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Erika Wagner

Blue Origin’s New Shepard: Widening the Aperture to Space

The recent advances in the commercial space sector have redefined the phrase “Space: the final frontier.” Commercial space is making space accessible to all, driving global innovation, enabling diverse collaborations, and creating new industries for both space and Earth applications. NASA has been a key player in cultivating the new space industry. Blue Origin’s New Shepard program is working with NASA to provide a platform to conduct microgravity research and technology development. Dr. Erika Wagner will discuss how Blue Origin supports basic science and applied technology maturation in partial gravity.

Abstract:
Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft has carried more than 100 payloads to space, lowering the barriers of entry to both new users and experienced investigators alike. Flights to the Kàrmàn Line (100 km) provide minutes of high-quality microgravity and unique access to this altitude regime for a wide range of science, technology, and educational endeavors. The new era of personal spaceflight is also expanding the possibilities for gravitational researchers to conduct high-quality, hands-on investigations, previously limited to parabolic aircraft. Additionally, this talk explores new capabilities for partial gravity payload flights that support both basic science and applied technology maturation with relevance to Lunar and Martian surface operations.

Biography:
Dr. Erika Wagner serves as Payload Sales Director for Blue Origin. Prior to joining Blue Origin, Dr. Wagner worked with the X PRIZE Foundation as Senior Director of Exploration PRIZE Development and was the founding Executive Director of the X PRIZE Lab at MIT. Previously, she served as the MIT Science Director of the Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program. Erika has also served as a member of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation’s Suborbital Applications Researchers Group, the Board of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research and NASA’s Planetary Protection Independent Review Board. She currently serves as a Trustee of the Museum of Flight as well as a member of the National Academies’ Space Studies Board. Dr. Wagner holds a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Vanderbilt University, a master’s in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT, and a PhD in Bioastronautics from the Harvard/MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. She is also an alumna of the International Space University, Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and member of the Space Camp Hall of Fame.

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Casey Honniball

Lunar Surface Hydration: A View from Earth

A desert thunderstorm brings the flora back to life out of dormancy. In the same way, technological development and new ideas flourish with a new discovery. Over two decades of research have shown that there is water ice and hydroxide on the shadowed surface of the Moon. Now, observations have proven that there are water molecules on the sunlit lunar surface as well. What new insights and opportunities will grow from this? Please join Dr. Casey Honniball as she presents her research in detecting and distinguishing water on the sunlit surface of the Moon.

Abstract: 
In 2009, three spacecraft reported an absorption at 3 µm that is attributed to hydroxyl (OH) and possibly water (H₂O). The returned spacecraft data, however, are limited in wavelength coverage, spatial and temporal resolution, and global coverage. To bridge the gap, we use two Earth-based observatories to characterize the 3 µm band and to unambiguously detect water. Using the NASA InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF) we address variability of the 3 µm band and with the NASA Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) we search for the 6 µm water signature.
Observations with the IRTF reveal total water (OH + H₂O) abundances ranging from 0 to ~500 ppm H₂O. We observe a decrease in abundance with increasing lunar time, an asymmetric trend about the equator that favors the South, and higher abundances in highland regions. Data from SOFIA reveal abundances of ~250 ppm H₂O from the 6 µm emission band attribute to water. We are unaware of any other lunar material that exhibits an isolated 6 µm band. This is the first direct detection of water on the sunlit Moon.

Biography:
As an undergraduate at the University of Arizona, Dr. Casey I. Honniball worked on astronomical instrumentation to study the life cycle of molecular clouds and deployed cameras to Arizona, the Atacama Desert, and Antarctica. She completed her M.S. degree at the University of Hawaii in Geology and Geophysics focusing on characterizing infrared cameras. Her Ph.D. work in Earth and Planetary Science at UH consisted of instrumentation and lunar observations. She built and deployed field portable hyperspectral imagers to measure gas composition or for use by astronauts. She conducted ground-based observations of the Moon using the IRTF telescope to understand the life cycle of hydration on the Moon. As part of that work, she developed a new method to detect and distinguish water on the sunlit Moon using the airborne SOFIA telescope. As a postdoctoral fellow at NASA Godard Space Flight Center, she continues lunar observations creating maps of geologically interesting locations to understand the availability of water as a potential resource on the Moon. She participates in mission design and instrumentation to further our understanding of volatiles on the Moon.

