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Giuseppe Cataldo

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Giuseppe Cataldo

  • AST, Aerospace Flight Systems
  • 301.286.3491
  • Org Code: 592
  • NASA/GSFC
  • Mail Code: 665
  • Greenbelt , MD 20771
  • Employer: NASA

    • Brief Bio

    Giuseppe Cataldo is the lead engineer of several NASA missions. His expertise is in the design and optimization of space systems for astronomy and astrophysics, gained through 10+ years at NASA and earning his doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Here, he worked in both the Man-Vehicle Lab, headed by former NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman, and the Space Systems Lab, headed by former NASA Chief Technologist David Miller, under the direction of former NASA astronaut Prof. Jeff Hoffman.

    Giuseppe has contributed to a variety of NASA missions and projects such as:

    • ATLAST, the Advanced-Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope, successor to JWST
    • OSIRIS-REx, the Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer
    • Micro-X, the High-Resolution Microcalorimeter X-ray Imaging Rocket
    • Feasibility and multidisciplinary optimization studies of infrared instrumentation for space telescopes (e.g., Micro-Spec), payloads for Earth-imaging satellites, and advanced concepts for lunar exploration
    • Development and validation of advanced numerical tools for the computation, analysis, and interpretation of the infrared dielectric properties of astrophysical dust analogs

    He first joined NASA in 2009 fully sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA) as one of the two European students selected for the NASA Academy, NASA's premiere leadership program for talented students. During the program, he was one of the select recipients of the John Mather Nobel Scholar Award.

    Giuseppe is fond of space policy and pursues outreach presentations for young students, professionals and the general public around the world. He speaks six languages, is part of the NASA GSFC Speakers Bureau, and contributes to public outreach and educational activities for the Embassy of Italy to the United States of America in Washington, DC.

    In his spare time, he enjoys playing the violin and the piano, swimming, hiking, skiing, sailing, reading, traveling and hanging out with his friends.

    Education

    PhD in Aeronautics and Astronautics
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA (2015, completed in 2.5 years)
    Thesis title: Development of ultracompact, high-sensitivity, space-based instrumentation for far-infrared and submillimeter astronomy

    Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering within the Top Industrial Managers for Europe (TIME) Program
    Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace SUPAERO, Toulouse, France (November 2010)
    Thesis title: Optical Properties of Astronomical Silicates with Infrared Techniques

    Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering within the High Polytechnic School (ASP) Program
    Polytechnic Institute of Turin, Italy (November 2010)
    Thesis as above

    Master's degree in Aeronautical Engineering
    Polytechnic Institute of Milan, Italy (October 2010)
    Thesis as above

    Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering
    Polytechnic Institute of Milan, Italy (July 2007)
    Thesis title: Experimental research on innovative solid fuels for hybrid propellers

    Awards

    Young Scientist Award (Italian Cultural Society of Washington, DC), 2019
    AIAA Senior Member, 2019
    NASA Early Career Public Achievement Medal, 2017
    NASA Group Achievement Award (JWST Core 2 Test Team), 2017
    First "Ex-alunno" Prize ("A. Chionna" Middle and Elementary School, Lizzano, Italy), 2015
    AIAA Orville and Wilbur Wright Graduate Award, 2014
    MIT Arthur Gelb Fellowship, 2012-2013
    Honorary Plaque (Mayor of Lizzano, Italy), 2012
    Mayoux-Dauriac Prize (ISAE-SUPAERO, France), 2010
    Pegasus Award (ISAE-SUPAERO and Polytechnic Institute of Milan), 2010
    ESA Research Grant, 2010
    NASA John Mather Nobel Scholar Award, 2009
    NASA Academy Award (NASA/ESA), 2009
    Top Industrial Managers for Europe Award (TIME), 2008
    High Polytechnic School Award, 2008
    Numerous travel grants (SPIE, IEEE, MIT, NASA)

    Research Interests

    Systems engineering
    Multidisciplinary design optimization
    Multifidelity uncertainty quantification

    Infrared astronomy
    High-precision infrared instrumentation for space, balloon and ground telescopes
    Dielectric properties of materials of astrophysical and engineering interest
    Origin and evolution of dust in the early universe

    Current Projects

    James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

    • Model-based design under uncertainty and Bayesian-based model validation for spacecraft systems. In support of Observatory Integrated Modeling and final pre-launch verification-by-analysis of key JWST performance requirements.
    • Model-based systems engineering for thermal model validation.
    • Thermal cryogenic vacuum testing. Requirements definition review. General guidance to the thermal engineering team in their modeling and testing efforts.

