{{Short description|American planetary scientist (born 1941)}} {{Other uses|John Lewis (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox scientist | name = John S. Lewis | birth_name = John Simpson Lewis Jr. | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1941|6|27}} | birth_place = [[Trenton, New Jersey]] | death_date = | death_place = | fields = chemistry of the Solar System, space resources, impact hazards | workplaces = | alma_mater = [[Princeton University]]<br>[[Dartmouth College]]<br>[[University of California, San Diego]] | thesis_title = | thesis_url = | thesis_year = 1968 | doctoral_advisor = [[Harold Urey]] | academic_advisors = [[George B. Field]], Alexander Kaczmarczyk, Robert Pease | doctoral_students = | notable_students = [[David Grinspoon]]<br>[[Thomas David Jones]]<br>[[Stewart Nozette]] | known_for = | influences = | influenced = | awards = James B Macelwayne Award of the American Geophysical Union, NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal | spouse = Peg }} '''John S. Lewis''' (born June 27, 1941) is a [[Emeritus|Professor Emeritus]] of [[planetary science]] at the [[University of Arizona]]’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. His interests in the chemistry and formation of the [[Solar System]] and the economic development of [[outer space|space]] have made him a leading proponent of turning potentially hazardous [[near-Earth object]]s into attractive space resources.
==Career== The son of John Simpson Lewis, a [[YMCA]] professional, and Elsie Dinsmore Vandenbergh, a school teacher. Lewis received his [[Bachelor's of science|B.S.]] in [[chemistry]] from [[Princeton University]] in 1962 as a [[National Merit Scholarship Program|National Merit Scholar]]. He then continued his education at [[Dartmouth College]] receiving his [[Master's degree|M.A.]] in [[inorganic chemistry]] in 1964. He received his [[Doctorate|Ph.D]] in [[geochemistry]] and [[cosmochemistry]] from [[University of California, San Diego]] in 1968, where he studied under [[Harold Urey]]. Prior to joining the University of Arizona, Lewis taught [[space sciences]] and [[cosmochemistry]] at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]].
An expert on the composition and chemistry of [[asteroid]]s and [[comet]]s, Lewis has written such popular science books as ''Rain of Iron and Ice'' and ''[[Mining the Sky: Untold Riches from the Asteroids, Comets, and Planets]]''. Lewis is a frequent commentator on the Chinese network [[China Central Television|CCTV]] when China broadcasts its major missions live.
He was a member of the Board of Directors of American Rocket Company and is currently Chief Scientist at Deep Space Industries.
Raised a Presbyterian, Lewis became a [[Mormon]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mormonscholarstestify.org/2791/john-s-lewis |title=Blog Archive » John S. Lewis |publisher=Mormon Scholars Testify |date= |accessdate=2016-02-27}}</ref> in 1980.
In February 2013, Lewis assumed the role of [[Chief science officer|Chief Scientist]] for the firm [[Deep Space Industries]]. Lewis focuses on strategic planning, mission development and processing concepts for Deep Space.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://deepspaceindustries.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/DSILewisanncmnt_20130220.pdf |title=World's Leading Asteroid Expert Joins Deep Space Industries; Lewis "Wrote the Book" on Meteor Strikes, Asteroid Mining |website=Deepsapceindustries.com |accessdate=2016-02-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307004947/https://deepspaceindustries.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/DSILewisanncmnt_20130220.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=46970 |title=Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: World's Leading Asteroid Expert Joins Deep Space Industries; Lewis "Wrote the Book" on Meteor Strikes, Asteroid Mining |website=Nanotech-now.com |date= |accessdate=2016-02-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parabolicarc.com/2013/02/21/asteroid-expert-john-lewis-named-deep-space-industries-chief-scientist/ |title=Asteroid Expert John Lewis Named Deep Space Industries Chief Scientist at Parabolic Arc |website=Parabolicarc.com |date=2013-02-21 |accessdate=2016-02-27}}</ref>
==Publications== * {{cite book |title= Planets and Their Atmospheres: Origin and Evolution |date= 1984 |isbn= 0124465803 |last1= Lewis |first1= John S. |last2= Prinn |first2= Ronald G. |publisher= Academic Press }} * {{cite book |title= Space Resources: Breaking the Bonds of Earth |date= 1987 |isbn= 0231064985 |last1= Lewis |first1= John S. |last2= Lewis |first2= Ruth A. |publisher= Columbia University Press }} * {{cite book |title= Resources of Near-Earth Space |date= 1993 |isbn= 0816514046 |last1= Lewis |first1= John S. |last2= Matthews |first2= Mildred Shapley |publisher= University of Arizona Press }} * {{cite book |title= Physics and Chemistry of the Solar System |date= 1995 |isbn= 0124467407 |last1= Lewis |first1= John S. |publisher= Elsevier Science }} * {{cite book |title= Rain of Iron and Ice: The Very Real Threat of Comet and Asteroid Bombardment |date= 1996 |isbn= 0201489503 |url= https://archive.org/details/rainofironicever00lewi |last1= Lewis |first1= John S. |publisher= Basic Books }} * {{cite book |title= [[Mining the Sky: Untold Riches from the Asteroids, Comets, and Planets]] |date= 1997 |isbn= 0201479591 |last1= Lewis |first1= John |last2= Lewis |first2= Professor John S. |publisher= Basic Books }} * {{cite book |title= Worlds Without End: The Exploration of Planets Known and Unknown |date= 1998 |isbn= 0738200115 |url= https://archive.org/details/worldswithoutend0000lewi |last1= Lewis |first1= John S. |publisher= Basic Books }} * {{cite book |title= Comet and Asteroid Impact Hazards on a Populated Earth: Computer Modeling |date= 2000 |isbn= 0124467601 |last1= Lewis |first1= John S. |last2= Lewis |first2= Professor John S. |publisher= Academic Press }} * {{cite book |title= Asteroid mining 101: wealth for a new space economy |date= 2014 |isbn= 978-0-9905842-0-9 |last1= Lewis |first1= John S. |publisher= Deep Space Industries Incorporated }}
==See also== *[[Marshall Savage]] - author of ''[[The Millennial Project: Colonizing the Galaxy in Eight Easy Steps]]'' *[[Gerard K. O'Neill|Gerard O'Neill]] - author of ''[[The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space]]'' *[[James Benson]] - founder of the [[SpaceDev]] company *''[[The Case for Mars|The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must]]'' by [[Robert Zubrin]] *''[[Engines of Creation]]'' by [[K. Eric Drexler]] *[[3554 Amun|Asteroid 3554 Amun]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20130410235441/http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/people/faculty/lewis2.html John Lewis's web page] at the University of Arizona. *[http://www.johnslewis.com/ Personal blog] *[http://www.airspacemag.com/as-interview/extraterrestrial-commodities-market-180956240/?no-ist The Extraterrestrial Commodities Market] airspacemag.com
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, John S.}} [[Category:1941 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American planetary scientists]] [[Category:Princeton University alumni]] [[Category:Dartmouth College alumni]] [[Category:University of California, San Diego alumni]] [[Category:MIT School of Science faculty]] [[Category:Space colonization]] [[Category:University of Arizona faculty]] [[Category:American geochemists]] [[Category:Astrogeologists]] [[Category:Scientists from Arizona]] [[Category:Scientists from New Jersey]] [[Category:American science writers]] [[Category:Asteroid mining]]