Fall

There are 20 undergraduate students pursuing their minor program of study in Astrobiology. These students have varied major home departments, including Astronomy, Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Aerospace Engineering. We're proud to profile one of these Astrobiology minor students in this semester's newsletter.

Why did you choose Astrobiology as a minor?

I love both biology and astronomy and am interested in pursuing astrobiology research later in my career.

What has been your favorite Astrobiology class and why? 

The Mars elective [PTYS 442] taught by Regents Professor Alfred McEwen. In that class I was able to use the HiRISE camera to take photos of Mars. This was a really cool opportunity that I did not expect to have, and it gave me valuable experience.

What are your future goals?

I am taking a gap year after I graduate, and then I plan to go to graduate school and get a Ph.D. in astronomy or planetary science. I hope to become involved in astrobiology through a career in academia or by working on NASA astrobiology missions. I am especially interested in looking for signs of ancient life on Mars and investigating the habitability of outer solar system moons like Titan and Europa.

Are you working on any current research projects?

I am currently working on my senior thesis with Regents Professor Dante Lauretta. I am helping to design the spectral imaging system that will be used to study the sample from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu that will be returned by the OSIRIS-REx mission. Studying Bennu will hopefully reveal new information about the origins and composition of early Earth.

Tell us about yourself.

Outside of my scientific studies, I am very interested in music. I am the Head Music Director at KAMP student radio here on campus and I enjoy playing electric guitar in my free time. I also love to draw, paint, and cook.

The photo I chose is a photo of me on the top platform of the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia! Working toward this minor has allowed me to take some fascinating classes and has helped me realize how passionate I am about the search for life beyond Earth.

The Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) has launched a citizen science program available from the Zooniverse platform. 

The Catalina Outer Solar System Survey aims to discover Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), the most distant objects in our solar system. Observers with the CSS, whose primary mission is to find near-Earth asteroids (some of the closest objects in the solar system), review and compare CSS images of the night sky taken over a period of several months. These observers scan for TNOs by identifying their slow movement through the series of images. After potential TNOs have been filtered and identified by a computer, citizen scientists are engaged to review the image data and determine whether a TNO has been discovered.

If you would like to learn more and join the hunt for TNOs, visit the Catalina Outer Solar System Survey site.

LPL has partnered with the ASTEROIDS Laboratory (Asteroid Science, Technology and Exploration Research Organized by Inclusive eDucation Systems), a new, multi-disciplinary research and educational unit based in the UArizona Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (AME) department and sponsored by NASA’s Minority Undergraduate Research and Education Program (MUREP). The laboratory will apply planetary science principles to conceive, implement and validate space technologies—from systems design and control solutions, to robots and sensor networks, to mobility and excavation platforms for asteroid exploration and mining. The new lab is creating dozens of direct research opportunities for undergraduate students, thereby increasing the diversity of student and faculty involvement related to small missions in near-Earth space.

Students who join ASTEROIDS lead their own research projects under the mentorship of faculty and work with a team of experienced graduate students and staff to build a space-bound CubeSat that will advance planetary science objectives. The project's principal investigator, Professor Jekan Thanga (AME), leads engineering efforts to develop small satellite mission concepts. Professor Erik Asphaug (LPL) directs the scientific research and oversees how theories and models will be translated into hypotheses that can be tested by experiments and missions. Dr. Stephen Schwartz (LPL) serves as Technical Program Manager; he is also a Participating Scientist on the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample-return mission and an instrument co-investigator on the Hayabusa2 mission. Before becoming the project's Administrative Program Manager, Layne Crawford was a science teacher at Desert View High School (Tucson); while a student at UArizona, Layne was a NASA Arizona Space Grant intern who studied HiRISE Mars data with Regents' Professor Alfred McEwen. “I want to draw on that history to assist in building similarly impactful and life-shaping experiences for our students,” says Crawford. Other ASTEROIDS co-investigators include: Research Professor Greg Ogden (Chemical and Environmental Engineering) who studies propulsion with a focus on water extraction and propellant production from in-situ resources found on asteroids; Professor Desiree Cotto-Figueroa (Universidad Puerto Rico, Humacao), who investigates the geomechanical properties of meteorites and is a Survey Team member for the upcoming NEO Surveyor Mission; and Professor Dennis Just (Astronomy/Physics, Pima Community College) who provides overlapping research and education opportunities to Pima students.