    EXperiment for Cryogenic Large-Aperture Intensity Mapping (EXCLAIM)

    • Overall mission management of a high-altitude-balloon cryogenic telescope designed to map the sub-millimeter emission of redshifted carbon monoxide (CO) and singly-ionized carbon ([C II]) lines over a redshift range of 0 < z < 3.5. EXCLAIM will employ the Micro-Spec on-chip spectrometer.

    Micro-Spec

    • Design and optimization of an integrated, high-efficiency, direct-detection spectrometer for far-infrared space telescopes and ballon-based instruments
    • Development of analysis and calibration techniques for superconducting resonators, particularly those used in our microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs)

    PRime-focus Infrared Microlensing Experiment (PRIME)

    • Overall technical management of the design, development and testing of the PRIME near-infrared camera. PRIME will be a 1.8-m telescope at the South African Astronomical Observatory.

    Materials' Optical Characterization in the Infrared and Sub-millimeter

    • Modeling, analysis, and interpretation of the dielectric properties of silicon-based materials of astrophysical and engineering interest

    Professional Societies

    SPIE - Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers, 2014 - Present
    Sigma Xi - The Scientific Honor Research Society, 2013 - Present
    AIAA - American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2011 - Present
    Senior Member, Technical Committees: Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (2018 - Present)
    AAS - American Astronomical Society, 2011 - Present
    ISSNAF - Italian Scientists and Scholars in North America Foundation, 2011 - Present
    NASA Chapter Co-founder and former Chairman
    NAAA - NASA Academy Alumni Association, 2009 - Present
    Vice President of Operations (2010), Application Scoring Committee (2010 - Present), Academy Interview Committee (2010 - Present)

    Other Professional Information

    Languages: English, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German.

    Referee service for journals (Applied Optics, Optics Express, Optics Letters, Applied Physics B, Journal of Low Temperature Physics, IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, Optical Engineering, Systems Engineering) and conferences (AIAA, AAS - session chair, ISSNAF).

    Reviewer: NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) and NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities (NSTGRO) applications.

    Selected Publications

    Refereed

    Wollack, E., G. Cataldo, K. Miller, and M. Quijada. 2020. "Infrared properties of high-purity silicon." Optics Letters, 45 (17): 4935-4938 [10.1364/OL.393847]

    Cataldo, G., E. M. Barrentine, B. T. Bulcha, et al. N. Ehsan, L. A. Hess, O. Noroozian, T. R. Stevenson, E. J. Wollack, S. H. Moseley, and E. R. Switzer. 2019. "Second-generation Micro-Spec: A compact spectrometer for far-infrared and submillimeter space missions." Acta Astronautica, 162: 155-159 [10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.06.012]

    Bulcha, B. T., G. Cataldo, T. R. Stevenson, et al. K. U-Yen, S. H. Moseley, and E. J. Wollack. 2018. "Electromagnetic Design of a Magnetically Coupled Spatial Power Combiner." Journal of Low Temperature Physics, [10.1007/s10909-018-1923-2]

    Cataldo, G., E. M. Barrentine, B. T. Bulcha, et al. N. Ehsan, L. A. Hess, O. Noroozian, T. R. Stevenson, K. U-Yen, E. J. Wollack, and S. H. Moseley. 2018. "Second-generation design of Micro-Spec: a medium-resolution, submillimeter-wavelength spectrometer-on-a-chip." Journal of Low Temperature Physics, 1-8 [10.1007/s10909-018-1902-7]

    Cataldo, G., M. B. Niedner, D. J. Fixsen, and S. H. Moseley. 2017. "Model-based thermal system design optimization for the James Webb Space Telescope." Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems, 3 (4): 044202 [10.1117/1.JATIS.3.4.044002]

    Cataldo, G., and E. J. Wollack. 2016. "Submillimeter and far-infrared dielectric properties of thin films." Proc. SPIE 9914, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII, 99142W [10.1117/12.2232648]

    Cataldo, G., E. M. Barrentine, A. D. Brown, et al. S. H. Moseley, K. U-Yen, and E. J. Wollack. 2016. "Fabrication and characterization of superconducting resonators." Journal of Visualized Experiments, 111: [10.3791/53868]

