Gerard Kuiper

Gerard Kuiper (1905-73), Dutch-born American astronomer, who is noted for his contributions to knowledge of the solar system and for his important role in connection with the United States space program.

Gerard Peter Kuiper was born in Harencarspel, the Netherlands, and obtained his doctorate at the Leiden University in 1933. That year he became a research fellow at the University of California's Lick Observatory. In 1936 he went to the University of Chicago, becoming a professor of astronomy (1943) and director of the university's Yerkes and McDonald observatories (1947-60). His achievements include measurement of the diameter of Pluto, the discovery of satellites of Uranus and Neptune, and the detection of carbon dioxide on Mars.

In the 1960s Kuiper served as chief scientist for the Ranger spacecraft crash-landing probes of the moon. By analyzing Ranger photographs, he predicted the safety of the lunar surface for manned landings and helped pinpoint the first landing sites.