O geólogo dos 32 cometas

Bevan M. French, outro bem conhecido cientista planetário, escreveu um mais do que apropriado tributo ao amigo desaparecido, em forma de poema.

Aqui fica “O Homem que passava a caminho da Lua”, mesmo sem tradução...

The Man Passing by on his way to the Moon

He was born in a Basin that’s now called la he decided quite early that he wouldn’t stay.The Moon shone down on him, there were rocks all around. And in that combination, his life’s work was found.

He’d lie is his cradle and smile at his mother, with a hammer in one hand and a rock in the other.And late in the evening, you might hear him croon, “I’m just passing by on my way to the Moon.” He started with field work like all Survey hands, but salt and uranium were not in his plans.

It was Meteor Crater and all of its kin that changed our whole view of the world that we’re in.Then he hooked up with NASA and worked with Apollo, ‘cause where astronauts went, geologists could follow.And in conference or meeting, he’d sing the same tune, “I’m just passing by on my way to the Moon”.

So all young geologists who are new on the scene, if you want to do well, take your lessons from Gene.Stay close to your field work, but leave your mind free, and don’t sit at home when there’s new worlds to see.For the young are not finished with the worlds that we know.

They’ve heard all our stories, and they are eager to go.It won’t be next August, or the following June, but one day they’ll pass by on their way to the Moon.

Em 1999, quando a sonda Lunar Prospector se despenhou no pólo sul da Lua, no fim da sua missão, levava a bordo um pequeno contentor com cinzas de Gene Shoemaker. "Where astronauts went, geologists could follow".