    Cataldo, G., E. J. Wollack, A. D. Brown, and K. H. Miller. 2016. "Infrared dielectric properties of low-stress silicon oxide." Optics Letters, 41 (7): 1364-1367 [10.1364/OL.41.001364]

    Cataldo, G., S. H. Moseley, and E. J. Wollack. 2015. "A four-pole power-combiner design for far-infrared and submillimeter spectroscopy." Acta Astronautica, 114 (C): 54-59 [10.1016/j.actaastro.2015.04.002]

    Cataldo, G., E. J. Wollack, E. Barrentine, et al. A. D. Brown, S. H. Moseley, and K. U-Yen. 2015. "Analysis and calibration techniques for superconducting resonators." Review of Scientific Instruments, 86 (1): 013103 [10.1063/1.4904972]

    Cataldo, G., M. Chodas, P. Dave, et al. A. Dixit, S. Hall, R. Harris, D. Hayhurst, F. Mier-Hicks, C. Jewison, J.-D. Ioana, B. Karlow, B. McCarthy, A. Owens, E. Peters, M. Shaw, D. Sternberg, K. Voelbel, and M. Wu. 2014. "Tradespace Investigation of a Telescope Architecture for Next-generation Space Astronomy and Exploration." MIT Technical Reports, SSL (13-14): [http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/92407]

    Cataldo, G., W.-T. Hsieh, W.-C. Huang, et al. S. H. Moseley, T. R. Stevenson, and E. J. Wollack. 2014. "Micro-Spec: an ultracompact, high-sensitivity spectrometer for far-infrared and submillimeter astronomy." Applied Optics, 53 (6): 1094-1102 [10.1364/AO.53.001094]

    Richey, C. R., R. E. Kinzer, G. Cataldo, et al. E. J. Wollack, J. A. Nuth, D. J. Benford, R. F. Silverberg, and S. A. Rinehart. 2013. "Optical Properties of Iron Silicates in the Infrared to Millimeter as a Function of Wavelength and Temperature." The Astrophysical Journal, 770 (46): 1-12 [10.1088/0004-637X/770/1/46]

    Cataldo, G., J. A. Beall, H.-M. Cho, et al. B. McAndrew, M. D. Niemack, and E. J. Wollack. 2012. ""Infrared dielectric properties of low-stress silicon nitride" ." Optics Letters , 37 (20): 4200-4202 [10.1364/OL.37.004200]

    Rinehart, S. A., D. J. Benford, G. Cataldo, et al. E. Dwek, R. Henry, R. E. Kinzer, J. A. Nuth, R. F. Silverberg, C. Wheeler, and E. J. Wollack. 2011. ""Measuring the Optical Properties of Astrophysical Dust Analogues: Instrumentation and Methods" ." Applied Optics, 50 (21): 4115-4123 [10.1364/AO.50.004115]

    Non-Refereed

    Cataldo, G., P. A. Ade, C. J. Anderson, et al. A. Barlis, E. M. Barrentine, N. G. Bellis, A. D. Bolatto, P. C. Breysse, B. T. Bulcha, J. A. Connors, P. W. Cursey, N. Ehsan, T. M. Essinger-Hileman, J. Glenn, J. Golec, J. Hays-Wehle, L. A. Hess, A. Jahromi, M. O. Kimball, A. J. Kogut, L. N. Lowe, P. D. Mauskopf, J. J. McMahon, M. Mirzaei, S. H. Moseley, J. W. Mugge-Durum, O. Noroozian, T. M. Oxholm, U.-L. Pen, A. R. Pullen, S. Rodriguez, P. J. Shirron, G. Siebert, A. K. Sinclair, R. S. Somerville, R. Stephenson, T. R. Stevenson, E. R. Switzer, P. T. Timbie, C. E. Tucker, E. Visbal, C. G. Volpert, E. J. Wollack, and S. Yang. 2020. "Overview and status of EXCLAIM, the experiment for cryogenic large-aperture intensity mapping." Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VIII [10.1117/12.2561069]

    Cataldo, G., A. Aragona, A. Gren, R. Maffei, and A. Paraboschi. 2009. ""Space Hotel Design - Design for an orbiting space hotel"." Alta Scuola Politecnica Report

