[amsat-bb] Bob Farquhar SK

Robert W. Farquhar, PhD (1932-2015)

It is with great sadness to inform you that Robert W. Farquhar, former flight director of the ISEE-3 mission passed away on Sept 18th, 2015.

Bob’s dissertation was key to halo orbits around libration points, which are now used by many science missions. After redirecting the ISEE-3 mission to comet Giacobini-Ziner in 1985 he developed the trajectory with eventually returned ISEE-3 to earth’s vicinity in 2014, where with his assistance an international team successfully regained control of the aging spacecraft.

Our heart goes out to his family and friends and all those who were close to him.

Peter Guelzow, DB2OS AMSAT-DL