David A Sheppard
(SR STAFF ENG CHIEF)
| Email: | david.a.sheppard@nasa.gov |
| Org Code: | |
| Address: |
NASA/GSFC Mail Code 695 Greenbelt, MD 20771 |
| Employer: | ADNET Affiliate |
Brief Bio
Dave Sheppard is a consulting engineer in the Planetary Magnetospheres Laboratory of the Solar System Exploration Division at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. His research is focused on the development of high-reliability radiation-tolerant instrumentation systems for space research.
In Planetary Magnetospheres, he has worked with MAG team members on the design, build, test, calibration, and in-flight operations of NASA's Juno, Van Allen Probes, MAVEN, Parker Solar Probe, GOES-18,19 missions, and CLPS LMS. Instruments for ESCAPADE, GTOSat, and two additional magnetometers for lunar landers (LLMAG, LuSEE) are currently in development and test. Prior to magnetometry, he worked in Goddard's Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics on multiple flight missions.
Dave received a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, a MS in Electrical Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University, and finally a second MS in Computer Science, also from JHU.
Positions/Employment
Lead Engineer, Planetary Magnetospheres (ret.)
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Solar System Exploration Division, Planetary Magnetospheres (Code 695) - Space Sciences Building, B34, room C185
1988 - Present
Projects
Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE), Lead magnetometer engineer, 2022 - present
Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Experiment Magnetometer (LuSEE), Lead magnetometer engineer, 2020 - present
Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder Magnetometer (LMS), Lead magnetometer engineer, 2020 - present
Lunar Lander Magnetometer (LLMAG), Lead magnetometer engineer, 2019 - present
GTOSat Magnetometer (MAG), Lead magnetometer engineer, 2018 - present
GOES-T, U Magnetometers (GMAG), Lead magnetometer engineer, 2016 - present
Parker Solar Probe (PSP), Lead magnetometer engineer, 2012 - present
Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN), Lead magnetometer engineer, 2011 - present
Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP), Magnetometer engineer, 2008 - 2019
Juno Magnetometer (MAG), Magnetometer engineer, 2007 - present
Curiosity Surface Analysis at Mars (SAM), Mass Spectrometer, Motor Controller Lead Engineer, 2005 - 2008
Fermi LAT Anti-Coincidence Detector (ACD), Lead Electrical Engineer, 2000 - 2005
Swift Block Command and Data Handler (BCDH), Digital engineer, 1999 - 2004
Mars Odyssey Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS), Analog engineer, 1997 - 2001 (NASA GSFC)
Positron-Electron Mass Spectrometer, Electrical Engineer, 1996 - 1997 (Swales)
MARS-96 Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GRBM), Digital Engineer, 1995 - 1996 (Swales)
WIND Transient Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (TGRS), Analog Engineer, 1992 - 1994 (Lockheed Martin)
X-Ray Timing Explorer (XTE), Analog Engineer and Test Conductor, 1991 - 1994 (Lockheed Martin)
STS-35 Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT), Test Conductor, 1988 - 1991 (Fairchild Space Company)
International Space Station (ISS), Database Programmer, 1986 - 1988 (Computer Technology Associates)
Current Projects
ESCAPADE Magnetometers
Magnetospheres
We are currently building two magnetometers to fly on the twin Mars orbiters on the ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) mission. These instruments will measure the structure, composition, variability, and dynamics of Mars' hybrid magnetosphere and how it guides ion flows.
GTOSat Magnetometer
Earth's Magnetosphere
We have developed a miniaturized fluxgate magnetometer that will fly on the GTOSat CubeSat mission. This mission will continue the characterization of the Earth's magnetosphere.
Lunar Lander Magnetometers (LMS, LuSEE, LLMAG)
Moons
We are have developed three magnetometers for inclusion on upcoming lunar lander missions. The LLMAG magnetometer will fly on the Astrobotic lander to Lacus Mortis. The LMS magnetometer will fly to Mare Crisium as part of a magnetotelluric sounding package. The LuSEE magnetometer will fly to the Schrödinger crater near the southern pole as part of an EM suite.
