Survey of the ongoing results of the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission to image the edge of our solar system and discover the global interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium. IBEX data was expected to show a termination shock, similar to what is believed to be observed around other stars, and determine its distance from the sun. Instead, surprisingly, a “ribbon” of bright energy was found. Continued data collection, also surprisingly, shows the ribbon varies in strength and location on a time scales of months. The results are requiring reconsideration of our fundamental concepts of the interaction between the heliosphere and the interstellar medium.

Dr. Ryder, beginning in 2004, served as Vice President of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company and head of the Advanced Technology Center, an R&D organization covering a diverse range of technologies including solar and space sciences. He announced his retirement in 2011.