Dr. Stephanie Getty is a planetary research scientist and the Director of the Solar System Exploration Division at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Her research interests are in the area of in situ planetary exploration, particularly in the pursuit of understanding the origin and evolution of past and present habitable environments in our Solar System. She is currently serving as Deputy Principal Investigator of the DAVINCI mission to Venus. She is also a member of the ExoMars Rover Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer science team.
Stephanie A Getty (she/her)
(Director)
| Email: | stephanie.a.getty@nasa.gov |
| Phone: | 301.614.5442 |
| Org Code: | 690 |
| Address: |
NASA/GSFC Mail Code 690 Greenbelt, MD 20771 |
| Employer: |
Missions & Projects
Brief Bio
Positions/Employment
Director, Solar System Exploration Division
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Greenbelt, MD
August 2022 - Present
Deputy Director, Solar System Exploration Division, Code 690
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Greenbelt, MD 20771
2017 - August 2022
Associate Laboratory Chief, Planetary Environments Laboratory, Code 699
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Greenbelt, MD 20771
2015 - 2017
Assistant Chief for Science Operations and Strategic Planning, Planetary Environments Laboratory, Code 699
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Greenbelt, MD 20771
2013 - 2015
Education
PhD, Department of Physics, University of Florida (December 2001)
BS with honors, Department of Physics, University of Florida (May 1998)
BS with honors, Department of Physics, University of Florida (May 1998)
Professional Service
2019-present DAVINCI Deputy Principal Investigator
2021 Organizing Committee, Future of the Search for Life Workshop
2013-present MOMA-MS Calibration Lead, MOMA Science Team Member (Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer, ExoMars Rover 2020)
2013-present Collaborator, Mars Science Laboratory, Sample Analysis at Mars Instrument Suite
2017-2020 Member for Strategy, Planetary Exploration Science and Technology (PESTO) Office
2014 Lead Organizer, Biosignatures of Extant Life in Ocean Worlds (BELOW) Workshop
2011-2022 Session Organizer: IEEE Aerospace Conference, Co-chair, In Situ Instruments for Landed Missions
2012-2014 Conference Organization: International Materials Research Congress, Co-chair, Symposium on Nanostructured Carbon Materials for MEMS/NEMS and Nanoelectronics
2011-2017 Member, Steering Committee for Mid-Atlantic Micro/Nano Alliance
2015-2019 Principal Investigator, Molecular Analyzer for Complex Organic-rich Samples (Planetary Instrument Concepts for Advancing Solar System Observations Program)
2012-2017 Principal Investigator, Organics Analyzer for Sampling Icy Surfaces (Astrobiology Science and Technology Instrument Development Program)
2012-2016 Principal Investigator, Two-Step Tandem Laser Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (Planetary Instrument Definition and Development Program)
2007-2010 SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing Conference Organization: Co-organizer of Micro- and Nanotechnologies for Sensing Applications
2009 Participant, GSFC Science and Engineering Collaboration Program
2009 Member, NASA Innovation and Technology Study Group
2005-2006 Served as Nanotechnology Expert in NESC Space Shuttle Bracket Ice Study
Awards
2021 Robert H. Goddard Award – New Opportunities Captured, as member of the DAVINCI Team
2020 NASA Agency Honor Award – Group Achievement Award, as 690 Division Lead of Internal Scientist Funding Model Team
2019 Silver Achievement Medal, as team member of the Planetary Exploration Science Technology Office (PESTO)
2012 Named Goddard Space Flight Center Innovator of the Year
2010 Team member, GSFC Innovator of the Year Award
2008 James J. Kerley Award for contributions to NASA’s Innovative Partnerships Program
2007 GSFC AETD Science and Technology Advancement Award
Publications
Refereed
2024. "Future of the Search for Life: Workshop Report." Astrobiology 24 (1): 114-129 [10.1089/ast.2022.0158] [Journal Article/Letter]
