Benton C. Clark III
Lockheed Martin Space Systems
Chief Scientist of Flight Systems, Astronautics Operations

Dr. Ben Clark conceived and developed the x-ray fluorescence spectrometers for the first geochemical analyses of Martian soil onboard the Viking landers. He also helped develop the lightflash detector and sunshade for the Particle Impact Analyzer (PIA) experiment for the Giotto mission. He currently serves as a co-investigator for the Cassini-Huygens mission, as well as the Stardust and Genesis Discovery missions. Dr. Clark introduced the concept of cometary particulates and formation of comet ponds as an enabling step for the abiotic origin of life. He chairs the External Advisory Committee for the NASA Center for Research and Training in Exobiology at the University of California San Diego and Salk Institute. He has received the NASA Public Service Medal, the Wright Brothers Award, the Air Force Service Medal, and has been selected Inventor of the Year for Martin Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed Martin) and Author of the Year for Martin Marietta Astronautics. Dr. Clark has written more than 130 publications, reports, abstracts and presentations covering instrumentation, planetary missions, radiation, space science, planetary geochemistry, exobiology and other fields of research and development.

For more information on Dr. Clark’s work, please see:
http://www.genesismission.org/people/benclark/benclarkresume.html