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Edward C. Stone is an American physicist best known for his role as the project scientist for NASA's Voyager program. Born on January 23, 1936, in Knoxville, Iowa, Stone earned his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Chicago in 1964. He has had a distinguished career in space science, particularly in studying cosmic rays and planetary science.
Stone became the project scientist for the Voyager mission in 1972, a position he held for many decades. Under his leadership, the Voyager spacecraft was launched in 1977 and has since provided groundbreaking data on the outer planets, including Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The missions have continued to provide valuable data as the spacecraft have entered interstellar space, making Stone a key figure in one of history's most successful space missions.
Stone's work with the Voyager program has not only been significant in its own right but has also paved the way for future space missions. His involvement in other space missions and his tenure as the director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) from 1991 to 2001 have further solidified his legacy. Stone's contributions to space science have been recognized with numerous awards and honors, a testament to his impact on the field.