Biography:Christopher McKay
Christopher McKay | |
|---|---|
 McKay in Antarctica in 2005 | |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Physics, Florida Atlantic University
Mechanical Engineering, Florida Atlantic University PhD in astrogeophysics , University of Colorado (1982) |
| Occupation | Planetary Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center |
| Organization | Planetary Society Mars Society |
Dr Christopher P. McKay (born 1954)[1] is an American planetary scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, studying planetary atmospheres, astrobiology, and terraforming. McKay majored in physics at Florida Atlantic University, where he also studied mechanical engineering, graduating in 1975,[2][3] and received his PhD in astrogeophysics from the University of Colorado in 1982.[4][5][6]
Career
McKay has done research on planetary atmospheres, particularly the atmospheres of Titan[7][8] and Mars, and on the origin and evolution of life.[9] He is a co-investigator on the Huygens probe, the Mars Phoenix lander, and the Mars Science Laboratory. He also performed field research on extremophiles, in such locations as Death Valley, the Atacama Desert,[10] Axel Heiberg Island, and ice-covered lakes in Antarctica. McKay is the Principal Investigator of the proposed Icebreaker Life astrobiology mission to Mars.[11] In 2015 he received the Nevada Medal.
He was a member of the board of directors of the Planetary Society and also works with the Mars Society, and has written and spoken on space exploration and terraforming.[12][13][14] He is also an adviser for the Microbes Mind Forum.[15]
Ethics of terraforming
McKay advocates a moderately biocentric position in the ethics of terraforming, arguing that we must thoroughly explore a planet such as Mars first to discover whether there is any microbial life before taking first steps toward terraforming, and that if indigenous alien life is found in an obscure niche or dormant on Mars, we should remove all Earth life and alter Mars to support the global spread of this alien life on Mars.[16][17] He has held a series of public debates with Robert Zubrin, who advocates a moderately anthropocentric position on the ethics of terraforming.[18][19]
See also
- David S. McKay (September 25, 1936 – February 20, 2013) a NASA astrobiologist
References
- ↑ "5382 McKay (1991 JR2)". https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?orb=1;sstr=5382. "McKay. Discovered 1991 May 8 by R.H.McNaugth at Siding Spring. Named for Christopher P. McKay (b. 1954), sapce scientist and exobiologist ..."
- ↑ Edward Silverman, "Scientists' Paths To Eminence: What Are The Turning Points?", The Scientist, Vol:6, #2, 20 January 1992.
- ↑ "Christopher McKay | Academic Influence" (in en). https://academicinfluence.com/people/christopher-mckay.
- ↑ Chris McKay Planetary Scientist - NASA Quest
- ↑ "Many Worlds Symposium". http://humbleapproach.templeton.org/Many_Worlds/.
- ↑ "Mckay" (in en-US). https://spacegrant.org/programs/service-award/mckay/.
- ↑ e.g. Photochemically Driven Collapse of Titan's Atmosphere, Ralph D. Lorenz, Christopher P. McKay, and Jonathan I. Lunine, Science, Vol. 275 pp. 642–644, 31 Jan. 1997
- ↑ "Christopher McKay" (in en-US). https://www.sciencefriday.com/person/christopher-mckay/.
- ↑ Organic Synthesis in Experimental Impact Shocks, Christopher P. McKay and William J. Borucki, Science, Vo. 276 pp. 390–392, 18 April 1997
- ↑ Microbial Life in the Atacama Desert, R. M. Maier, K. P. Drees, J. W. Neilson, D. A. Henderson, J. Quade, J. L. Betancourt;, Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez, Fred A. Rainey, and Christopher P. McKay, Science, Vol. 306 pp. 1289–1290, 19 November 2004
- ↑ Christopher P. McKay; Carol R. Stoker; Brian J. Glass; Arwen I. Davé; Alfonso F. Davila; Jennifer L. Heldmann; Margarita M. Marinova; Alberto G. Fairen et al. (April 5, 2013). "The Icebreaker Life Mission to Mars: A Search for Biomolecular Evidence for Life". Astrobiology 13 (4): 334–353. doi:10.1089/ast.2012.0878. PMID 23560417. Bibcode: 2013AsBio..13..334M.
- ↑ Haynes, R. H.; McKay, C. P. (1992). "The Implantation of Life on Mars: Feasibility and Motivation". Adv. Space Res. 12 (4): 133–140. doi:10.1016/0273-1177(92)90167-v. PMID 11538133. Bibcode: 1992AdSpR..12d.133H.
- ↑ C. P. McKay and M. M. Marinova, "The Physics, Biology and Environmental Ethics of Making Mars Habitable", Astrobiology 1, 89–109 (2001).
- ↑ Marinova, M. M.; McKay, C. P.; Hashimoto, H. (2005). "Radiative-Convective Model of Warming Mars using Artificial Super-Greenhouse Gases". J. Geophys. Res. 110 (E3): E03002. doi:10.1029/2004JE002306. Bibcode: 2005JGRE..110.3002M. https://zenodo.org/record/895737.
- ↑ Microbes Mind Forum – Advisors (2014)
- ↑ C. P. McKay, "Let's Put Martian Life First", The Planetary Report, XXI(4), 4–5 (2001).
- ↑ McKay, Chris (December 2007). "Planetary Ecosynthesis on Mars: Restoration Ecology and Environmental Ethics". http://esseacourses.strategies.org/EcosynthesisMcKay2008ReviewAAAS.pdf.
- ↑ C. P. McKay and R. M. Zubrin, "Do Indigenous Martian Bacteria have Precedence over Human Exploration?" in On to Mars: Colonizing a New World (pp. 177–182)
- ↑ R. M. Zubrin and C. P. McKay, "A World for the Winning: The Exploration and Terraforming of Mars", The Planetary Report, XII(5), 16–19 (1992).
External links
- Video of Chris McKay on The Agenda with Steve Paikin, "Are We Bound for Space?" panel discussion with Chris Hadfield, Lawrence Krauss, Donna Shirley, Karl Schroeder and Robert D. Richards
- McKay's Public Lecture on Saturn's Moon Titan, part of the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series
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