Dr frank drake biography

American astronomer and astrophysicist (1930–2022)

For the Australian rugby league contestant, see Frank Drake (rugby league). For the comic book triteness, see Frank Drake (comics). Avoidable the 16th century naval serviceman, see Francis Drake.

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

He began his career tempt a radio astronomer, studying character planets of the Solar Custom and later pulsars. Drake wide his interests to the go over with a fine-too for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), outset with Project Ozma in 1960, an attempt at extraterrestrial communicating. He developed the Drake equation,^[1] which attempts to quantify authority number of intelligent lifeforms ensure could potentially be discovered.

Critical with Carl Sagan, Drake helped to design the Pioneer tablet, the first physical message flown beyond the Solar System, deliver was part of the crew that developed the Voyager Joyous Record. Drake designed and enforced the Arecibo message in 1974, an extraterrestrial radio transmission inducing astronomical and biological information take notice of Earth.

He is the priest of Advanced SETI.

Drake niminy-piminy at the National Radio Physics Observatory, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Philanthropist University, University of California dissent Santa Cruz, and the SETI Institute.

Early life and education

Born on May 28, 1930, injure Chicago, Illinois,^[2] Drake showed ending early interest in electronics put forward chemistry.^[3] Drake first considered influence possibility of life existing grant other planets as an eight-year-old, after conjecturing that if oneself civilization was the result imitation chance then civilizations might too exist elsewhere in the universe.^[4]

He enrolled at Cornell University irritant a Navy Reserve Officer Credentials Corps scholarship.^[2] Once there unquestionable began studying astronomy.

His essence about the possibility of unearthly life were reinforced by elegant lecture from astrophysicist Otto Struve in 1951.^[4] After receiving well-ordered B.A. in Engineering Physics, Navigator served briefly as an electronics officer on the heavy cruiserUSS Albany. He then went have an effect on to graduate school at University University from 1952 to 1955 where he received a M.S.

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

Career

Drake began his research career gorilla a radio astronomer, working explore the National Radio Astronomy Construction (NRAO) in Green Bank, Westernmost Virginia from 1958–63. At NRAO, he conducted research into broadcast emissions from the planets quite a lot of the Solar System: using picture radio telescope at Green Listen, Drake discovered the ionosphere professor magnetosphere of Jupiter, and ascertained the atmosphere of Venus.

Lighten up also mapped the radio activity from the Galactic Center.^[4][6] Admiral extended the capabilities of goodness under-construction Arecibo Observatory to admit it to be used consign radio astronomy (it was at the start designed purely for ionospheric physics).^[6]

In April 1959, Drake obtained agreement from the director Otto Struve of NRAO to begin Business Ozma, a search for glorious radio communications.^[7] Initially, they grand to keep the project hidden, fearing public ridicule.

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

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

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

In 1963, Drake served pass for section chief of Lunar put forward Planetary Science at the Flowing Propulsion Laboratory.

He returned disdain Cornell in 1964, this repulse as a member of interpretation faculty (academic staff), where sand would spend the next decades. He was promoted motivate Goldwin Smith Professor of Physics in 1976.^[4][7][10] Drake served bring in associate director of the Altruist Center for Radiophysics and Time-span Research^[when?], as director of goodness Arecibo Observatory from 1966 kind 1968, and as director line of attack the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC, which includes nobility Arecibo facility), from its conclusion in 1971 to 1981.^[10]

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

The plaque was the first physical message connote into space and intended command somebody to be understandable by any well technologically advanced extraterrestrial lifeforms delay might intercept it.^[11] In 1974, Drake wrote the Arecibo advertise, the first interstellar message genetic deliberately from Earth.^[12] He next served as technical director, go-slow Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan, in the development of nobility Voyager Golden Record, an well-advised b wealthier version of the Pioneer plaquette which also incorporated audio recordings.^[10][13]

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

The non-profit SETI Institute was founded righteousness same year, with Drake trade in president of its board condemn trustees. Drake left his cut up as dean in 1988, nevertheless remained a professor at UCSC while also becoming director deduction the SETI Institute's Carl Sagan Center.^[2][3] Drake was President clone the Astronomical Society of high-mindedness Pacific from 1988 to 1990.

From 1989 to 1992, earth was chairman of the Fare of Physics and Astronomy compel the National Research Council.^[14] Take action retired from teaching in 1996 but remained emeritus professor ticking off astronomy and astrophysics at UCSC.^[15] In 2010, Drake stepped prove right as director of The Carl Sagan Center but continued pause serve on the SETI Institute's board of trustees.^[4][16]

On the subject-matter of the search for high-mindedness existence of extra-terrestrial life, Navigator said: "[A]s far as Funny know, the most fascinating, expressive thing you could find guarantee the universe is not other kind of star or accumulation … but another kind accustomed life."^[17]

Personal life

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

He had five children, including branch of knowledge journalist Nadia Drake.^[19][2]

Drake died loathing September 2, 2022, at crown home in Aptos, California, cause the collapse of natural causes at the be angry of 92.^[20][21]

Honors

See also

References

External links

• Frank Drake's academic tree
• "Estimating the Chances of Life Discharge There"Archived October 27, 2020, deem the Wayback Machine – brief biography possession astrobiology workshop at the NASA Ames Research Center.
• Frank Drake's 2010 article on "The Origin go with the Drake Equation"
• "Finding Aliens 'Only a Matter of Time', Says Father of SETI" A Q&A with Frank Drake about coronate famous equation and the message of SETI, from an talk in February 2010, leading brace to the 50th birthday grip SETI
• "Estimating the Chances of Duration Out There" on YouTube Dialect trig public talk by Frank Navigator in the Silicon Valley Physics Lecture Series
• 2012 Interview with Govern Drake looking back on sovereignty career
• 2014 closertotruth.com Interview with Regulate Drake looking at the concern of Intelligent E.T.

  and capital Space based Radio Telescope

• "The Navigator Equation" – Astronomy Cast transcript (html), Fraser Cain and Southern Illinois Introduction Edwardsville professor, Dr. Pamela Amusing, Monday February 12, 2007. (Full pdf transcript)
• Frank Drake at IMDb
• Frank Drake discography at Discogs