Phoebe Falconer writes in the New Zealand Herald about the groundbreaking research of Sir Ian Axford, who died recently aged 77.
He was particularly renowned for his work on planetary science, comets and solar systems.
An excerpt: (read in full here)
“He was director of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany for 16 years, and was involved with the Halley’s Comet space probe in 1986.
“The 1995 New Zealander of the Year was the first chairman of the Marsden Fund, New Zealand’s only fund for fundamental scientific research.
“Dr Garth Carnaby, president of the Royal Society of New Zealand, said Sir Ian was one of this country’s most remarkable scientists, with a distinguished international career.”