LPL Newsletter for May 2023

LPL Newsletter for May 2023

Monday, May 1, 2023

This month’s news items report on a study led by LPL grad student Mackenzie Mills on ice quakes and landslides on icy moons and an observing campaign of an asteroid making a nearby pass of Earth by Adam Battle and David Cantillo. These two stories really exemplify the breadth and depth of work by our graduate students.

In addition to this news about LPL research, we highlight the grand opening celebration for the UArizona's new Applied Research Building. This impressive facility houses everything needed to develop and build instruments and small spacecraft for future space missions. A thermal vacuum chamber, an anechoic chamber, and a shake table will be available for hardware testing. The ARB represents a substantial university investment in the future of our space science missions. For a perspective on the early days of robotic space exploration, you can listen to LPL Professor Emeritus Bill Hubbard commenting on the Grand Tour of the outer Solar System by Voyager 2.

Finally, don’t miss this profile of Regents Professor Renu Malhotra, interviewed by the College of Science as part of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month.

Be on the lookout for our upcoming semesterly newsletter and be sure to keep up with us on social media.

Director and Department Head
Larger than the planet Mercury, Ganymede is the largest and most massive of Jupiter's moons. This image was taken by the Juno spacecraft in 2021.NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill - Ganymede - Perijove 34 Composite, CC BY 2.0

Icy Moonquakes: Surface Shaking Could Trigger Landslides

LPL graduate student Mackenzie Mills led the study that outlines the link between quakes and landslides on icy moon surfaces.

Artist's concept of a near-Earth object.NASA/JPL-Caltech

Close Pass by Asteroid 2023 DZ2 Observed by LPL Team as Part of Rapid Response Characterization Campaign

Graduate students Adam Battle and David Cantillo led the observation efforts that served as a "fire drill" in the event an asteroid were headed for impact rather than a near miss.