    Carrasco-Martos, S., G. Cataldo, L. Cully, et al. H. Fingerhut, T. Garrett, H. Hui, F. Keels, E. Lee, V. Martin, K. McCoy, Z. Merceruio, M. Neveu, M. Piltz, E. Reiff, L. Sandberg, S. Shkolyar, E. Timmons, and A. Willingham. 2009. ""The Odysseus Project: NASA's Vision for Reaching the Stars"." NASA GSFC Report

    Brief Bio

    Giuseppe Cataldo is the lead engineer of several NASA missions. His expertise is in the design and optimization of space systems for astronomy and astrophysics, gained through 10+ years at NASA and earning his doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Here, he worked in both the Man-Vehicle Lab, headed by former NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman, and the Space Systems Lab, headed by former NASA Chief Technologist David Miller, under the direction of former NASA astronaut Prof. Jeff Hoffman.

    Giuseppe has contributed to a variety of NASA missions and projects such as:

    • ATLAST, the Advanced-Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope, successor to JWST
    • OSIRIS-REx, the Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer
    • Micro-X, the High-Resolution Microcalorimeter X-ray Imaging Rocket
    • Feasibility and multidisciplinary optimization studies of infrared instrumentation for space telescopes (e.g., Micro-Spec), payloads for Earth-imaging satellites, and advanced concepts for lunar exploration
    • Development and validation of advanced numerical tools for the computation, analysis, and interpretation of the infrared dielectric properties of astrophysical dust analogs

    He first joined NASA in 2009 fully sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA) as one of the two European students selected for the NASA Academy, NASA's premiere leadership program for talented students. During the program, he was one of the select recipients of the John Mather Nobel Scholar Award.

    Giuseppe is fond of space policy and pursues outreach presentations for young students, professionals and the general public around the world. He speaks six languages, is part of the NASA GSFC Speakers Bureau, and contributes to public outreach and educational activities for the Embassy of Italy to the United States of America in Washington, DC.

    In his spare time, he enjoys playing the violin and the piano, swimming, hiking, skiing, sailing, reading, traveling and hanging out with his friends.

    Selected Publications

    Refereed

    Wollack, E., G. Cataldo, K. Miller, and M. Quijada. 2020. "Infrared properties of high-purity silicon." Optics Letters 45 (17): 4935-4938 [10.1364/OL.393847]

    Cataldo, G., E. M. Barrentine, B. T. Bulcha, et al. N. Ehsan, L. A. Hess, O. Noroozian, T. R. Stevenson, E. J. Wollack, S. H. Moseley, and E. R. Switzer. 2019. "Second-generation Micro-Spec: A compact spectrometer for far-infrared and submillimeter space missions." Acta Astronautica 162 155-159 [10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.06.012]

    Bulcha, B. T., G. Cataldo, T. R. Stevenson, et al. K. U-Yen, S. H. Moseley, and E. J. Wollack. 2018. "Electromagnetic Design of a Magnetically Coupled Spatial Power Combiner." Journal of Low Temperature Physics [10.1007/s10909-018-1923-2]

    Cataldo, G., E. M. Barrentine, B. T. Bulcha, et al. N. Ehsan, L. A. Hess, O. Noroozian, T. R. Stevenson, K. U-Yen, E. J. Wollack, and S. H. Moseley. 2018. "Second-generation design of Micro-Spec: a medium-resolution, submillimeter-wavelength spectrometer-on-a-chip." Journal of Low Temperature Physics 1-8 [10.1007/s10909-018-1902-7]

    Cataldo, G., M. B. Niedner, D. J. Fixsen, and S. H. Moseley. 2017. "Model-based thermal system design optimization for the James Webb Space Telescope." Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems 3 (4): 044202 [10.1117/1.JATIS.3.4.044002]

    Cataldo, G., and E. J. Wollack. 2016. "Submillimeter and far-infrared dielectric properties of thin films." Proc. SPIE 9914, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII 99142W [10.1117/12.2232648]

    Cataldo, G., E. M. Barrentine, A. D. Brown, et al. S. H. Moseley, K. U-Yen, and E. J. Wollack. 2016. "Fabrication and characterization of superconducting resonators." Journal of Visualized Experiments 111 [10.3791/53868]

    Cataldo, G., E. J. Wollack, A. D. Brown, and K. H. Miller. 2016. "Infrared dielectric properties of low-stress silicon oxide." Optics Letters 41 (7): 1364-1367 [10.1364/OL.41.001364]