One of the centerpiece activities for the ASTEROIDS Laboratory is the development of AOSATs, or Asteroid Origin Satellites. These relatively low-cost 3U CubeSats, each about the size of a loaf of bread, are being designed to orbit the Earth and spin at approximately 1 rpm (the speed of a clock's second-hand) to simulate the weak but non-zero gravity field of asteroids. AOSATs have a customizable chamber that can be used for studying basic physics of asteroid accretion and evolution, or for testing technological approaches to asteroid mobility and excavation, or for developing approaches to water or mineral extraction under realistic gravity. Lessons learned from these AOSATs will be applied to the design of larger Earth orbiting satellites that can serve as permanent low-gravity research testbeds for the full-scale validation of future asteroid technologies, from exploration to resource extraction to hazard mitigation.  “With our moral support, the students are taking leading roles in the conceptualization, design and development of small-satellites and are advancing a myriad of space science and technology concepts,” says Thanga. “Our program is seeking to empower a new generation of students bursting with optimism and that is representative of the rich diversity of modern America with much the same can-do spirit of the 1960s space program, fearlessly try, do, fail and try again till you succeed!”

In that spirit of exploration, the ASTEROIDS program encourages new ideas and unconventional methods—examples include: efficient sample return from dozens of asteroids in one mothership mission; multi-spacecraft deployments of seismic and ground-penetrating sensors for global imaging of asteroid interiors; coordinated swarms of small-satellites to perform rapid imaging, multipoint observations, and persistent observations of surface features or events; orbiters that can perform multiple landings and resource assessments balanced on one or two extended booms; and a tiny inflatable lander that stays upright as a low-cost imaging/sensing outpost or node on the rapidly-rotating landscape. “Those of us who grew up on Star Trek know that the spaceships of the 23^rd century will be made out of asteroid materials,” says Asphaug. “The science and engineering fields in academics can do much more to be representative of the diverse populations that we serve, and by focusing on small missions we’re creating a kind of melting pot where a lot of new ideas can come together and rapidly advance.”

by Allison McGraw

Organizers of the seventh exhibition of The Art of Planetary Science (TAPS) were met with new challenges and unexpected opportunities. For the first six exhibitions, TAPS was a physical event that attracted approximately 1,000 guests to the Kuiper Space Sciences Building, which was transformed into a gallery displaying works of space art. This year, due to COVID restrictions, TAPS went completely virtual in displaying art galleries as well as in hosting speakers and ceremonies for the event.

The virtual event allowed for participation from a broader scope of artists and attendees who may not have been able to participate in past TAPS exhibitions, resulting in a record number of submissions (nearly 450). To accommodate viewing, three virtual art galleries (Data Art, Fine Art and Moon Art) were available online from September 25-October 31. Video loops of the submitted art are available to view on the TAPS web site and the TAPS YouTube channel.  We plan to use the virtual art gallery capabilities in future exhibitions to maintain that accessibility for our international colleagues and guests.

For the first time in TAPS history, a special sub-theme category of Moon art was added in order to honor the history of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. The Moon Art gallery was very popular, and included over 100 submissions. This year's International Observe the Moon Night (September 26) was a great opportunity for TAPS highlight and celebrate lunar art with observers around the world. Moon-themed presentations from Steve Kortenkamp, Alfred McEwen, Steve Larson and Jessica Barnes helped show off the many years of lunar science, exploration, and continued research at LPL. The Moon “SLAM” poetry segment was a hit, despite being completely virtual. Our partnership with Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium continued this year, with a streamed showing of Desert Moon, a documentary about the role that Gerard Kuiper and LPL played in the space race and the Apollo program. This was accompanied by a live Q&A with the creator/director of the film, Jason Davis. Thanks to the Mt. Lemmon Sky Center, participants were able to observe the Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn live on NASA TV. 

Other opening weekend events included an invited talk from the founder of TAPS, Dr. Jamie Molaro, a presentation from Adam Block about the interpretation of astronomical images, Flandrau’s first live planetarium show since March, a musical performance by Satellite Mirage, an invited dance titled The Tides of Mars from Circuit, virtual solar telescope observing with Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, live painting with Laci Brock, astrophotography tips with Bettymaya Foott, Director of Engagement for the International Dark-Sky Association, and an artist feature presentation from Chrys Kapuranis. Closing events included a Haunted Skies planetarium show, live at Flandrau, and a public telescope evening that was held in October. There was even a musical finale with Nerd Immunity and DDouble Life providing a rock-and-roll space-music stream. You can view the virtual presentations and musical performances on the TAPS YouTube channel.

