More than a dozen spacecraft are expected to reach Mars in the next 10-15
years. ASU is involved in 14 major space projects and has received $150
million in NASA funding since 1990. With the January 2004 announcement of a
possible lunar station and more trips to Mars, Tempe is ready to be a world
leader in space technology.
“Companies such as Honeywell, Orbital Sciences, Spectrum Astro and General
Dynamics could all benefit from future lunar initiatives,” according to a
January 10th article in the Arizona Republic.
The ASU Department of Geological Science is leading this effort with the
Thermal Emission Spectrometer. TES is both an instrument and a technique. It
is a scientific instrument that first flew aboard the Mars Observer
spacecraft. Following the loss of that spacecraft, TES was rebuilt and
launched along with five of the original seven Mars Observer instruments
aboard the new Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft.
The purpose of TES is to measure the thermal infrared energy (heat) emitted
from Mars. This technique, called thermal emission spectroscopy, can tell us
much about the geology and atmosphere of Mars. TES data will provide the
first detailed look at the composition of Mars.
Tempe scientist Dr. Phil Christensen is one of the leading Mars scientists
in the world. He received the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal
in 2003, joining only a handful of other scientists who have received the
medal since it was first established in 1961.
The Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal is given for individual efforts
which have resulted in a contribution of fundamental importance in the field
or have significantly enhanced understanding of this field.
ASU is among the country’s leading universities for aerospace-related
research. The field requires a use of other expertise as well.
"Space research is now opening up to biologists. We are looking for life on
Mars and on other planets," Christensen says. "There's the whole field of
engineering. Obviously, none of this happens without engineers. But right
now, I probably employ more computer programmers than anything else."
Computer programmers write the software that allows spacecraft to
communicate with scientists on Earth. Other programs are used to analyze the
data sent back to Earth. Scientists and engineers are not the only folks
working in space exploration in Tempe, either.
"I work with an artist who went into drafting. He plays an incredibly
important role in exploring space, producing blueprints and maps," says
Christensen. "There are people who do the data analysis," he adds. "Others
target where we take TES images. Many of these people come from a geography
background. We have 100 million spectra and we have to catalogue them on
CDs. We have people with library backgrounds to do that work. We have
accountants. We have lawyers. All of them are involved in exploring Mars."