    Cataldo, G., S. H. Moseley, and E. J. Wollack. 2015. "A four-pole power-combiner design for far-infrared and submillimeter spectroscopy." Acta Astronautica 114 (C): 54-59 [10.1016/j.actaastro.2015.04.002]

    Cataldo, G., E. J. Wollack, E. Barrentine, et al. A. D. Brown, S. H. Moseley, and K. U-Yen. 2015. "Analysis and calibration techniques for superconducting resonators." Review of Scientific Instruments 86 (1): 013103 [10.1063/1.4904972]

    Cataldo, G., M. Chodas, P. Dave, et al. A. Dixit, S. Hall, R. Harris, D. Hayhurst, F. Mier-Hicks, C. Jewison, J.-D. Ioana, B. Karlow, B. McCarthy, A. Owens, E. Peters, M. Shaw, D. Sternberg, K. Voelbel, and M. Wu. 2014. "Tradespace Investigation of a Telescope Architecture for Next-generation Space Astronomy and Exploration." MIT Technical Reports SSL (13-14): [http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/92407]

    Cataldo, G., W.-T. Hsieh, W.-C. Huang, et al. S. H. Moseley, T. R. Stevenson, and E. J. Wollack. 2014. "Micro-Spec: an ultracompact, high-sensitivity spectrometer for far-infrared and submillimeter astronomy." Applied Optics 53 (6): 1094-1102 [10.1364/AO.53.001094]

    Richey, C. R., R. E. Kinzer, G. Cataldo, et al. E. J. Wollack, J. A. Nuth, D. J. Benford, R. F. Silverberg, and S. A. Rinehart. 2013. "Optical Properties of Iron Silicates in the Infrared to Millimeter as a Function of Wavelength and Temperature." The Astrophysical Journal 770 (46): 1-12 [10.1088/0004-637X/770/1/46]

    Cataldo, G., J. A. Beall, H.-M. Cho, et al. B. McAndrew, M. D. Niemack, and E. J. Wollack. 2012. ""Infrared dielectric properties of low-stress silicon nitride" ." Optics Letters 37 (20): 4200-4202 [10.1364/OL.37.004200]

    Rinehart, S. A., D. J. Benford, G. Cataldo, et al. E. Dwek, R. Henry, R. E. Kinzer, J. A. Nuth, R. F. Silverberg, C. Wheeler, and E. J. Wollack. 2011. ""Measuring the Optical Properties of Astrophysical Dust Analogues: Instrumentation and Methods" ." Applied Optics 50 (21): 4115-4123 [10.1364/AO.50.004115]

    Non-Refereed

    Cataldo, G., P. A. Ade, C. J. Anderson, et al. A. Barlis, E. M. Barrentine, N. G. Bellis, A. D. Bolatto, P. C. Breysse, B. T. Bulcha, J. A. Connors, P. W. Cursey, N. Ehsan, T. M. Essinger-Hileman, J. Glenn, J. Golec, J. Hays-Wehle, L. A. Hess, A. Jahromi, M. O. Kimball, A. J. Kogut, L. N. Lowe, P. D. Mauskopf, J. J. McMahon, M. Mirzaei, S. H. Moseley, J. W. Mugge-Durum, O. Noroozian, T. M. Oxholm, U.-L. Pen, A. R. Pullen, S. Rodriguez, P. J. Shirron, G. Siebert, A. K. Sinclair, R. S. Somerville, R. Stephenson, T. R. Stevenson, E. R. Switzer, P. T. Timbie, C. E. Tucker, E. Visbal, C. G. Volpert, E. J. Wollack, and S. Yang. 2020. "Overview and status of EXCLAIM, the experiment for cryogenic large-aperture intensity mapping." Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VIII [10.1117/12.2561069]

    Cataldo, G., A. Aragona, A. Gren, R. Maffei, and A. Paraboschi. 2009. ""Space Hotel Design - Design for an orbiting space hotel"." Alta Scuola Politecnica Report

    Carrasco-Martos, S., G. Cataldo, L. Cully, et al. H. Fingerhut, T. Garrett, H. Hui, F. Keels, E. Lee, V. Martin, K. McCoy, Z. Merceruio, M. Neveu, M. Piltz, E. Reiff, L. Sandberg, S. Shkolyar, E. Timmons, and A. Willingham. 2009. ""The Odysseus Project: NASA's Vision for Reaching the Stars"." NASA GSFC Report

                                                                                                                                                                                            
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    • Last Updated: 04/16/2021