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Simonetta Di Pippo

The Future of Global Space Governance: Proactive Multilateralism at the UN level

Who should decide policies affecting space access and utilization? As humanity is increasing its dependency on space for commercial use and research and development, conflicts between nations will inevitably arise. National and international space policies are needed to reduce the number of conflicts and promote advancements. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) promotes international cooperation to ensure the peaceful use and exploration of space and works to bring the benefits of space science and technology to the whole world. Please join UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo as she presents an overview of UNOOSA’s approach to the future of global space governance.

Abstract: 
Since the early stages of the space era, the United Nations has provided the key multilateral platform for convening global stakeholders to debate space-related matters. The growing dependency of the society on space assets now creates a deepening emphasis on preserving a safe, secure and sustainable space environment whereby the UN continues to facilitate exchanges on the ‘rules of the orbit and beyond’. Leading the UN’s efforts in this field, UNOOSA works across the policy, legal, technical and scientific elements of international cooperation in space, employing a resolutely future-focused perspective. This lecture, by UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo, will provide an overview of how UNOOSA employs a proactive multilateral approach to ensure an inclusive and consensual future of global space governance, contributes to the implementation of the vision on the long-term sustainability of space activities, and engages in the development of a global space traffic management under the auspices of the UN. Only through responsibility today, we can ensure prosperity tomorrow.

Biography:
Simonetta Di Pippo is Director of UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), a position which sees her lead the Office’s strategic, policy and programmatic activities and advising the UN Secretary-General on space affairs. Prior to joining UNOOSA, she served as Director of Human Spaceflight at the European Space Agency, and previously also as Director of the Observation of the Universe at the Italian National Space Agency, ASI. She is an Academician of IAA and a member of WEF Global Future Council on Space Technologies since 2016 and its co-chair since 2020. She co-founded Women in Aerospace Europe in 2009 and in 2017 became a UN International Gender Champion.

She holds a Master’s Degree in Astrophysics and Space Physics from University “La Sapienza”, and Honoris Causa Degree in Environmental Studies, and an Honoris Causa Degree of Doctor in International Affairs. Ms. Di Pippo was knighted by the President of the Italian Republic in 2006 and, in 2008, the International Astronomical Union assigned the name “dipippo” to asteroid 21887 in recognition of her efforts in space exploration. She was also featured in a publication HERstory: A Celebration of Leading Women in the United Nations, a tribute to women’s participation in the development of the UN. Among other awards, she was awarded the Hubert Curien Award in 2018 as the first woman

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John Mather

Opening the Infrared Treasure Chest with JWST

Despite humanity’s progress, we are only beginning to understand the world around us. Telescopes have been critical in providing insights into where we came from and our place in the Universe. As a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope will provide insights into every point in time of our Universe, from the objects created at the beginning of the Universe to the evolution of our Solar System. Dr. Mather will provide an overview of the James Webb Space Telescope’s conceptualization, capabilities, and planned observations.

Abstract: 
The long-awaited James Webb Space Telescope is planned for launch by Oct. 31, 2021. With its 6.5 m deployable primary mirror, and cameras and spectrometers covering 0.6 to 28 µm, it promises extraordinary improvements in observing capabilities. Webb will be able to observe the first objects that formed after the Big Bang, the growth of galaxies, the formation of stars and planetary systems, individual exoplanets through coronography and transit spectroscopy, and all objects in the Solar System from Mars on out. It could observe a 1 cm² bumblebee at the distance of the Moon, in reflected sunlight and thermal emission. I will review the observatory capabilities and planned observing program, and illustrate the history of the concept from 1988 to now. The Webb is a joint project of NASA with the European and Canadian space agencies.

Biography:
Dr. John C. Mather is a Senior Astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, where he specializes in infrared astronomy and cosmology.  He received his Bachelor’s degree in physics at Swarthmore College and his PhD in physics at the University of California at Berkeley. As an NRC postdoctoral fellow at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (New York City), he led the proposal efforts for the Cosmic Background Explorer (74-76), and came to GSFC to be the Study Scientist (76-88), Project Scientist (88-98), and the Principal Investigator for the Far IR Absolute Spectrophotometer (FIRAS) on COBE.  He and his team showed that the cosmic microwave background radiation has a blackbody spectrum within 50 parts per million, confirming the Big Bang theory to extraordinary accuracy. The COBE team also discovered the cosmic anisotropy (hot and cold spots in the background radiation), now believed to be the primordial seeds that led to the structure of the universe today.  It was these findings that led to Dr. Mather receiving the Nobel Prize in 2006. Dr. Mather now serves as Senior Project Scientist (95-present) for the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the great Hubble Space Telescope.

