Richard B. Hoover, D.Sc., h.c.

Richard B. Hoover was a research professor and astrophysicist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center from 1966 to 2012.  He has eleven patents and in 1992 NASA selected him as their inventor of the year for his invention of the Water-Window Imaging x-ray Microscope.  He led their astrobiology research department until his retirement, and he now volunteers at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. 

EXTENDED BIO

Prof. Dr. Richard B. Hoover graduated from Henderson State University and Duke University with degrees in Mathematics Physics, French and Chemistry. As an NSF fellow at Duke, he studied advanced mathematics and translated the Nikolai Bourbaki volume on Infinite dimensional, Vector Spaces. In 1966, Dr. Hoover left teaching position and x-ray diffraction research at the University of Arkansa to join the von Braun team at the NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to work on the Saturn V Moon Rocket. His initial project was development of the Laser Ranging RetroReflector (LRRR) that was deployed on the moon by the Apollo 11 astronauts.

Dr. Hoover was co-investigator on the Skylab Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) S-056 experiment that produced 25,000 x-ray images of the Sun. During the Skylab missions, he then worked Experiment Operations at the NASA/JSC Mission Control Center. Post flight analysis of the Skylab X-ray data resulted in numerous papers concerning the solar corona, x-ray bright points, active regions and solar flares.

Dr. Hoover invented and patented novel x-ray telescopes that were flown on sounding rockets from Woomera, Australia for studies of the Puppis-A Supernova Remnant and for Solar Missions from White Sands Missile Range. In 1987, the MSFC/Stanford Rocket X-ray Spectroheliograph produced the first high resolution x-ray images of the sun obtained with a normal incidence multilayer x-ray optics and discovered the constant cross-section of solar coronal loops. Dr. Richard B. Hoover was named NASA Inventor of the Year for the Water Window Imaging X-ray Microscope.

In addition to work on X-ray Astronomy and X-ray Optics, Prof. Hoover initiated his studies of diatoms, cyanobacteria and other microscopic algae. In 1969, he used the new NASA/MSFC Scanning Electron Microscope to produce the first SEM images of new genera and species of fossil marine diatoms in collaboration with the famous diatomist G Dallas Hanna. His optical and SEM photos of diatom images were featured in Smithsonian Museum Exhibits and appeared in numerous international publications and his articles in National Geographic.

In 1973, Dr. Hoover was invited by Director of the Royal Society of Zoology of Belgium to inventory the diatom collection of Henri Van Heurck Museum in Antwerp. During this work he discovered and published a book describing the Original Type Collection of the Rev.

William Smith, the world renowned 18th century British diatomist. His expertise in micropaleontology and SEM methods resulted in his selection in 1996 (soon after Dr. David Mckay announced the detection of organics and possible nanofossils in the ALH84001 Mars meteorite) as the first Director of the NASA/MSFC Astrobiology Laboratory, The MSFC Astrobiology Lab was tasked with the study of life on extreme environments and the search for Biomarkers in Astromaterials. Using the NASA/MSFC SEM, Dr. Hoover discovered the permineralized remains of large filamentous cyanobacteria and other microfossils in the Murchison CM2 carbonaceous meteorite. He Organized and Chaired the world’s first international Astrobiology Conferences held in San Diego (SPIE, 1997) and Chania, Crete (NASA/NATO/RAS, 2003).

In search of novel microbial extremophiles, Dr. Hoover organized and led scientific expeditions to many of the most hostile environments on Earth. He collected ice and permafrost samples from North Siberia, Patagonia, South Africa and from ice caves of the high Austrian Alps Canada, Iceland, Alaska and Antarctica. From samples collected on these Expeditions, he has discovered and described (in collaboration with Dr. Elena V. Pikuta) one new family, five new Genera, and 15 new species of bacteria and Archaea. He has published and edited 52 volumes and 435 scientific papers in peer reviewed journals and conference proceedings.

Professor Hoover was appeared in several films and delivered Lectures and Seminars at Universities and Scientific Conferences on every continent on Earth. Dr. Hoover is Past President (2001) and Fellow of SPIE; Fellow (Explorer Club) and Honorary Life Member (Planetary Studies Foundation).