Parker Solar Probe Fluxgate Magnetometers (MAG)
Inner Heliosphere
We have built two fluxgate magnetometers that are part of the FIELDS instrument suite on Parker Solar Probe (PSP). PSP is a mission that flies into the Sun's corona. One primary scientific goals is to understand how the Sun's corona is heated, tracing the flow of energy that heats and accelerates the solar corona and the solar wind. A second goal is to determine the structure and dynamics of the plasma and magnetic fields at the sources of the solar wind (to within < 10 solar radii). The major third science goal is to explore the mechanisms that accelerate and transport energetic particles. The FIELDS experiment is making direct measurements of electric and magnetic fields, radio emissions, and shock waves. The GSFC fluxgate magnetometers (MAG) are one component of the FIELDS experiment and will measure the DC and low frequency magnetic fields as vectors (DC to ~ 100 Hz). There are two nearly identical fluxgate magnetometers in the FIELDS suite. The PSP MAGs have strong heritage with greater than 70 spaceflight missions for GSFC fluxgates since 1966.
Education
MS (Computer Science, Honors), 2015, Johns Hopkins University
BS (Electrical Engineering), 1987, University of Maryland at College Park
Professional Societies
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2023 - Present
Awards
2023: GSFC Engineering and Technology Directorate Excellence Award for Product Design Lead
2019: NASA Silver Achievement Medal, Parker Solar Probe Team
2015: NASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal
2002: AETD Science and Technology Advancement Award
1996, 2004, 2012: Laboratory Peer Awards
Publications
Refereed
2026. "Magnetic Signature of the Corona Lava Tube (Lanzarote, Canary Islands), a Lunar and Martian Planetary Analog.", Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 131 (7): e2025JE009616 [10.1029/2025je009616] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "A magnetotelluric instrument for probing the interiors of Europa and other worlds.", Advances in Space Research, 68 (4): 2022-2037 [10.1016/j.asr.2021.04.011] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "A Merged Search‐Coil and Fluxgate Magnetometer Data Product for Parker Solar Probe FIELDS.", Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 125 (5): [10.1029/2020ja027813] [Journal Article/Letter]
2017. "The Juno Magnetic Field Investigation.", Space Science Reviews, [10.1007/s11214-017-0334-z] [Journal Article/Letter]
2016. "The FIELDS Instrument Suite for Solar Probe Plus.", Space Science Reviews, 204 (1-4): 49-82 [10.1007/s11214-016-0244-5] [Journal Article/Letter]
2015. "The MAVEN Magnetic Field Investigation.", Space Science Reviews, 195 257-291 [10.1007/s11214-015-0169-4] [Journal Article/Letter]
2013. "The Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) on RBSP.", Space Science Reviews, 179 (1-4): 127-181 [10.1007/s11214-013-9993-6] [Journal Article/Letter]
2012. "The Sample Analysis at Mars Investigation and Instrument Suite.", Space Sci Rev, 170 (1-4): 401-478 [10.1007/s11214-012-9879-z] [Journal Article/Letter]
2009. "Novel Fault Tolerant Robotic System for Mars Rover.", European Space Mechanisms and Tribology Symposium, 13 [Full Text] [Proceedings]
2007. "The anti-coincidence detector for the GLAST large area telescope.", Astroparticle Physics, 27 339 [Full Text] [10.1016/j.astropartphys.2006.12.003] [Journal Article/Letter]
2002. "Gamma-ray Large-Area Space Telescope (GLAST) balloon flight engineering model: overview.", IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, vol 49, issue 4, pp 1898-1903, 49 1898 [Full Text] [10.1109/TNS.2002.801548] [Journal Article/Letter]
1999. "Long-term radiation damage to a spaceborne germanium spectrometer.", Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 431 (1-2): 141-147 [10.1016/s0168-9002(99)00283-1] [Journal Article/Letter]
1996. "Burstman: A portable GRB detector for really long voyages.", AIP Conference Proceedings, 384 (1): [10.1063/1.51601] [Proceedings]
1995. "A high-resolution Ge spectrometer for Gamma-Ray burst astronomy.", Space Science Reviews, 71 (1-4): 273-296 [10.1007/bf00751333] [Journal Article/Letter]
1994. "High speed data acquisition system for large area proportional counters.", IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 41 (4): 1304-1308 [10.1109/23.322904] [Journal Article/Letter]
1993. "The transient gamma-ray spectrometer: A new high resolution detector for gamma-ray burst spectroscopy.", American Institue of Physics, [10.1063/1.44147] [Proceedings]