Fall

Linae Larson

Linae is an Astronomy major with minors in Planetary Sciences, Astrobiology, and Chemistry. Linae chose Planetary Sciences as a minor because it complemented the Astrobiology minor. She enjoyed taking PTYS 411: Geology and Geophysics of the Solar System with Associate Professor Christopher Hamilton. The class focused on the diversity of processes that shape planetary surfaces, topics of interest to Linae, who didn’t have any prior experience with geology. She also appreciated that Dr. Hamilton was open to questions and could provide applications to the topic at hand. One of Linae’s in-class questions became the foundation of her Space Grant research project!

Linae plans to graduate in Spring 2026 and then pursue a Ph.D. in astronomy or planetary sciences. Her goal is to be a mission scientist on an astrobiology-focused mission such as Dragonfly, which is visiting Saturn's moon Titan in 2034. Linae is a Space Grant intern working with Dr. Christopher Hamilton on a new mechanism of ocean mixing for icy moons like Europa and Enceladus. The shockwave produced by asteroid impacts on icy moons could cause chunks of ice to fragment on the underside of the icy shell and be ejected into the ocean. This would cause ocean mixing that otherwise would not occur, affecting chemical abundances and habitability. She is using geophysics and finite-element modeling to explore the feasibility and consequences of this process. In addition, she is currently working with LPL Research Scientist Dr. Michael Phillips to use spectroscopy of Mars massifs, ancient mountains formed during giant impact events, to reveal the early history of Mars and its mantle overturn event. She uses GIS software to describe and highlight individual features and then creates scientific figures in Python.

When Linae is not doing homework or working on research, she enjoys hanging out with friends for movie nights or trivia. She also designs and builds dynamic LEGO models, like a rotating asteroid Bennu or flying Santa's reindeer. She also enjoys the challenge of playing competitive indoor power soccer in sports wheelchairs with her team the Minnesota Northern Lights at regional and national tournaments.

On the morning of Dec. 3rd, LPL’s Vivian Carvajal, working on a joint asteroid survey project between Spacewatch and the Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) and using the 90" Bok telescope on Kitt Peak, discovered an imminent Earth impacting asteroid, which fell over Russia. This was the 11th such object to be found ahead of impact (6 out of 11 being found by CSS), the first impactor discovered by Vivian, by the joint project, and by a telescope at Kitt Peak. While all of these small objects burned up harmlessly in the atmosphere, these are fantastic tests of the entire asteroid early warning system of which CSS and Spacewatch are key players. Congratulations to Vivian and the entire CSS and Spacewatch teams!

As our cover photo attests, a highlight of this semester was the planting of our second Moon Tree, a sweetgum grown from a seed that flew on the Artemis 1 mission around the Moon. Our original Moon Tree, a sycamore grown from a seed that flew aboard the Apollo 14 command module, has stood between the Kuiper building and Flandrau Science Center for about five decades. Since being planted, tens of thousands of students visiting Flandrau have gathered under the shade of the tree. Our own Dolores Hill is an expert on the Apollo Moon Trees (and reports that ours is the only remaining Arizona one). I asked her to submit LPL’s application for an Artemis tree and we are so grateful that she expertly led the entire process all the way through to planting. 

To both protect our young sapling and to provide a spot to enjoy the respite it will offer future visitors to campus, we are aiming to locate a high quality bench adjacent to the tree, with a plaque denoting the significance of the tree. We would be grateful for donations to support the cost of the bench and its installation. Donations can be made online with a designation for the LPL Gift Account with a note in the text box that the donation is for the Moon Tree bench. Abraham Lincoln said that “He who plants a tree, plants a hope.” I think that is particularly appropriate for this tree as we look to the future of LPL’s continuing involvement in lunar research.

Dr. James Keane (2017) was awarded a NASA Early Career Achievement Medal in recognition of early career achievement in the geodynamics of the Moon and icy worlds, and for championing the Endurance rover science concept in the planetary decadal survey.

James is a planetary scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He studies the interactions between orbital dynamics, rotational dynamics, and geologic processes on rocky and icy worlds using theoretical models and the analysis of spacecraft-derived datasets. These techniques facilitate his investigation of the dynamics, structure, origin, and evolution of solar system bodies. James has experience with NASA missions including GRAIL and New Horizons.

Dr. Keane is also an accomplished science illustrator and communicator.

Dr. Jamie Molaro (2015) won both the 2024 Sagan Medal and the 2024 Neibur Early Career Award. The Sagan Medal, awarded by the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society, recognizes outstanding communication by a planetary scientist to the public. The Neibur Award is given by NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute to an investigator within 10 years of their Ph.D. who has made significant contributions to the exploration science communities.

Jamie is a Research Scientist with the Planetary Science Institute. She is a former participating scientist on NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission and current member of the sample science team, as well as a co-investigator for Project ESPRESSO (Exploration Science Pathfinder Research for Enhancing Solar System Observations). She studies how heating and cooling breaks down rocks and boulders over time. Outreach and service are important parts of her career. She is the founder and the director of both The Art of Planetary Science, a public engagement effort to help people connect to science through art shows and workshops, and DAIS (Disabled for Accessibility In Space), a peer networking and support organization for Disabled scientists.

Dr. Ali Bramson (2018) is the recipient of the 2024 Greeley Award in Planetary Sciences from the American Geophysical Union. The award recognizes significant early-career contributions to the field of planetary science. 

Ali is an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at Purdue University. She studies the quantitative geomorphology of other planets, especially the physical processes related to ice and volatiles that affect the surfaces of solid bodies in our solar system. She uses spacecraft remote sensing observations and theoretical modeling, supplemented by occasional field work at terrestrial analog sites and experimental studies. Her research on Martian mid-latitude ice is helping to shape the future of in situ resource utilization and human exploration of Mars.