Ian Crawford (astrobiologist)

Ian Crawford

FRAS

Born|

Ian Andrew Crawford

1961 (age 64-65)[1]

Warrington

Education| North Cestrian Grammar School
Alma mater| University College London (BSc, PhD)
Newcastle University (MSc)
Scientific career
Institutions| Birkbeck, University of London
University College London
Thesis| A study of the interstellar medium towards the Scorpius OB1 association (1988)
Doctoral students| Katherine Joy[2]
Website| www.bbk.ac.uk/geology/our-staff/ian-crawford

Ian Andrew Crawford FRAS (born 1961)[1] is a British professor of planetary science and astrobiology at Birkbeck, University of London in the United Kingdom.[3]

## Contents

* 1 Education and early life
* 2 Career and research
* 2.1 Selected publications
* 2.2 Awards and honours
* 3 References

## Education and early life

Born in Warrington, Cheshire, Crawford was educated at North Cestrian Grammar School in Greater Manchester from 1972 to 1979.[1] Crawford studied Astronomy at University College London (BSc, 1982) followed by Geophysics and Planetary Physics at Newcastle University (MSc, 1983). He was awarded a PhD in Astrophysics from University College London in 1988 for research on the interstellar medium.

## Career and research

Crawford is a specialist in the science and exploration of the Moon and in the search for life in the Universe. Before switching his research interests to planetary science in 2003, Crawford had a 15-year career at University College London as an observational astronomer specializing in studies of the interstellar medium.[3] He is the author of over 130 peer-reviewed research papers in the fields of astronomy, planetary science, astrobiology and space exploration.[4]

In 2021, Crawford edited a book, Expanding Worldviews: Astrobiology, Big History and Cosmic Perspectives, which explores the links between the academic disciplines of astrobiology and big history and their wider relevance to society.[5]

Crawford served as a Vice-President of the Royal Astronomical Society from 2017 to 2019.[1] He is a former member of the European Space Sciences Committee (ESSC) of the European Science Foundation and of the European Space Agency's Human Spaceflight and Exploration Science Advisory Committee (HESAC).[3]

### Selected publications

* Who Speaks for Humanity? The Need for a Single Political Voice [6]
* The Lunar Surface as a Recorder of Astrophysical Processes [7]
* Widening Perspectives: The Intellectual and Social Benefits of Astrobiology (Regardless of Whether Extraterrestrial Life is Discovered or Not)[8]
* The Long-Term Scientific Benefits of a Space Economy[9]
* Lunar Resources: A Review[10]
* Interplanetary Federalism: Maximising the Chances of Extraterrestrial Peace, Diversity and Liberty [11]
* Avoiding Intellectual Stagnation: The Starship as an Expander of Minds[12]
* Lunar Exploration: Opening a Window into the History and Evolution of the Inner Solar System[13]
* Back to the Moon: The Scientific Rationale for Resuming Lunar Surface Exploration [14]

### Awards and honours

Crawford is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (FRAS). In 2021, he was awarded the Royal Astronomical Society's Service Award for Geophysics; the citation refers to his long-standing promotion of lunar science and human space exploration, his role as a mentor for young planetary scientists, and other contributions to the planetary science community. In 2023, Crawford was awarded the Michael J. Wargo NASA Exploration Science Award; the award is given to a scientist or engineer who has contributed significantly to the integration of space exploration and planetary science throughout their career.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 ",". Who's Who (online Oxford University Press ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. 2017. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U258281. https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U258281. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
2. ↑ Joy, Katherine Helen (2007). Studies in lunar geology and geochemistry using sample analysis and remote sensing measurements. ucl.ac.uk (PhD thesis). University College London (University of London). OCLC 890146048. EThOS uk.bl.ethos.445898.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Professor Ian Crawford. Birkbeck College. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
4. ↑ "Ian Crawford Publications". http://www.bbk.ac.uk/geology/our-staff/ian-crawford/publications.
5. ↑ Crawford, I.A. (ed.) "Expanding Worldviews: Astrobiology, Big History and Cosmic Perspectives", Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings, Vol. 58, Springer (2021) doi:10.1007/978-3-030-70482-7
6. ↑ Who Speaks for Humanity? The Need for a Single Political Voice In: Astrobiology: Science, Ethics, and Public Policy, ed. O.A. Chon Torres et al., Scrivener Publishing, pp. 313-338, (2021)
7. ↑ "The Lunar Surface as a Recorder of Astrophysical Processes", Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (Vol. 379A, 20190562, 2021)
8. ↑ Crawford, I.A., "Widening Perspectives: The Intellectual and Social Benefits of Astrobiology (Regardless of Whether Extraterrestrial Life is Discovered or Not)"], International Journal of Astrobiology (Vol. 17, pp. 57-60, 2018) arXiv:1703.06239
9. ↑ "The Long-Term Scientific Benefits of a Space Economy", Space Policy (Vol. 37, pp. 58–61, 2016).arXiv:1607.04901
10. ↑ Lunar Resources: A Review Progress in Physical Geography (Vol. 39, pp. 137–167, 2015). arXiv:1410.6865
11. ↑ Crawford, Ian A. (2015). "Interplanetary Federalism: Maximising the Chances of Extraterrestrial Peace, Diversity and Liberty". The Meaning of Liberty Beyond Earth. Space and Society. pp. 199–218. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-09567-7_13. ISBN 978-3-319-09566-0. https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/14321/1/14321.pdf.
12. ↑ Crawford, I.A., "Avoiding Intellectual Stagnation: The Starship as an Expander of Minds", Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, 67, 253-257, 2014 arXiv:1501.04249
13. ↑ Crawford, Ian A.; Joy, Katherine H. (2014). "Lunar exploration: opening a window into the history and evolution of the inner Solar System". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 372 (2024): 20130315. doi:10.1098/rsta.2013.0315. ISSN 1364-503X. PMID 25114318.
14. ↑ Crawford, I.A. et al., "Back to the Moon: The Scientific Rationale for Resuming Lunar Surface Exploration", Planetary and Space Science, 74, 3-14, 2012 arXiv:1206.0749

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