Richard B. Hoover

Richard B. Hoover established the Astrobiology Research Group at the NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in 1997. He is currently Astrobiologist at Athens State University and Visiting Research Professor with the Centre for Astrobiology at the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom. Richard B. Hoover joined the NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center in 1966 and began his scientific research in astrophysics and solar physics. He was co-investigator for the SKYLAB S-056 Grazing Incidene X-Ray Telescope that produced high resolution x-ray images of the Sun from America’s first Space Station.

He developed the Multilayer X-Ray Telescope that produced the first High-Resolution image of the Sun (Cover of Science, Sept. 30, 1988) ever obtained with a telescope using Normal Incidence X-Ray Mirrors. He holds 12 US Patents for novel X-Ray telescopes, spectrometers and microscopes. He was NASA Inventor of the Year in 1992 for his invention of the Water Window Imaging X-Ray Microscope. Richard B. Hoover is internationally known for his work on diatoms; the discovery of several important microbial extremophiles; and his research on microfossils in meteorites.

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Past Shows:

  • Disappearance of Michael Rockefeller

    George Knapp was joined by Carl Hoffman, author and contributing editor at National Geographic Traveler, for a discussion on the mysterious 1961 disappearance of Michael Rockefeller in New Guinea which has kept the world and his powerful, influential family guessing for years. ...More »
  • Astrobiology & Beatles Secrets

    In the first half, George Knapp was joined by Richard B. Hoover, who presented compelling evidence for life outside of Earth in the form of microfossils contained within ancient terrestrial rocks and meteorites. Next, Beatles biographer Bob Spitz shared personal stories about...More »

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