James A. Van Allen (Astrophysicist) dies aged 91

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James A. Van Allen, Discoverer of Earth-Circling Radiation Belts, Is Dead at 91

[quote]James A. Van Allen, the physicist who made the first major scientific discovery of the early space age, the Earth-circling radiation belts that bear his name, and sent spacecraft instruments to observe the outer reaches of the solar system, died yesterday in Iowa City. He was 91.

From the left, William H. Pickering, Edward Manning, James A. Van Allen and Wernher von Braun in 1958 after the Explorer 1 launching.

The cause was heart failure, family members said. Dr. Van Allen was a longtime professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Iowa, and, with the discovery of the Van Allen belts of intense radiation surrounding Earth, he became a leading figure in the new field of magnetospheric physics, which grew in importance as spacecraft began exploring the planets.

A legendary lecturer and an inspiration to several generations of budding physicists and astronomers, Dr. Van Allen continued to show up at his office-laboratory until a month or so before he died.

Rapid Rise to Acclaim

James Van Allen, an unassuming but resolute investigator of cosmic rays and other space phenomena, literally rocketed to international acclaim with the launching of Explorer 1, the first successful space satellite of the United States.

It was on Jan. 31, 1958, in the early days of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union and almost four months after the Russians stunned Americans with Sputnik 1. The American Explorer 1 may not have been first in space, but a Geiger counter developed by Dr. Van Allen sent back data of what would become known as the Van Allen radiation belts.

The radiation detector recorded two belts of charged particles trapped by Earth’s magnetic field. One belt is 400 to 4,000 miles above the surface, and the other is 9,000 to 15,000 miles above the Equator, curving toward the magnetic poles. Further evidence for the encircling radiation was detected with Dr. Van Allen’s instruments carried aloft aboard Explorer 2 and Explorer 3.

In the celebration of the Explorer 1 success, Dr. Van Allen posed for what became an iconic picture of the early days of spaceflight. He is standing with Wernher von Braun, whose team built the rocket, and William H. Pickering, who directed the spacecraft development, all smiling broadly and holding a model of the spacecraft high over their heads. He was the last of the three to die.

For several decades afterward, Dr. Van Allen was a staunch advocate of planetary exploration with robotic spacecraft and a critic of big-budget programs for human space flight. Describing himself as “a member of the loyal opposition,