Sciences and Exploration Directorate

Gordon Chin

((AST, PLANETARY STUDIES))

Gordon Chin's Contact Card & Information.
Email: gordon.chin-1@nasa.gov
Phone: 301.286.8649
Org Code: 693
Address:
NASA/GSFC
Mail Code 693
Greenbelt, MD 20771
Employer:
NASA

Brief Bio


Gordon Chin has served as Project Scientist for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and for the Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite. He is currently a Co-Investigator for the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND). He was the Principal Investigator for Vesper, submitted as a Discovery-class Planetary Mission to Venus. He is PI for the MATISSE project Submillimeter Enceladus Life Fundamentals Instrument (SELFI), PI for the Radical Innovation Initiative Wideband Imaging Submillimeter Heterodyne Spectrometer (WISHeS) a Radical Innovation Initiative IRAD, and CoI on Submillimeter Solar Observation Lunar Volatiles Experiment (SSOLVE) a DALI maturation project.

Research Interests


SELFI: Submillimeter Enceladus Life Fundamentals Instrument, a 3-Year MatISSE Program to mature submillimeter heterodyne spectrometer technology for the remote sensing of Enceladus water plumes that sample its subsurface ocean

Solar System: Solar System

SELFI Science Objectives: SELFI observes simultaneously 14 molecular species that are important in the context of life and habitability (five of CHNOPS elements necessary for life) of the Enceladus’ subsurface ocean.

  • Assess plume spatial/temporal compositional variability;
  • H2O, HDO, and H218O, and H217O evidence of ocean evolution;
  • H2O2, and O3 oxidation state of the sub surface ocean;
  • CO, NH3, CH3OH, HCN and HNC are biologically relevant species;
  • SO2 and H2S links to pre-biotic molecules and volcanoes;
  • NaCl provides salinity level of the subsurface ocean and the source of salt in the Saturn ring system.
  • Continuum observations measure surface temperature from 30 - 250 K with 0.1 K resolution.
  • Correlation of plume activity with surface temperature.

Technical Objectives:

  • Advance the TRL of RF Low Noise Amplifier (RF LNA)
  • Advance TRL of Mixer & LO Assembly (MLA)
  • Design, build and test Microwave Assembly (MWA)
  • Design, build and test Digital Spectrometer Assembly (DSA)
  • Raise TRL to 6 of SELFI RF-to-Digital Spectrometer through functional and environmental testing
  • Reduce risk of flight instrument development


WISHeS: Wideband Imaging Submillimeter Heterodyne Spectrometer for Solar System Exploration and Earth Science Atmospheric Studies - a cross-cutting GSFC 3-year IRAD program for Radical Innovation Initiative

Earth Science: Remote Sensing

Project Motivation: Submillimeter spectroscopy is a powerful remote sensing tool to study numerous Solar System targets including Earth. The spectral regions in the submillimeter are rich in molecular transitions that probe chemistry and dynamics of planetary atmospheres
⟶ e.g., for Venus: H2O, H218O, H217O, H2O2, NH3, H2S, HDO, SO, SO2 , OCS, 12CO, 13CO, ClO, HCl

Three Year Objectives:

  1. Design, integrate, and test a ≥2-pixel 530 – 600 GHz system with broadband IF output as a demonstration of a full receiver array (~8 pixels);
  2. Design, integrate, and test noise source diodes across 530 – 600 GHz;
  3. Demonstrate a 32 GHz integrated digital spectrometer with 500 kHz spectral resolution using COTS parts with path to space, e.g. Pacific Microchip ASIC, Omnisys, Xilinx RFSOC;
  4. Conduct studies and laboratory demonstrations using photonic integrated circuits for up/down conversion to split the IF into sub bands compatible with a bandlimited digital spectrometer;
  5. Develop AI smart-sensor system simulator;
  6. Antenna design and modeling for array detectors;
  7. Support NASA’s investment in imaging spectroscopy through presentations, publications, and partnering with industry and academia.
     


SSOLVE: Submillimeter Observation of Lunar Volatile Experiment -A DALI program to develop and advance lunar instruments.

Solar System: Moons

ScienceObjective:

  • Settle the matter of water vapor abundance in the lunar atmosphere
  • Compare water vapor with its photolysis product, OH radical
  • Diurnal variability of H2O/OH
  • Stretch goal: evaluate D/H ratio
  • Technology applicable to other species, other landed missions, e.g., Mars, Europa, Enceladus.

Platform: Lander; adaptable to Orbiter

Measurement Scxheme:

  • Heliostat to track Sun.
  • Measure spectral absorption of water species against Sun.
  • Calibrate internal water by measuring against calibration source.
  • Calibrate local water against nearby surface.
     

Positions/Employment


CoI on Submillimeter Solar Observation Lunar Volatiles Experiment (SSOLVE)

GSFC - Greenbelt, MD

2019 - Present


PI Wideband Imaging Submillimeter Heterodyne Spectrometer (WISHeS)

GSFC - Greenbelt, MD

2018 - Present


PI Submillimeter Enceladus Life Fundamentals Instrument (SELFI)

GSFC - Greenbelt, MD

2017 - Present


Science member of GSFC System Review Team for the OSIRIS-Rex Mission.

