Robert L. Forward (1932-2002)

Robert Lull Forward died at home of brain cancer at the age of 70. Forward was born 15 August 1932 in Geneva, New York. After graduation from the University of Maryland in 1954 with a BS degree in Physics and a Second Lieutenant commission in the Air Force, he married Martha Neil Dodson and served two years stateside during the closing years of the Korean War. Upon leaving the service Forward was awarded a Hughes Aircraft Company Graduate Research Fellowship, which he used to obtain a MS in Applied Physics from UCLA in 1958 and a PhD in Physics from the University of Maryland in 1965. Forward was one of the early pioneers in the field of experimental gravitational radiation astronomy. For his PhD thesis he built and operated the first bar antenna for the detection of gravitational radiation under the direction of Profs. Weber and Zipoy. The antenna is now in the Smithsonian Museum.

Forward worked for 31 years at the Hughes Aircraft Company Corporate Research Laboratories in Malibu, CA in positions of increasing responsibility until he took early retirement in 1987 to spend more time on writing novels and his aerospace consulting company business - Forward Unlimited . During his tenure at Hughes, he received 18 patents, and published numerous papers on experimental gravity instruments and measurements, including the first paper on using the normal modes of the Earth to set an upper limit on interstellar millicycle gravitational radiation; a paper on the details of the wideband "chirp" signal to be expected from the gravitational collapse of a binary neutron star pair; and a method for "flattening" spacetime over a hatbox-sized region in an orbiting microgravity space lab to the picogravity level.

Forward also published the first paper showing that it was possible to build and operate a laser interferometer gravitational radiation antenna that was photon noise limited over the band from 1-20 kHz, and that further improvements in gravitational strain sensitivity needed only more laser power and longer lengths in the interferometer arms. The broadband gravitational strain sensitivity his laser interferometer antenna reached in 1972 was not bettered for over a decade. Forward also invented the multidirectional spherical bar antenna for gravitational radiation, and the rotating cruciform gravity gradiometer Mass Detector for Lunar Mascon measurements (which Misner, Wheeler & Thorne pointed out can detect the curvature of spacetime produced by a fist).

From the time of his retirement from Hughes in 1987 onward, Forward was a consultant for the Air Force and NASA on advanced space propulsion concepts, with an emphasis on propulsion methods (lightsail, antimatter, electrodynamic tether, etc.), that use physical principles other than chemical or nuclear rockets. In 1992 he formed the company, Tethers Unlimited, with Dr. Robert P. Hoyt. When he reached 70 he "retired" to part time consulting and writing.

In addition to over 200 papers and articles, Forward published 11 "hard" science fiction novels, where the science is as accurate as possible-consistent with telling a good story. Forward "taught" science through his novels. His first book, DRAGON'S EGG, expanded upon Frank Drake's idea of tiny fast-living creatures living on the surface of a neutron star. Forward called it, "A textbook on neutron star physics disguised as a novel." The book is often assigned as "extra credit reading" in beginning astronomy courses. The science in his books has often been novel enough that many of his fiction books have been referenced in journal publications as "prior art publications".

Robert Forward, Space Futurist, Dies At 70

By Leonard David Senior Space Writer

posted: 08:35 am ET 23 September 2002

Space pioneer and visionary, Robert Lull Forward, has died of brain cancer. Forward leaves behind a legacy of inventive research on solar sails, space tethers, antimatter propulsion, and other advanced space propulsion technologies.

At age 70, Forward passed away at home early in the morning on Sept. 21.

The innovative thinker of space and time, Forward was a persistent voice in opening the space frontier. Through countless talks to professional as well as space advocacy groups -- always wearing an unforgettable bright and lively vest that was his trademark -- Forward was a stalwart believer in a grand vision of humanity's space future.

During his career, Forward worked for 31 years at the Hughes Aircraft Company Corporate Research Laboratories in Malibu, California. While at Hughes, he received 18 patents and published numerous papers on experimental gravity instruments and measurements.

In the first paper on using the normal modes of the Earth to set an upper limit on interstellar millicycle gravitational radiation, Forward detailed the wideband "chirp" signal to be expected from the gravitational collapse of a binary neutron star pair. In his research work, he also outlined a method for "flattening" spacetime over a hatbox-sized region in an orbiting microgravity space lab to the picogravity level.

Forward took early retirement in 1987 to spend more time writing novels and working in his aerospace consulting company business, Forward Unlimited.

In addition to over 200 papers and articles, Forward published 11 "hard" science fiction novels, where the science is as accurate as possible, consistent with telling a good story. It was the stated objective of Forward to teach science through his novels. For example, his first book, Dragon's Egg, expanded upon the idea of SETI expert Frank Drake regarding tiny fast-living creatures living on the surface of a neutron star. Forward later described Dragon's Egg as a textbook on neutron star physics disguised as a novel.

While struggling with his cancer, Forward prepared several obituaries for various professional organizations to which he belonged. One of those self-authored obituaries began: "The intelligent pattern of protoplasm that had been Robert L. Forward ceased coherent operation."

Robert Hoyt, friend and an associate with Forward on developing space tethers, said: "Hopefully, Bob's spirit, now unburdened by that nuisance called inertia, has reached lightspeed. I hope you all will join me in wishing him: Ad Astra, Bob!"

We were just talking about him and one of his projects on FR last week.

To be honest, I thought his fiction was awful -- but his non-fiction indispensable. The man probably did more to bring way-out possibilities like wormholes and antimatter propulsion into the minds of real-world thinkers than anybody since Asimov and Sagan. When he explained things, he did so in a non-technical way that canned-beer drinkers like myself could understand, and he wasn't afraid to openly speculate on the possible uses of advanced thechnology. (My favorite example is his description of a four-hour commuter trip to the moon in an "Astro-Vette" antimatter-fuelled personal space vehicle.)

Rest in peace, Robert L. Forward.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.