The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is extremely saddened to hear of the passing of former President Professor Mike Cruise, who has died at the age of 78.
Professor Cruise was President of the RAS from 2018-2020 and also served as Treasurer, Secretary, Council member and Vice President of the Society.
In 2023 he was made an OBE for services to space science.
RAS Executive Director Ian Russell said: "In addition to his immense contribution to science, Mike was a stalwart of the Royal Astronomical Society.
"He was kind, thoughtful and honourable, possessed a keen sense of humour and was great company. He left a mark on all who knew him and he'll be sorely missed. Our thoughts are with his family."
Current RAS President Professor Mike Lockwood added: "It is with huge sadness that I hear of the death of Mike Cruise.
"Mike was my boss at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory many years ago, and a very fine leader and mentor he was too.
"Throughout his career he was a great asset to UK astronomy and to the RAS in particular. I will always remember his wisdom, but also his delightful sense of humour – always understated and subtle and based on deep knowledge and insight."
Professor Cruise, an honorary professor at the University of Birmingham, worked on the study of gravitational waves using ground-based and space-based facilities.
Gravitational waves are minuscule ripples in space-time thought to be triggered by massive events such as the merging of black holes. Albert Einstein predicted their existence a century ago, and Professor Cruise’s work contributed to their first conclusive detection in 2015.
He published more than 200 research papers and a textbook on 'The Principles of Space Instrument Design' during his distinguished career and was involved in experiments with both the European Space Agency (ESA) and UK Space Agency (UKSA), as well as the development of high frequency gravitational wave detectors.
Professor Cruise obtained his BSc and PhD from University College London (UCL), where he worked at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory on instrumentation for X-Ray astronomy, before becoming Deputy Director in 1985.
A year later he left UCL to became the leader of the Astrophysics Group at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and later the Associate Director for Space.
In 1995 he was appointed to a chair at the University of Birmingham, followed by five years as Head of School and five years as Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Transfer.
He formally retired from his role at the University of Birmingham in 2012 but remained involved with ESA, UKSA and the RAS, as well as in gravitational wave research.
Among his many awards and achievements were prizes from ESA, NASA, and the Royal Aeronautical Society, while he also won the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics and the RAS Group Achievement Award.
Professor Cruise was involved in a huge number of space missions, including the development of a space-based gravitational wave observatory known as LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna).
The UK's leading role in this important mission, set to launch in the mid-2030s, was supported by the work of Professor Cruise.
The RAS offers its sincere condolences to Professor Cruise's family, friends, and all those who had the privilege to know and work with him.