Heinlein (crater)
 | |
| Planet | Mars |
|---|---|
| Region | Promethei Terra |
| Coordinates | 64°36′S 243°48′W / 64.6°S 243.8°WCoordinates: 64°36′S 243°48′W / 64.6°S 243.8°W |
| Diameter | 83 km |
| Eponym | Robert A. Heinlein |
Heinlein is a crater in Promethei Terra, Mars. Centered at 64.6 degrees south, 243.8 degrees west, it is 83 km in diameter and is in the southeast end of the Hellas quadrangle. It forms a crater pair with Weinbaum as the southern rim touches that crater, that crater is in the Southern Polar Region.
Other nearby named prominent craters are Huxley to the west, Wells to the east-northeast and Byrd to the east, the latter two are not of the Hellas quadrangle.
It is named after Robert A. Heinlein, a leading science fiction author.[1]
Heinlein helped to narrate the Moon landing with Walter Cronkite on CBS in 1969. He was involved in the planning of the Star Wars Defense program in the 1980s. Several of his novels involve Mars, especially Stranger in a Strange Land, Red Planet, and Podkayne of Mars. Many NASA officials say that his works inspired them to enter the space industry.
References
- ↑ "Heinlein Crater". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). Retrieved November 30, 2017.