GSFC - Greenbelt, MD

2013 - 2016


Executive Council Member of NASA Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG)

GSFC - Greenbelt, MD

2012 - 2015


Co-I, Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) instrument on LRO

GSFC - Greenbelt, MD

2008 - Present


LRO Associate Project Scientist

GSFC - Greenbelt, MD

2008 - 2012


LRO Project Scientist

GSFC - Greenbelt, MD

2005 - 2008


Member, NSF ALMA Management Advisory Committee; Chair, 2003–2004

GSFC - Greenbelt, MD

1998 - 2009


Program Scientist, Small Explorer Program, detailed to NASA HQ

GSFC - Greenbelt, MD

1994 - 1995


Project Scientist, Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS)

GSFC - Greenbelt, MD

1989 - 2005

Education


1995 - Goddard Leadership Educational Series (GLES)
1977 - Ph.D. - Physics, Columbia University
1974 - M. Phil. - Physics, Columbia University
1972 - M.A. - Physics, Columbia University
1970 - B.A. - Physics, Columbia College

Awards


2013 Robert H. Goddard Exceptional Achievement – NASA Transit of Venus Outreach
2013 Robert H. Goddard Exceptional Achievement – LRO Science Mission Team
2011 NASA Group Achievement Award – LRO Mission Operations Team
2011 NASA Group Achievement Award – LRO Instrument Team
2010 NASA Group Achievement Award – LRO Mission Team
2010 NASA Group Achievement Award – LRO Public Outreach Team
2009 Robert H. Goddard Exceptional Achievement – LRO Mission Team
2004 NASA Group Achievement Award – SWAS Team
1995 Goddard Special Act Group Award – SWAS I&T Team
1994 NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal
 

Selected Publications


Refereed

2018. "Background and lunar neutron populations detected by LEND and average concentration of near-surface hydrogen near the Moon's poles." Planetary and Space Science 162 89–104 [10.1016/j.pss.2017.12.004] [Journal Article/Letter]

2018. "Crater age and hydrogen content in lunar regolith from LEND neutron data." Planetary and Space Science 162 105–112 [10.1016/j.pss.2017.08.001] [Journal Article/Letter]

2018. "Calibration and Validation of the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) Observations for the Study of the Moon's Volatiles." Space Science Reviews [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "Hydrogen distribution in the lunar polar regions." Icarus 283 20-30 [10.1016/j.icarus.2016.06.002] [Journal Article/Letter]

2016. "The variations of neutron component of lunar radiation background from LEND/LRO observations." Planetary and Space Science 122 53-65 [10.1016/j.pss.2016.01.006] [Journal Article/Letter]

2015. "Evidence for the sequestration of hydrogen-bearing volatiles towards the Moon’s southern pole-facing slopes." Icarus 255 88-99 [10.1016/j.icarus.2014.10.001] [Journal Article/Letter]

2015. "Evidence for the sequestration of hydrogen-bearing volatiles towards the Moon’s southern pole-facing slopes." Icarus 255 88-99 [10.1016/j.icarus.2014.10.001] [Journal Article/Letter]

2015. "Moonshine: Diurnally varying hydration through natural distillation on the Moon, detected by the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND)." Icarus 255 100-115 [10.1016/j.icarus.2015.04.004] [Journal Article/Letter]

2015. "Evidence for the sequestration of hydrogen-bearing volatiles towards the Moon’s southern pole-facing slopes." Icarus 255 88-99 [10.1016/j.icarus.2014.10.001] [Journal Article/Letter]

2012. "Global Maps of Lunar Neutron Flux from LEND Instrument." JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH JE003949 18 [10.1029/2011JE003949] [Journal Article/Letter]

2012. "Testing lunar permanently shadowed regions for water ice: LEND results from LRO." JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH 117 E00H26 [10.1029/2011JE003971] [Journal Article/Letter]

2010. "Hydrogen Mapping of the Lunar South Pole Using the LRO Neutron Detector Experiment LEND." Science 330 (6003): 483-486 [Full Text] [10.1126/science.1185696] [Journal Article/Letter]

2010. "Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO): Observations for Lunar Exploration and Science." Space Science Reviews 150 7 [Full Text] [10.1007/s11214-010-9631-5] [Journal Article/Letter]

2010. "Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector for the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter." Space Science Reviews 150 183 [Full Text] [10.1007/s11214-009-9608-4] [Journal Article/Letter]

2008. "Experiment LEND of the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter for High-Resolution Mapping of Neutron Emission of the Moon." Astrobiology 8 793 [Full Text] [10.1089/ast.2007.0158] [Journal Article/Letter]

2007. "Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Overview: The Instrument Suite and Mission." Space Science Reviews 129 391 [Full Text] [10.1007/s11214-007-9153-y] [Journal Article/Letter]

2003. "Neutral atom imaging of solar wind interaction with the Earth and Venus." EGS - AGU - EUG Joint Assembly 4437- [Journal Article/Letter]

1982. "Infrared Heterodyne Spectroscopy." Optical Engineering 21 313 [Journal Article/Letter]

1981. "Infrared Heterodyne Spectroscopy." Infrared Astronomy- Scientific/Military Thrusts and Instrumentation SPIE 280 111. [Journal Article/Letter]

1981. "Discovery of Natural Gain Amplification in the 10-Micrometer Carbon Dioxide Laser Bands on Mars: A Natural Laser." Science 212 45 [Journal Article/Letter]

1980. "Vibrationally Excited Silicon Monoxide Masers." Proc. of the IAU Symposium No. 87 537-538 [Journal Article/Letter]

1980. "A 10 Micron Heterodyne Receiver for Ultra-High Resolution Astronomical Spectroscopy." Proc. of the IAU Symposium 87 633-638 [Journal Article/Letter]

1979. "Temperature Sounding the Atmosphere of Venus by Infrared Heterodyne Spectroscopy of 12C16O2." EOS 60 868 [Journal Article/Letter]