will become an adventure of mankind in searching for not only the lower forms of life but also the search for intelligent life. This is one of the milestones in the course of human destiny to find cousins". Soffen also predicted that mankind would eventually colonize Mars by usingPlanetary Engineering.[4]
He moved to become NASA Langley's Chief Environmental Scientist in 1968,[5] leading work onremote sensing by satellite as well as laboratory experiments, ground-based measurements, and theoretical models.
In 1978, after concluding his work with Viking, Soffen became the director ofLife Sciences at NASA Headquarters. In this position, Soffen was responsible for the agency-wide program to monitor and maintain the physical well being of NASA astronauts in space, as well as the Biomedical Program, the Space Biology Program, and the Exobiology (also sometimes called the Astrobiology) program. If you ever heard him speak, you know that he was the oratorical equal of luminaries like Carl Sagan. Like Sagan, Soffen spoke cogently, succinctly, and poetically about our search for life beyond earth.
In 1983, Soffen transferred from NASA Headquarters to NASAGoddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland. Initially, his role at GSFC focused on establishing the "Mission to Planet Earth" program; Soffen also served as the project scientist for NASA's Earth Observing System as that program was starting.
Soffen's focus shifted to education starting in 1990, when he led the formation of GSFC's University Programs office and became its manager. Three years into that role, Soffen createdNASA Academy, NASA's premiere leadership training internship.[6] During 1990–1992, he served on the Science Advisory Committee forBiosphere 2.
Soffen has been memorialized in several ways by his peers and former students. The "Dr. Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Fund for the Advancement of Space Science Education" was established by theNASA Academy Alumni Association "to continue Jerry's commitment to the future of space by supporting motivated students in the fields of space science and engineering".[7] The "Gerald Soffen Memorial Panel/Lecture" is also a feature of the annual Space Studies program conducted byInternational Space University.
TheViking 2 lander was posthumously named after Soffen.[8] Additionally, a crater on Mars was named "Soffen" in 2006.[9] The crater is centered at 23.73 degrees S, 140.86 degrees E on Mars.[10]