Andronicos George Kantsios

(1939-1985)

Andronicos "Andy" Kantsios was an active and innovative member of the infrared thermography community over a 10-year period beginning in the early 1970's.  Most of his work during this period was performed for NASA at the Langley Research Center in Virginia.  Much of his professional achievements and publications were in the area of temperature measurement, including the use of both enthalpy probes and radiometric methods.  His early work in the late 1960's led to a commendation for contributions made to the success in landing the first man on the moon in the Apollo 11 mission. 

Throughout the 1970's, Andy developed infrared techniques for the monitoring of composite materials, rocket effluent, and shuttle surfaces.  The SILTS (Shuttle Infrared Leeside Temperature Sensing) project was his "baby" from its inception.  He developed the infrared thermal camera, the instrumentation, the computer software, and the flight qualification tests.  The camera was used to determine aerodynamic flow information by measuring temperatures on the upper surface of the shuttle.  Andy received numerous awards and commendations from NASA for his pioneering work and it's contributions to the success of the Space Shuttle program.

The HALOE (Halogen Occultation Experiment) occupied a large part of Andy's time in the early 1980's.  This complex optical system was used to measure the oxides of chlorine, nitrogen, and hydrogen in the atmosphere. Difficulty in obtaining a reliable blackbody reference led him and his team to develop the type of blackbody source they needed.  His focus on blackbody development and standardization led to awards in this area, and a number of later publications on temperature measurement, standards, and professionalism.

Andy attended the first Thermosense Conference, and played an active role in Thermosense V and VI by serving on the program committee. He published papers in Thermosense proceedings in 1981, 1982, and 1983.  Andy was instrumental in stimulating the program committee to include presentations on new and emerging topics of interest ("New Trends" in 1982 and "Thermal Engineering Studies" in 1983).  In 1984, Andy was the chairman of Thermosense VII. It was during this time, in the late summer of 1984, that Andy became ill, and was diagnosed with leukemia.  Colleagues involved in Thermosense VII remember that Andy worked hard to advance the conference even as he struggled with the disease, and that his efforts were inspirational to others on the committee.  Because of his illness, Andy was not able to attend the conference that he chaired, and he died a few months afterwards. The proceedings of Thermosense VII, published after the conference, were dedicated to his memory.

Andy Kantsios is remembered as a wonderful person and a dedicated family man.  He was well respected for his technical expertise and professionalism.  His commitment and dedication to the advancement of infrared sensing inspired the creation of the Andronicos G. Kantsios Award. 

The award is given each year to the paper published in the Thermosense proceedings, which is deemed the most Outstanding Written Paper.  Since 1996, the award has been given to the authors of the most significant and professional examples of written work, which serve as a fitting tribute to a man, who brought so much to the infrared community in such a short time.

Last Updated on 19 March 2001
By R. B. Dinwiddie