2024. "Overview: ‘The Life Detection Knowledge Base’ Special Issue." Astrobiology [Journal Article/Letter]
2023. "Venus Evolution Through Time: Key Science Questions, Selected Mission Concepts and Future Investigations." Space Science Reviews 219 (7): 56 [10.1007/s11214-023-00992-w] [Journal Article/Letter]
2022. "Revealing the Mysteries of Venus: The DAVINCI Mission." The Planetary Science Journal 3 (5): 117 [10.3847/psj/ac63c2] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "Planetary Mass Spectrometry for Agnostic Life Detection in the Solar System." Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences 8 (173): [Full Text] [10.3389/fspas.2021.755100] [Journal Article/Letter]
2019. "Investigating the effects of gamma radiation on selected chemicals for use in biosignature detection instruments on the surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa." Planetary and Space Science 175 1-12 [Full Text] [10.1016/j.pss.2019.05.009] [Journal Article/Letter]
2018. "IR resonance-enhanced organic detection with two-step laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry." Icarus 299 15-21 [10.1016/j.icarus.2017.07.006] [Journal Article/Letter]
2017. "The Characterization of Biosignatures in Caves Using an Instrument Suite." Astrobiology 17 (12): 1203-1218 [10.1089/ast.2016.1568] [Journal Article/Letter]
2017. "Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) laser desorption/ionization source design and performance characterization." International Journal of Mass Spectrometry 422 177 - 187 [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijms.2017.03.010] [Journal Article/Letter]
2017. "The Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) Instrument: Characterization of Organic Material in Martian Sediments." Astrobiology 17 (6-7): 655-685 [10.1089/ast.2016.1551] [Journal Article/Letter]
2017. "Influence of trace aromatics on the chemical growth mechanisms of Titan aerosol analogues." Planetary and Space Science 140 27-34 [10.1016/j.pss.2017.03.012] [Journal Article/Letter]
2017. "Molecular analyzer for Complex Refractory Organic-rich Surfaces (MACROS)." 2017 IEEE Aerospace Conference [10.1109/aero.2017.7943706] [Proceedings]
2016. "MOMA: the challenge to search for organics and biosignatures on Mars." International Journal of Astrobiology 15 (03): 239-250 [10.1017/s1473550416000227] [Journal Article/Letter]
2016. "Tandem mass spectrometry on a miniaturized laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometer." 2016 IEEE Aerospace Conference [10.1109/aero.2016.7500615] [Proceedings]
2016. "Evaluation of the robustness of chromatographic columns in a simulated highly radiative Jovian environment." Planetary and Space Science 122 38-45 [10.1016/j.pss.2016.01.004] [Journal Article/Letter]
2015. "Analysis of aqueous environments by laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry." 2015 IEEE Aerospace Conference [10.1109/aero.2015.7119087] [Proceedings]
2015. "Detection of Trace Organics in Mars Analog Samples Containing Perchlorate by Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry." Astrobiology 15 (2): 104-110 [10.1089/ast.2014.1203] [Journal Article/Letter]
2015. "Design and Demonstration of the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) on the ExoMars 2018 Rover." IEEE Aerospace [Journal Article/Letter]
2014. "A Compact Tandem Two-Step Laser Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer for In Situ Analysis of Non-Volatile Organics on Planetary Surfaces." IEEE 978-1-4799-1622-1/14 [Journal Article/Letter]
2014. "LABORATORY SIMULATIONS OF TITAN'S SURFACE COMPOSITION AND ITS RELATION TO ATMOSPHERIC HAZE LAYERS." Proceedings of the 69th International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy [10.15278/isms.2014.fe02] [Proceedings]
2014. "Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry interface for detection of extraterrestrial organics." 2014 IEEE Aerospace Conference [Full Text] [10.1109/aero.2014.6836328] [Proceedings]