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Rainer Weiss

The Beginnings of Gravitational Wave Astronomy: Current State and Future*

Dr. Rainer Weiss presented “The Beginnings of Gravitational Wave Astronomy: Current State and Future” on November 9, 2021.

From falling apples to the orbits of planets, gravity is critical for our understanding of the Universe. Historically, astronomy relied on EM radiation observations, which are prone to being distorted by matter. However, the detection of gravitational waves, which interact weakly with matter, allow for more detailed observations of the Universe. Join Dr. Rainer Weiss as he explores the history of detecting gravitational waves, recent measurements, and the start and potential of multi-messenger astrophysics.

Abstract: 
The first detection of gravitational waves was made in September 2015 with the measurement of the coalescence of two ~30 solar mass black holes at a distance of about 1 billion light years from Earth. The talk will begin with a little history and description of gravitational waves. Then provide a review of more recent measurements of black hole events as well as the first detection of the coalescence of two neutron stars and the beginning of multi-messenger astrophysics. The talk will end with a discussion of some prospects for the field.

Biography:
RAINER WEISS SB ’55; PhD ’62 (NAS) is a Professor Emeritus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Previously Dr. Weiss served as an assistant physics professor at Tufts University and has been an adjunct professor at Louisiana State University since 2001. Dr. Weiss is known for his pioneering measurements of the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background radiation, his inventions of the monolithic silicon bolometer and the laser interferometer gravitational wave detector and his roles as a co-founder and an intellectual leader of both the COBE (microwave background) Project and the LIGO (gravitational-wave detection) Project. He has received numerous scientific and group achievement awards from NASA, an MIT excellence in teaching award, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, the National Space Club Science Award, the Medaille de l’ADION Observatoire de Nice, the Gruber Cosmology Prize, and the Einstein Prize of the American Physical Society. Dr. Weiss is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society, The American Academy of Arts and Sciences; and he is a member of the American Astronomical Society, the New York Academy of Sciences, and Sigma Xi. He received his B.S. and Ph.D. in physics from MIT. Dr. Weiss is a member of the NAS and has served on nine NRC committees from 1986 to 2007 including the Committee on NASA Astrophysics Performance Assessment; the Panel on Particle, Nuclear, and Gravitational-wave Astrophysics; and the Task Group on Space Astronomy and Astrophysics.

* Note: This seminar was postponed to the fall. Please see more information under OCS Seminars

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Mae Jemison and Ronke Olabisi

Biomaterials for Human Space Exploration

Evolution has created a library of biological tools that can be exploited or mimicked.  Biologically derived materials and biomaterials have the potential to be used for multiple applications, which can reduce the mass required for space exploration.  Dr. Jemison and Prof. Olabisi will present their work in exploring how biomaterials can be used to support a new age of human space exploration.

Abstract: 
Dr. Jemison and Prof. Olabisi will explore how biomaterials may be employed to mitigate some of the major physiological and environmental challenges facing human space missions both near Earth and deep space. Advances in biomaterials from lightweight radiation protection and microbe resistant surfaces to wound healing, bone repair, and hemodynamics support will be discussed. A framework will be suggested to address the existing the definition of biomaterials science on Earth that may help promote the more robust application of biologically derived and biomedical materials in space exploration.

Biographies:
Dr. Mae C. Jemison leads 100 Year Starship (100YSS), a bold, far reaching nonprofit initiative to assure the capabilities exist for human travel beyond our solar system to another star within the next 100 years. Jemison, the first woman of color in the world to go into space, served six years as a NASA astronaut. Aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, STS-47 Spacelab J mission in September 1992, she performed experiments in material science, life sciences and human adaptation to weightlessness. Before joining NASA she was the Area Peace Corps Medical Officer for Sierra Leone and Liberia and a general practice physician in Los Angeles. Jemison is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine and is on the boards of directors of Kimberly–Clark, the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards and the Texas Medical Center. Jemison is a inductee of the National Women’s Hall of Fame, the National Medical Association Hall of Fame and Texas Science Hall of Fame, International Space Hall of Fame as well as a recipient of the National Organization for Women’s Intrepid Award, The Kilby Science Award and National Association of Corporate Directors’ Directorship 100 most influential people in the boardroom in 2014. She has a B.S., Chemical Engineering; Fulfilled requirements A.B., African and Afro-American Studies-Stanford University M.D., Cornell University.