Professor Richard B. Hoover has been awarded the degrees and titles: Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, Russian Academy of Science (Moscow, Russia, 2021); Professor Doctor Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia, 2023) and Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science (2023).

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. 

 From astrophysics to micropaleontology, Professor Richard B. Hoover traveled the planet collecting samples and exploring life in the Universe  throughout his career. The former NASA astrophysicist and astrobiologist  has written and lectured globally about microfossils in meteorites,  biomolecules in interstellar dust, comets, exoplanets and microbial life he has found inhabiting volcanoes, permafrost, ice caves and glaciers in Earth’s most hostile environments. 

Professor Richard B. Hoover left his teaching post at the University of Arkansas in 1966 to join the von Braun team at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. He developed diffraction limited telescopes and Laser Ranging RetroReflectors (LRRR) for tracking the Apollo Saturn V moon rockets. The LRRR arrays were deployed on the moon by the Apollo 11, 14 and 15 astronauts. They are the only lunar experiments that continue working. The LRRR experiment continues to deliver precise data on lunar orbital parameters of value to future moon missions and direct relevance to General Relativity and String theories. He served as Co-Investigator for the SKYLAB Apollo Telescope Mount S-056 Experiment. He was Principal Investigator for the Multi-Spectral Solar Telescope Array (MSSTA) Observatory that produced simultaneous soft x-ray/EUV images of the Solar Photosphere, Chromosphere and Corona using his advanced multilayer telescopes. He analyzed the solar data and published papers on coronal loops, plumes and x-ray bright points. He patented numerous novel x-ray telescopes, microscopes, collimators and spectrometers and was named the 1992 NASA Inventor of the Year for the Water Window Imaging X-ray Microscope.

In 1986, Dr. Hoover collaborated with Sir Fred Hoyle in a study that revealed a close correspondence of the measured infrared properties of diatoms and the infrared spectrum of interstellar dust as observed in the Trapezium nebula and toward the Galactic Center source GC IRS-7. They advanced the hypothesis that diatoms and similar microbial life forms might inhabit and be spewed into space from oceans of icy moons Enceladus or Europa and from aqueous cavities or pools just beneath the dark crusts of comets as they are heated near perihelion. This research resulted in his selection in 1997 to establish the Astrobiology Research Group at NASA/MSFC. He produced and published high resolution SEM images of cyanobacteria and diatoms in the Polonnaruwa, Orgueil, Murchison and other carbonaceous meteorites that are thought to be the remains of extinct comets. EDS data proves these remains are ancient, indigenous and extraterrestrial rather than modern biological contaminants. Prof. Hoover organized and led scientific expeditions to many of the most hostile environments on Earth. He explored ice caves and discovered microbial life in Deep Ice Cores from just above Lake Vostok in Antarctica. He discovered mosses and described new species of bacteria that were still alive after being frozen in ancient permafrost of Alaska and the far northeast regions of Siberia. He was elected Fellow National of the Explorers Club in recognition of his work leading scientific expeditions to Antarctica, Siberia, Alaska, South Africa, Patagonia and exploring ice caves in Iceland, Canada and high in the Austrian Alps. Samples collected during these expeditions resulted in discovery and valid publication of 1 new Family; 6 Genera and 15 species of extremophilic bacteria and archaea previously unknown to Science.

Professor Richard B. Hoover has Authored/Edited over 50 Books and over 400 scientific papers on X-ray Optics, Solar Physics, Diatoms, Bacteria, Microfossils and Meteorites. His Scientific Expeditions and research are featured in films produced by the History Channel, Fox News, NBC Lx, Ancient Aliens, The Science Channel, NASA’s Unexplained Files, NHK Japan Television, National Science Foundation: “Science Nation: Extremophiles”, BBC, Discovery Channel and National Geographic. Prof. Dr. Richard B. Hoover was awarded the Degree and Title: Doctor of Sciences, Honoris Causa, Russian Academy of Sciences in 2021 by Academician Prof. Dr. Alexander M. Sergeev, President of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In 2023, he was Awarded the Degree and Title: Professor Doctor Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia and elected Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS).