VASSILY MOROZ — a widely known scientist, an outstanding explorer of the planets by both ground-based and space-based methods. He began his life in research with registering infrared planetary spectra by ground-based observations using telescopes of the Southern Station of Sternberg institute and Crimean observatory. Then he obtained stunning novel results: discovered an ice cover of the surface of Jupiter’s satellites and the bound water in Martian soil, determined the pressure of Martian atmosphere and CO2 content in the atmosphere of Venus. From 1967 Vassily Moroz became actively involved in planetary research and developed spacecraft instrumentation for tne missions to Mars and Venus. He was the PI in many projects carried out from the interplanetary stations. He obtained pioneering results on properties and composition of Martian and Venusian atmospheres, atmosphere of Halley comet, and composition of the surface of Phobos. Vassily Moroz founded the Russian planetary scientific school and brought up an active community of talented scientists that successfully participate in the international programs of space research.
The laureates awarded with the V.I. Moroz Medal for outstanding achievements in planetary research:
in 2024:
- Prof. Vladislav Shevchenko, Head of the Department of Lunar and Planetary Research at the P.K. Sternberg State Astronomical Institute of Lomonosov Moscow State University;
- Dr. Ludmila Zasova, Head of the Laboratory of Spectroscopy of Planetary Atmospheres, Department of Planetary Physics, IKI RAS;
- Prof. Alexander Bazilevsky, Chief Researcher of the Laboratory of Comparative Planetology, GEOHI RAS.
in 2025:
- Dr. Boris Ivanov, Chief Researcher of the Laboratory of Deformation Processes in the Earth's Crust, the Institute of Geosphere Dynamics of RAS;
- Dr. Alexander Zakharov, Chief Researcher of the Laboratory of Direct Physical and Chemical Studies of Planets, Department of Planetary Physics, IKI RAS;
- Prof. Jordanka Semkova, Professor of Space Physics, Space Research and Technology Institute of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
Image of Mars credits: Steve Lee (University of Colorado), Jim Bell (Cornell University), Mike Wolff (Space Science Institute), and NASA