Ronke Olabisi is an Assistant Professor and Samueli Development Chair in Biomedical Engineering at UC Irvine. Educated at MIT, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she holds advanced degrees in Aeronautical, Mechanical, and Biomedical engineering. Prof. Olabisi develops tools to repair or generate tissues and has designed biomaterials that accelerate wound healing, or grow bone in microscopic patterns.  Since 2013, she has taught “Biomedical Engineering for Astrospace,” a course that trains biomedical engineers to understand the physiological adaptations to the space environment and use engineering approaches to model those changes to better assess countermeasures. The course includes outreach where students dispel common myths and misconceptions about space flight in K-12 classrooms. Prof. Olabisi has published 2 book chapters and 33 articles in peer-reviewed publications, and she has given 38 invited talks and 81 presentations in 53 scientific conferences. She received the following awards: Frontiers in Bioengineering Best Poster (2014), Charles and Johanna Busch Memorial Grant (2014), Engineering Information Foundation (2016), National Science Foundation CAREER (2018), Rutgers’ TechAdvance Commercializing Innovative Technologies (2018), Johnson & Johnson Women in STEM2D Scholars Award (2019) and Biomedical Engineering Society’s Young Innovators in Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering (2019). Prof. Olabisi’s work was selected for the NSF Innovation Corps and she holds 1 patent with 2 more applications being considered.

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Joseph Rios

Getting the Airspace Ready for Advanced Air Mobility

As the human population increases, it is critical to maximize airspace utilization. To achieve this, airspace infrastructure must keep in step with technological development. NASA is at the forefront of developing Urban Air Mobility infrastructure and technology as part of its Advanced Air Mobility Project. Dr. Joseph Rios will present innovations in airspace management techniques to ensure the success of future air mobility missions. 

Abstract:  
Amazing new vehicles and business models are emerging that will make Urban Air Mobility a reality.  A future with vehicles capable of autonomously, safely, and cost-effectively carrying passengers and cargo in a city environment is closer than we think.  While advances in airborne systems like these are exciting, is the airspace system ready to handle this new burst of traffic?  In this talk, Dr. Joseph Rios will discuss NASA’s vision to ensure that the airspace is ready when the vehicles are ready.  He will cover NASA’s pioneering work on novel, federated airspace management techniques developed to handle thousands of small drone operations and how that system is an excellent starting point to handle “air taxis” and large cargo drones in the future. 

Biography: 
Dr. Joseph Rios is the Chief Technologist for the Aviation Systems Division at NASA Ames Research Center.  Previously, he served as the Chief Engineer for the Air Traffic Management – eXploration (ATM-X) Project after serving in the same role for the UAS Traffic Management (UTM) Project. In those roles, he has helped define the concept of federated traffic management with help from industry and the FAA.  He joined NASA in 2007 as a civil servant after a summer internship. He has worked on large-scale optimization models for traffic flow management, data exchange schemas for air traffic, and tools for general aviation pilots in remote locations. His recent work has emphasized the importance of discovering and applying appropriate architectures to a solve problems. Following two years teaching in Papua New Guinea via the Peace Corps, Joseph obtained his M.S. in Computer Science from Cal State Hayward, followed by a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from UC Santa Cruz.  

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Haley Cummings

Future Flight on Mars: Ingenuity and the ROAMX Project

Mars Helicopter demonstrated flight on another planet for the first time. This historic flight was only possible due to extensive research into flight in a reduced atmospheric density, relative to Earth. Haley Cummings will present the Rotor Optimization for the Advancement of Mars eXploration (ROAMX) Project which aims to revolutionize blade airfoils and optimized rotors for beyond-Earth flight.  

