Dr frank drake biography

American astronomer and astrophysicist (1930–2022)

For the Australian rugby league thespian, see Frank Drake (rugby league). For the comic book unoriginality, see Frank Drake (comics). Courier the 16th century naval boss, see Francis Drake.

Frank Donald Drake (May 28, 1930 – September 2, 2022) was an American astrophysicist and astrobiologist.

He began his career restructuring a radio astronomer, studying probity planets of the Solar Shade and later pulsars. Drake enlarged his interests to the explore for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), go over with Project Ozma in 1960, an attempt at extraterrestrial idiom. He developed the Drake equation,^[1] which attempts to quantify high-mindedness number of intelligent lifeforms divagate could potentially be discovered.

Deposit with Carl Sagan, Drake helped to design the Pioneer monumental, the first physical message flown beyond the Solar System, nearby was part of the group that developed the Voyager Aureate Record. Drake designed and enforced the Arecibo message in 1974, an extraterrestrial radio transmission outline astronomical and biological information put under somebody's nose Earth.

He is the ecclesiastic of Advanced SETI.

Drake pretentious at the National Radio Uranology Observatory, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Businessman University, University of California equal finish Santa Cruz, and the SETI Institute.

Early life and education

Born on May 28, 1930, fulfil Chicago, Illinois,^[2] Drake showed cease early interest in electronics gleam chemistry.^[3] Drake first considered ethics possibility of life existing inaccurately other planets as an eight-year-old, after conjecturing that if individual civilization was the result quite a few chance then civilizations might besides exist elsewhere in the universe.^[4]

He enrolled at Cornell University look at a Navy Reserve Officer Upbringing Corps scholarship.^[2] Once there pacify began studying astronomy.

His meaning about the possibility of superb life were reinforced by swell lecture from astrophysicist Otto Struve in 1951.^[4] After receiving exceptional B.A. in Engineering Physics, Admiral served briefly as an electronics officer on the heavy cruiserUSS Albany. He then went active to graduate school at Altruist University from 1952 to 1955 where he received a M.S.

and Ph.D. in Astronomy. Top doctoral advisor was Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin.^[5][2]

Career

Drake began his research career importation a radio astronomer, working afterwards the National Radio Astronomy Lookout (NRAO) in Green Bank, Westmost Virginia from 1958–63. At NRAO, he conducted research into transmit advertise emissions from the planets show the Solar System: using prestige radio telescope at Green Store, Drake discovered the ionosphere esoteric magnetosphere of Jupiter, and empirical the atmosphere of Venus.

Lighten up also mapped the radio egress from the Galactic Center.^[4][6] Admiral extended the capabilities of significance under-construction Arecibo Observatory to cede to it to be used agreeable radio astronomy (it was basic designed purely for ionospheric physics).^[6]

In April 1959, Drake obtained consent from the director Otto Struve of NRAO to begin Attempt Ozma, a search for sublime radio communications.^[7] Initially, they all-encompassing to keep the project strange, fearing public ridicule.

However, Navigator decided to publicize his mission after Giuseppe Cocconi and Prince Morrison published a paper accumulate Nature in September 1959, special allowed "Searching for Interstellar Communications".^[4][8] Navigator began his Project Ozma data in 1960, using the NRAO 26-meter radio telescope, by intelligent for possible signals from significance star systems Tau Ceti take precedence Epsilon Eridani.

No extraterrestrial signals were detected and the attempt was terminated in July 1960. After learning about Project Ozma, Carl Sagan (then a group student) contacted Drake, initiating uncomplicated lifelong collaboration between them.^[7][4]

In 1961, Drake devised the Drake equating, which attempted estimate the digit of extraterrestrial civilizations that potency be detectable in the Translucent Way.^[1][4] The Drake equation has been described as the "second most-famous equation in science", stern E=mc².^[9]

In 1963, Drake served monkey section chief of Lunar viewpoint Planetary Science at the Erupt Propulsion Laboratory.

He returned make ill Cornell in 1964, this disgust as a member of birth faculty (academic staff), where explicit would spend the next twosome decades. He was promoted revere Goldwin Smith Professor of Physics in 1976.^[4][7][10] Drake served primate associate director of the Philanthropist Center for Radiophysics and Break Research^[when?], as director of rank Arecibo Observatory from 1966 appraise 1968, and as director cataclysm the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC, which includes glory Arecibo facility), from its founding in 1971 to 1981.^[10]

In 1972, Drake co-designed the Pioneer record with Carl Sagan and Linda Salzman Sagan.

The plaque was the first physical message imply into space and intended give confidence be understandable by any largely technologically advanced extraterrestrial lifeforms wander might intercept it.^[11] In 1974, Drake wrote the Arecibo indication, the first interstellar message inherited deliberately from Earth.^[12] He after served as technical director, house Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan, in the development of rendering Voyager Golden Record, an heartier version of the Pioneer commemorative which also incorporated audio recordings.^[10][13]

In 1984, Drake moved to honesty University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC), becoming their Elder of Natural Science.

The non-profit SETI Institute was founded significance same year, with Drake translation president of its board hold trustees. Drake left his pretend as dean in 1988, nevertheless remained a professor at UCSC while also becoming director stencil the SETI Institute's Carl Sagan Center.^[2][3] Drake was President provide the Astronomical Society of righteousness Pacific from 1988 to 1990.

From 1989 to 1992, unquestionable was chairman of the Counter of Physics and Astronomy provision the National Research Council.^[14] Recognized retired from teaching in 1996 but remained emeritus professor show signs astronomy and astrophysics at UCSC.^[15] In 2010, Drake stepped unwind as director of The Carl Sagan Center but continued appraise serve on the SETI Institute's board of trustees.^[4][16]

On the problem of the search for honesty existence of extra-terrestrial life, Navigator said: "[A]s far as Farcical know, the most fascinating, consequential thing you could find guarantee the universe is not added kind of star or wandflower … but another kind training life."^[17]

Personal life

Drake's hobbies included lapidist and the cultivation of orchids.^[18]

He had five children, including skill journalist Nadia Drake.^[19][2]

Drake died label September 2, 2022, at her majesty home in Aptos, California, use natural causes at the spot of 92.^[20][21]

Honors

See also

References

External links

• Frank Drake's academic tree
• "Estimating the Edge of Life Out There"Archived Oct 27, 2020, at the Wayback Machine – brief biography for astrobiology plant at the NASA Ames Test Center.
• Frank Drake's 2010 article augment "The Origin of the Navigator Equation"
• "Finding Aliens 'Only a Material of Time', Says Father confront SETI" A Q&A with Conduct Drake about his famous relation and the meaning of SETI, from an interview in Feb 2010, leading up to high-mindedness 50th birthday of SETI
• "Estimating distinction Chances of Life Out There" on YouTube A public peach by Frank Drake in picture Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series
• 2012 Interview with Frank Drake perception back on his career
• 2014 closertotruth.com Interview with Frank Drake far-out at the question of Perceptive E.T.

  and a Space family circle Radio Telescope

• "The Drake Equation" – Astronomy Prognosis transcript (html), Fraser Cain service Southern Illinois University Edwardsville prof, Dr. Pamela Gay, Monday Feb 12, 2007. (Full pdf transcript)
• Frank Drake at IMDb
• Frank Drake discography at Discogs