2014. "A comparative study of in situ biosignature detection spectroscopy techniques on planetary surfaces." 2014 IEEE Aerospace Conference [10.1109/aero.2014.6836262] [Proceedings]
2013. "Organics Analyzer for Sampling Icy Surfaces: a Liquid Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer for Future in situ Small Body Missions." 2013 IEEE Aerospace Conference [Full Text] [10.1109/AERO.2013.6497391] [Journal Article/Letter]
2013. "Results from an integrated AOTF-LDTOF spectrometer suite for planetary surfaces." 2013 IEEE Aerospace Conference [10.1109/aero.2013.6497177] [Proceedings]
2013. "Organics Analyzer for Sampling Icy Surfaces: a Liquid Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer for Future in situ Small Body Missions." IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings [Proceedings]
2013. "In situ instrument to detect prebiotic compounds in planetary ices." SPIE Newsroom [DOI: 10.1117/2.1201302.004703] [Report]
2012. "Understanding the effect of electron gun geometry on emission characteristics for the purpose of optimizing the VAPoR time-of-flight mass spectrometer." Microsystems for Measurement and Instrumentation [10.1109/MAMNA.2012.6195104] [Journal Article/Letter]
2012. "Understanding the effect of electron gun geometry on emission characteristics for the purpose of optimizing the VAPoR time-of-flight mass spectrometer ." Microsystems for Measurement and Instrumentation 1-4 [10.1109/MAMNA.2012.6195104] [Journal Article/Letter]
2012. "Volatile Analysis by Pyrolysis of Regolith for Planetary Resource Exploration." IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings 1-11, 3-10 [Full Text] [10.1109/AERO.2012.6187065] [Proceedings]
2012. "Rapid Assessment of High Value Samples: An AOTF-LDTOF Spectrometer Suite for Planetary Surfaces." IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings [10.1109/AERO.2012.6187060] [Proceedings]
2012. "Coordinated analyses of Antarctic sediments as Mars analog materials using reflectance spectroscopy and current flight-like instruments for CheMin, SAM and MOMA." Icarus 224 (2): 309-325 [10.1016/j.icarus.2012.05.014] [Journal Article/Letter]
2012. "A Miniature Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer for in situ Analysis of Mars Surface Composition and Identification of Hazards in Advance of Future Manned Exploration." Concepts and Approaches for Mars Exploration 4302 [Proceedings]
2012. "Compact two-step laser time-of-flight mass spectrometer for in situ analyses of aromatic organics on planetary missions." Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 26 1 [Journal Article/Letter]
2012. "Laser Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry for Future In Situ Planetary Missions." International Workshop on Instrumentation for Planetary Missions 1100 [Proceedings]
2010. "Development of an evolved gas-time-of-flight mass spectrometer for the Volatile Analysis by Pyrolysis of Regolith (VAPoR) instrument." International Journal of Mass Spectrometry 295 124-132 [Journal Article/Letter]
2005. "Near-Perfect Conduction Through a Ferrocene-based Molecular Wire." Physical Review B 71 241401(R) [Journal Article/Letter]
2004. "Extraordinary Mobility in Semiconducting Carbon Nanotubes." Nano Letters 4 35 [Journal Article/Letter]
Non-Refereed
2019. "Future planetary instrument capabilities made possible by micro- and nanotechnology." Micro- and Nanotechnology Sensors, Systems, and Applications XI [10.1117/12.2519455] [Proceedings]
2018. "Carbon Nanotube Field Emitter Design for In Situ EPMA." Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 1717 [Proceedings]
2018. "A universal approach in the search for life at the molecular level." A White Paper in response to the ASTROBIOLOGY SCIENCE STRATEGY FOR THE SEARCH FOR LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE [Other]
2016. "A Miniature Electron Probe for In Situ Elemental Microanalysis." AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts 48 123.11 [Proceedings]
2013. "Two-step Laser Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry to Elucidate Organic Diversity in Planetary Surface Materials." 44th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2676 [Other]