One of a handful of researchers with a published record of success in the two complimentary fields of Instrument Science and Space Physics. 14+ years of experience developing, designing, & calibrating particle instruments, including for nine flight projects. Principal Investigator for NASA’s “Endurance” Sounding Rocket Mission. Member of Venus Express and MAVEN science teams. Regular publications highlighted in NASA and ESA press releases, by the American Geophysical Union, and in the journal “Nature”.One of a handful of researchers with a published record of success in the two complimentary fields of Instrument Science and Space Physics. 14+ years of experience developing, designing, & calibrating particle instruments, including for nine flight projects. Record of accomplishment of leading and contributing to winning proposals. Principal Investigator for NASA’s “Endurance” Sounding Rocket Mission. Member of Venus Express and MAVEN science teams. Regular publications highlighted in NASA and ESA press releases, by the American Geophysical Union, and in the journal “Nature”.
Glyn Alexander Collinson
(RESEARCH AST, FIELDS AND PARTICLES)
| Email: | glyn.a.collinson@nasa.gov |
| Phone: | 301.286.2511 |
| Org Code: | 673 |
| Address: |
NASA/GSFC Mail Code 673 Greenbelt, MD 20771 |
| Employer: |
Brief Bio
Current Projects
Endurance Rocket Mission
Earth's Ionosphere
2022 Rocket mission from Svalbard which discovered Earth's ambipolar electric field
MAVEN
Comparative planetology
Exploring physical phenomena in the upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and space around Mars
Galileo mission to Jupiter and its moons
Jupiter
Re-analyzing data from the Galileo flybys to try and reveal new clues about the ocean moons (Europa, Ganymede, Callisto)
Resolute Rocket Mission
Earth's Ionosphere
Rocket mission launching from Norway in 2027 to help understand the escape of Earth's atmosphere to space, key for understanding what makes Earth habitable, and for predicting the impact of space weather
Positions/Employment
NASA Postdoctoral Fellow
Oak Ridge - NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center - Code 670
January 2010 - January 2013
Forskare
Institutet för rymdfysik - Kiruna, Sweden
March 2013 - July 2013
Research Associate
Catholic University of America - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Code 673
September 2013 - March 2024
Research Astrophysicist
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Geospace Physics Laboratory (673)
March 2024 - Present
Education
Ph.D Space and Climate Physics - University College London, UK (2010)
MSci Physics with Industrial Experience - University of Bristol, UK (2005)
Awards
2023 - NASA Group Achievement Award (Endurance Rocket Mission)
2024 - NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal
Selected Public Outreach
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Discovers Natural Radio Emission in Venus’ Atmosphere
June 2021 - Present
During a brief swing by Venus, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe detected a natural radio signal that revealed the spacecraft had flown through the planet’s upper atmosphere. This was the first direct measurement of the Venusian atmosphere in nearly 30 years — and it looks quite different from Venus past. A study published today confirms that Venus’ upper atmosphere undergoes puzzling changes over a solar cycle, the Sun’s 11-year activity cycle. This marks the latest clue to untangling how and why Venus and Earth are so different.
NASA’s MAVEN Explores Mars to Understand Radio Interference at Earth
March 2020 - March 2020
NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) spacecraft has discovered “layers” and “rifts” in the electrically charged part of the upper atmosphere (the ionosphere) of Mars. The phenomenon is very common at Earth and causes unpredictable disruptions to radio communications. However, we do not fully understand them because they form at altitudes that are very difficult to explore at Earth. The unexpected discovery by MAVEN shows that Mars is a unique laboratory to explore and better understand this highly disruptive phenomenon.
‘Electric Wind’ Can Strip Earth-like Planets of Oceans, Atmospheres
July 2016 - Present
Venus has an “electric wind” strong enough to remove the components of water from its upper atmosphere, which may have played a significant role in stripping Earth’s twin planet of its oceans, according to new results from ESA’s (European Space Agency) Venus Express mission by NASA-funded researchers.
NASA Research Helps Unravel Mysteries Of The Venusian Atmosphere
October 2014 - October 2014
Underscoring the vast differences between Earth and its neighbor Venus, new research shows a glimpse of giant holes in the electrically charged layer of the Venusian atmosphere, called the ionosphere. The observations point to a more complicated magnetic environment than previously thought – which in turn helps us better understand this neighboring, rocky planet.