Bruce C. Murray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bruce C. Murray
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| Born | November 30, 1931 New York City, New York, U.S.
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| Died | August 29, 2013 (aged 81) Oceanside, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | MIT – Ph.D. geology (1955) |
| Spouse(s) | Joan O'Brien (divorced; 3 children) Suzanne Moss (2 children) |
| Relatives | Tom Foley (cousin) |
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Bruce Churchill Murray (born November 30, 1931 – died August 29, 2013) was an American scientist who studied planets. He led the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and helped start The Planetary Society.
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Bruce Murray's Early Life and Studies
Bruce Murray earned his Ph.D. in geology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1955. After that, he worked as a geologist for a company called Standard Oil of California.
He also served in the United States Air Force as a geophysicist. Later, he joined the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1960.
Working at Caltech and JPL
At Caltech, Murray became a professor in 1969. He taught about planetary science and geology.
In 1960, Murray also started working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). JPL is a famous center that builds and operates robotic spacecraft for NASA. He became the director of JPL from 1976 to 1982.
During his time as director, Murray helped hire more female engineers at JPL. He also saved the Galileo mission to Jupiter from being canceled due to budget cuts.
Studying Mars and Other Planets
Murray used photos from the Mariner 4 spacecraft to understand the history of Mars in 1965. He worked with another scientist, Bob Leighton, on this project.
He used similar photo analysis when he was the chief scientist for the Mariner 10 mission. This mission explored Mercury and Venus.
Murray also had concerns about the Viking lander program for Mars. He felt the experiments on the spacecraft were not enough to find signs of life.
In 1971, Murray joined a discussion about the Mariner 9 mission to Mars. He was with famous people like Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, and Carl Sagan. Their talks were written down in a book called Mars and the Mind of Man.
Founding The Planetary Society
In 1980, Murray, along with Carl Sagan and Louis Friedman, created The Planetary Society. This group works to promote space exploration and research. Murray also served as its chairman for a time.
Bruce Murray's Family Life
Bruce Murray was married twice and had five children. He had three children with his first wife, Joan O'Brien. Later, he married Suzanne Murray and had two more children.
His cousin, Tom Foley, was once the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
Bruce Murray passed away at his home in Oceanside, California, on August 29, 2013, at the age of 81.
Awards and Special Recognition
Bruce Murray received several awards for his important work:
- In 1997, he received the Carl Sagan Memorial Award.
- In 2004, he was given the Telluride Tech Festival Award of Technology.
Two asteroids are named after him and his son:
- Asteroid 4957 Brucemurray is named after Bruce Murray.
- Asteroid 2392 Jonathan Murray is named after his son.
On Mars, two features are also named in his honor:
- "Murray Ridge" is an uplifted crater explored by the Opportunity rover.
- "Murray Buttes" is a rocky area that the Curiosity rover traveled through on its way to Mount Sharp.
