He began working on his Apollo telescope in 1969, when NASA posted what was called an “announcement of opportunity” to design experiments for Apollo space flights. (Another scientist, Thornton Page, proposed a similar idea, and the two joined forces for the NASA project, with Dr. Carruthers as the principal investigator.) He then became a research physicist at the Naval Research Laboratory. Dr. Carruthers, who lived in the District, received the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal and was named to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Dr. Carruthers seemed surprised when a Post reporter asked him in 1971 if he had any hobbies.

Source: Washington Post December 31, 2020 05:59 UTC