R. Roach

Franklin Evans Roach (1905-1993) was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, geophysicist, and professor renowned for pioneering contributions to aeronomy and upper atmosphere research. He analyzed UFO phenomena, serving on the Condon Committee, which investigated unidentified flying objects for the U.S. Air Force, and was involved with NICAP, a key civilian UFO research organization. Roach contributed to high explosives physics tied to the Manhattan Project and authored 'The Light of the Night Sky' with Janet L. Gordon, a seminal work in geophysics monographs. A Fulbright Scholar in 1951-52 studying night-sky emissions in Paris, he received the U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal in 1961 for auroral and airglow studies. Buried in Boulder, Colorado, Roach's UFO work bridged scientific rigor and ufology.