The Art of Planetary Science would like to thank all the speakers, presenters, and performers for contributions during this tumultuous time for humans on Earth. Thanks, too, to Joshua Sosa for developing the virtual art gallery capability for our web site. And many special thanks from all the past and current TAPS organizers go to LPL Director and Department Head Dr. Timothy Swindle for the support he has provided for The Art of Planetary Science through the years. Without Tim, TAPS would not have not come into existence and continued to flourish.

Best wishes to all on your virtual odyssey!

Anjani Polit was awarded a Robert H. Goddard Exceptional Achievement Award for Engineering by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Anjani is a project manager for the Earth Dynamics Observatory and the Mission Implementation Senior Systems Engineer for OSIRIS-REx. In this role, she is responsible for the Science Planning and Implementation process, balancing the competing constraints from the different Science Team elements at the University of Arizona, the Lockheed Martin Spacecraft team, and the Goddard-led Flight Dynamics team. She also served as the Vice-Chair of the Site Selection Board.

Anjani has participated in proposal and operations development for a number of missions, including current roles as Science Operations Manager for the proposed Io Volcano Observer and Deputy Project Manager for the proposed RUSHeS instrument. Before joining OSIRIS-REx in October 2016, Anjani was a Targeting Specialist for the HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Uplink Operations Lead for HiRISE. During this time, Anjani planned and commanded over 10,000 images of Mars. Anjani holds a B.A. in Geology from Pomona College and an M.S. in Geological Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno.

by Adam Battle

The Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Conference (LPLC) marks the start of the academic year for many planetary scientists in the Tucson area. This year, LPLC 2020 prefaced the Fall 2020 semester full of online classes, meetings, and conferences. Whereas LPLC typically involves multiple days of poster presentations and live presentations, this year’s conference was streamlined to just five hours and allowed participants to transition into the strange pace of the academic year. Participants this year recorded short presentations which attendees watched in the week leading up to the conference. On the day of LPLC, each participant had five minutes to answer live questions from the audience. These Q&A slots were grouped by topic into four themed sessions, each of which had one or two invited speakers who gave live presentations to the attendees. Among the invited speakers was Zarah Brown, the winner of the “Best Grad Student Presentation” in 2019; Zarah gave a great talk on Tracing Hydrocarbons in the Upper Atmosphere of Saturn. The winner of this year’s “Best Grad Student Presentation” award is Teddy Kareta who will be invited to give a talk at LPLC in 2021.

Despite the unusual conditions this year, LPLC had the same level of attendance as previous years with over 70 people joining to watch the talks and ask questions to fellow scientists. In addition to the invited speakers, almost 20 people gave presentations about their current or upcoming research. For a conference largely designed to bring the planetary science community together, LPLC met all of its goals despite the difficulties presented in 2020. The conference concluded with a bittersweet keynote from Tim Swindle about his decade of experiences as director of LPL, including all the lessons learned while leading such a unique and wonderful department.

LPL Department Head and Director Tim Swindle gave the keynote talk at LPLC 2020.

Saverio Cambioni, Kyle Pearson, and Jess Vriesema defended dissertations via Zoom.

Saverio defended his dissertation, On the Application of Machine Learning to Planetary Sciences, on September 10. Professor Erik Asphaug served as his advisor. Saverio begins a position as postdoctoral research associate at Caltech in January.

On June 2, Kyle defended The Detection and Characterization of Transiting Exoplanets. His advisor was Professor Caitlin Griffith. Kyle is currently a Data Scientist at JPL.

Jess Vriesema defended on October 12. His dissertation is titled Modelling Electrodynamics in Saturn's Upper Atmosphere. Jess was advised by Professor Roger Yelle.

Congratulations to this year's recipients of Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science Technology (FINESST) awards:

Zoe Wilbur

Investigating Degassing Histories of Apollo 15 and 17 Lunar Basalts with 3D Visualization and Coordinated Microanalysis (advisor: Jess Barnes)