Eric Burgess

Eric Burgess (1920 – March 2005) was an English freelance consultant, lecturer and journalist, who wrote about the Pioneer program of space missions since the first tests in 1957.

Burgess is credited with the original idea that the Pioneer probes should carry a message for extraterrestrial intelligences.

Shortly before his death Burgess had a large collection of film and printed media on the subject of rocketry and space exploration that may have been donated by his heirs to a local library.

Perhaps his greatest contribution other than the claim of having the idea for geosynchronous satellite communication networks (disputed with characteristic droll humor by Clarke) was his chronicling of the initial exploration of the solar system (re: bibliography).

He was also the science adviser for the James Bond film Moonraker which received an Academy Award nomination for its visuals which Burgess helped edit for accuracy.