Tribute to Dr. Richard A. Marshall

Dr. Richard Marshall died at his home in Austin, Texas, in August 2012. He was a pioneer in developing the science and technology of electromagnetic railguns. His seminal research at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australia, set a world record in launching an intact projectile to almost 6 km/s. It was the first demonstration of achieving hypervelocities by any type of electromagnetic launcher and laid the groundwork for a broad range of research in pulsed electromagnetic power and hypervelocity physics. Dick had broad and eclectic scientific interests, but he was a focused, driven practical engineer who wanted more than anything else for his ideas to be understood and implemented for the benefit of mankind. The professional contributions of Dr Marshall are briefly recounted.