We regret to report the passing of former Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) leader, visiting associate at Caltech, CSA Fellow and Cold Facts Space Cryogenics columnist, Peter V. Mason. He passed after a short illness on May 30, 2021.

Peter was a dedicated supporter of CSA for decades. In addition to being a CSA Fellow, Peter was also a highly respected and eloquent contributor to the Space Cryogenics column in Cold Facts for many years, beginning in the first issue of 2005. Once retired from the column, he served on the Editorial Board where his expertise in cryogenics and space research were an invaluable resource for countless readers.

Peter received a PhD in electrical engineering from Caltech in 1962, where he taught physics for many years before moving to NASA’s JPL as a low temperature physics research engineer. While there, he was in charge of designing the Infra-Red Astronomy Satellite’s cryogenic systems and advised the Stanford team with the Gravity Probe 8 satellite. Peter served as a mentor for some of physics’ top scientists on project Boomerang, the Antarctica-based study of radiation from the Cosmic Microwave Background.

You can read Peter’s work in past issues of Cold Facts. Apart from his regularly published Space Cryogenics columns, some of Peter’s notable work includes a special feature in Volume 30, No. 3, page 20 entitled “BICEP2 and the Outer Edge of the Universe.” Peter spent some time in Antarctica at the US South Pole station, and he writes about his work in the article noted.

Peter also wrote “Superfluid Helium in Space,” a feature publicly available on the CSA website that discusses the nuances of the behavior of superfluid helium in space and observations with instruments and millimeter-wave telescopes operating at liquid helium temperatures.

On behalf of the entire CSA organization, we extend our sincerest condolences to Peter’s family and thank him for his years of contributions, support and influence.

Tribute

From Laurie Huget, former CSA Executive Director

We were privileged to know Peter Mason through CSA for many years. It was an honor to be among his friends. Peter was a long-time supporter of CSA and its goals to further knowledge and research in the realm of cryogenics. He was extremely generous to us and to the Cryogenic Society with his time and talents.

He not only wrote a long-term column for Cold Facts, but he was on the Editorial Board and always available to help with technical questions and issues. Highly regarded and respected in his field, he shared his expertise and experience with us often. He led a very full and wide-ranging life and he and his wife Doreen shared many of their stories with us.

It is an understatement to say Peter will be missed! He left his mark on science and was an asset to Caltech and to all the other organizations he touched. As a Fellow of the Cryogenic Society of America, he holds a very special place in our hearts and our memories. ■