Abstract:
In April 2021, the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter made history as the first vehicle to demonstrate powered, controlled flight on another planet. By its ninth flight in early July, Ingenuity has flown further and faster than originally thought possible, and scientists have begun to use it as an aid to investigate terrain that rovers alone cannot. Here at Ames, planetary aerial vehicle research has been ongoing since the 1990s and continues today. The STMD funded Early Career Initiative project “Rotor Optimization for the Advancement of Mars eXploration (ROAMX)” is seeking to define an advanced generation of blade airfoils and optimized rotors for next-generation and beyond flight in the thin Mars atmosphere, which will allow enhanced science and exploration of Mars through the third dimension – flight. The rotorcraft aerodynamic research being conducted through the ROAMX project has suggested that significant increases in hover time, range, and payload carrying capacity can be achieved for Mars helicopters by designing optimized blades to operate on Mars. A brief glimpse into some of the future of Mars rotorcraft enabled by ROAMX and other technology advancements will also be presented.  

Biography: 
Haley Cummings is the Principal Investigator for the Early Career Initiative project entitled Rotor Optimization for the Advancement of Mars eXploration (ROAMX) at NASA Ames Research Center in California, which is seeking to computationally optimize and experimentally validate helicopter rotors for flight on Mars. She started working at Ames in 2014 as an intern, came back again in 2016 as an intern, was hired as a Pathways intern in 2017, and has worked full time at Ames since then. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s in mechanical engineering from Northern Illinois University in 2016 and 2018. 

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John Hines

The Start of Something Great: The Evolution of the Ames Biological Cubesat Program

Big scientific discoveries can be accomplished with small packages. CubeSats are nanosatellites built on a standard unit of a 10 cm cube. In 2006, NASA Ames Research Center’s GeneSat-1 demonstrated, for the first time, that the CubeSat format can be used to conduct PI-led missions. Please join John Hines as he presents an overview of the CubeSat program at the Center and its significance to cost effective space missions.  

Abstract:
The scientific biological CubeSat revolution started with a blast on December 16, 2006, with the launch of NASA’s first Biological CubeSat, GeneSat-1, developed by the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) and launched as a secondary payload from the Wallops Flight Facility aboard a Minotaur-1 launch vehicle. Prior to that point, the vast majority of CubeSats were considered aerospace engineering training tools, too small and with too many technological constraints to consider them for professional and operational use. 

This presentation provides a chronological history of the NASA-Ames CubeSat and nanosatellite project and mission evolution, starting with a discussion of the background summary of biological measurement systems research and technology development, and early biological free-flyer projects. The central focus of the chapter is the development and implementation of GeneSat-1, and subsequent 3-unit (U) and 6U nanosatellite projects and missions. Other Ames nanosatellite and small satellite activities are also described, and the presentation concludes with a discussion and summary of the significance and benefits of that initial GeneSat-1 and subsequent missions, along with projections for the future. 

Biography:
John is Managing Director/Chief Technical Officer at JH Technology Associates LLC (JHTA), a California technology and product development consulting company. John is also Founder and CEO of the Hines Family Foundation for Education, Innovation, and Service, a non-profit Atlanta, Georgia based STEM4.0 innovation, and technology capabilities enabling organization, with particular emphasis on enabling women and underrepresented minorities to be viable contributors to the 21^st Century workforce. With HFF, John emphasizes educational networking and advancement, specialized learning systems and tools development, and hands-on outreach experiences. 

JHTA expertise areas include Space and Small Spacecraft Technologies, Medical/Biological Technologies, Technology Aggregation, and Technology Program/Project/Product Management. John’s specific technology emphasis areas include research, technology, and product development activities involving nano- and micro-satellite- based space systems; medical and biological technologies and measurement systems; climate and sustainable technologies; 21^st century lifecycle product development, and advanced learning systems.  

John retired as NASA-Ames Research Center Chief Technologist (CCT) in December 2012, after nearly 37 years of service. John has a BS in Electrical Engineering from Tuskegee University, a MS in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, and nearly 50 years of combined NASA/Air Force/Research Institute experience in biological/biomedical technology development, spaceflight hardware development, electronic systems, technology assessment, program/project/product development, management, and program advocacy.  

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Afshin Beheshti

Pushing the Boundaries of Space Biology: Computation Modeling and Systems Biology

Mathematical modeling is a powerful tool for new discoveries. The integration of systems and computational biology have created novel approaches for interrogating life and developing therapeutics. Please join us for a presentation by Dr. Afshin Beheshti on computational biology and machine learning applications for radiation countermeasures and other fields. 

