Dr. George R. Carruthers

1939–2020

What George contributed

Invented an ultraviolet imaging device that astronauts placed on the Moon during Apollo 16.

The story

Carruthers was a physicist and inventor at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. His compact instruments enabled ultraviolet observations from rockets and the lunar surface.

Why it matters

The instrument produced important images of Earth's outer atmosphere and astronomical objects in ultraviolet light.

Patent record
U.S. Patent 3,478,216