How Did George Alcorn Help Us Map Planets?

Each year, National Space Exploration Day (July 20) is an excellent time to learn more about the many creators and innovators who have advanced our understanding of the universe. Today, you can learn the story of National Inventors Hall of Fame^® Inductee George Alcorn, the physicist, engineer and professor who invented the X-ray imaging spectrometer.

A Lifelong Scientist

Born in Indianapolis in 1940, Alcorn developed a deep interest in STEM as a child. His father, an automobile mechanic, introduced him to science and engineering. The father and son would often spend time working on cars together, and these experiences would have a profound influence on the budding scientist.

In an interview with the National Inventors Hall of Fame, Alcorn said, “I was a very fortunate boy, in that my hero was my daddy.”

After graduating from high school, Alcorn chose to continue his education in science. He enrolled at Occidental College as a physics major, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1962. Next, he went to Howard University to study atomic and molecular physics, and he earned his master’s degree in 1963 and his doctorate in 1967.

Early in his career, Alcorn accepted a position at IBM, where he worked on high-performance semiconductor devices. In 1978, he moved to the organization where he would spend the rest of his career – NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), where he developed technologies for space stations and private institutions across the country.

A Visionary Inventor and Educator

In 1982, Alcorn invented the X-ray imaging spectrometer. Patented in 1984, this technology used a focused beam of charged atom particles to lift samples, allowing scientists to more accurately separate and identify the elemental and chemical components of a substance. For this revolutionary work, Alcorn was named the 1984 NASA GSFC Inventor of the Year.

Used with space telescopes and other satellites, X-ray imaging spectrometers provide valuable data for a wide range of scientific and technical applications. This technology has allowed for the detection of radio signatures at a more distant and accurate rate than previously possible and influenced the continued evolution of imaging devices.

Alcorn's devices and subsequent innovations have been used for planetary mapping, searching for new planets, creating star charts to reveal systems’ motions and examining deep space phenomena.

Alcorn played a leading role in developing additional inventions including the Airborne LIDAR Topographic Mapping System (ALTMS), which emits light toward the Earth’s surface to collect data that would be challenging for scientists to analyze on the ground. ALTMS since has been applied by thousands of companies that use drones to gather data.

While working at NASA, Alcorn also became an educator. He taught physics and engineering at Howard University, and at the same time, he took on roles at the University of the District of Columbia. To reach younger students, Alcorn also became a founder of Saturday Academy – a weekend math and science honors program for Washington, D.C.’s inner-city middle schools.

“I believe it’s so important to start learning and enjoying learning as young as possible,” Alcorn said. “There are certain things you can learn better, learning it earlier. It gives children even more of an advantage.”

Alcorn’s many honors included the Robert H. Goddard Award of Merit – the highest honor from NASA’s GSFC – in 2010, and the Alumni Seal Award for Professional Achievement from Occidental College in 2012.

Meet More World-Changing Inventors

To discover more stories of inspiring National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees, keep exploring our website.