Astrophysicist Robert Jastrow, who played a key role in developing NASA's program of lunar and solar system exploration but was much better known as a television commentator who explained space science in clear and understandable language, died Feb. 8 at his home in Arlington, Va., from complications of pneumonia. He was 82.
One of the first staffers at NASA, Jastrow was an early advocate of incorporating science into the fledgling space race, recruiting scientific talent and advocating forcefully for more experimentation.
As the founder and 20-year head of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, he oversaw planning for the Pioneer, Voyager and Galileo space probes, which returned the first good information about other planets in the solar system. The institute also played a key role in research on the use of satellites to study climate and weather on Earth.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, who thought scientists should remain secluded in their laboratories, Jastrow was a frequent guest on CBS and NBC during the missions to the moon, educating millions of Americans about orbital mechanics and the physics of spacecraft, as well as the history of the solar system.
He later hosted more than 100 programs for CBS explaining space and other scientific problems.
"He had a deep sense of the need to interpret science and make it available to the public," said Johns Hopkins University planetary scientist Albert Arking, a former student of Jastrow. "His enthusiasm for science was infectious."
Among the many books Jastrow wrote was the 1967 best-seller "Red Giants and White Dwarfs," which explained why it was important to explore the solar system. He also wrote many articles about science for popular magazines. With his mother, he wrote two books about immigrant life in New York City.
His most controversial work was the 1985 book "How to Make Nuclear Weapons Obsolete," in which he defended President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, commonly known as Star Wars. The heavily criticized book echoed the arguments of the initiative's proponents in the administration without adding any new scientific basis for his support.
Robert Jastrow was born Sept. 7, 1925, in New York City. In high school, he developed an interest in biology and behavior after learning about the Skinner box, which uses electrical shocks and rewards to train rodents and other animals to perform specified tasks.