Abstract:
Effective countermeasures/therapeutics for radiation-induced genetic damage are crucial for space health for long duration exploration missions. Mitigations for the space environment should effectively regulate the increased health risks should also minimize off-target regulation to reduce toxicity. Computational approaches integrated with systems biology are starting to be effectively utilized for space biology work to determine key biology involved for biomarker development with health risks associated with spaceflight and rapid development of countermeasures. One focus is studying microRNAs (miRNAs) which small, non-coding RNA that are part of a cell’s natural regulatory system. By combining molecular modeling, bioinformatics, and high-throughput experimental screening to design miRNAs to silence targeted damaged (or mutated) genes, potential applications are wide-ranging from space radiation induced genetic damage to terrestrial genetic disease, cancer, biomarkers, and countermeasure development. In addition, we have utilizing novel machine learning techniques to predict potential FDA approved drugs/small molecules that can provide inhibition of the miRNAs and other key biology involved with increasing health risks with spaceflight. These methods have broad application not only to space biology, but have great benefit to other fields, which will also be discussed.

Biography:
Afshin Beheshti holds a doctorate from Florida State University in physics and made a transition to cancer, systems biology, and radiation biology for his postdoctoral training. In 2014, he became an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine/Tufts Medical Center where he continued his research as a systems biologist studying various aspects of cancer including microRNAs, aging and cancer, cancer drug targets, and development of novel immunotherapy. In April 2017, Beheshti joined KBR, NASA’s Ames Research Center to be part of the GeneLab project assisting with developing the platform. In addition, Beheshti has obtained his own grants where he is conducting research on how microRNAs will affect space biology and potential use for countermeasures to mitigate space radiation and microgravity. Beheshti also holds a Visiting Researcher appointment at Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and is the lead of a nonprofit formed on March 2020 working on COVID-19 called COVID-19 International Research Team (COV-IRT, www.cov-irt.org)

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Natasha Batalha

Unveiling the Nature of Terrestrial Worlds at the Onset of Next Generation Space Telescopes

The Kepler mission demonstrated that the Universe if full of planets. How likely is it that Earth is the only planet among them capable of supporting life, as we know it? Next generation telescopes will greatly improve exoplanet detection and their habitability potential. Dr. Natasha Batalha will discuss her research on exoplanet atmosphere chemical composition and climate, as well as future missions to directly image exoplanets.

Abstract:
NASA’s Kepler Missionsought to answer a simple question: Do rocky planets, like Earth, exist elsewhere in our galaxy? We now know that not only do terrestrial worlds exist in our galaxy, they exist in abundance. Now we can consider: Where did we come from? Is the habitability of our planet unique? Does life exist beyond the Solar System?The answers lie in the chemical makeup of the atmospheres of these distant worlds called exoplanets. NASA’s next generation space telescope, James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) – scheduled to launch in October 2021 – has 6.25x the photon collecting area, up to 100x the resolution, and 10x the spectroscopic wavelength coverage compared to the Hubble Space Telescope. Batalha will give insights into the first objects JWST will look at, including one planet which could be potentially habitable. NASA’s future missions endeavor to directly image planets in hopes of detecting signatures of biology. Batalha will discuss what we need to do today to ensure these goals are realized in the coming decades.

Biography:
Dr. Natasha Batalha is a scientist at NASA Ames Research Center who studies the atmospheres of worlds beyond the Solar System, also called exoplanets. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Cornell University and a dual PhD from The Pennsylvania State University in Astrobiology & Astrophysics. Throughout her career she has garnered awards such as the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Minority Scholarship, the University of California President’s Fellowship, and NASA Ames Early Career Award. Her research is focused on building physical models to help learn about the atmospheres of exoplanets using primarily space based telescopes. This entails measuring exoplanet atmospheres’ climate and chemical compositions by leveraging spectroscopy. Furthermore, all Dr. Batalha’s models are all publicly available via Github, as she strives to create a field that is accessible and inclusive. In the next year the revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope will be launching. Dr. Batalha is co-leading the largest exoplanet observing campaign to study the atmospheres of a mysterious class of planets between the size of Earth and Neptune, and therefore is anxiously awaiting a successful launch in October.  

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