Local News

SSERVI Award Winners 2022

2022.07.19

Recognizing that science and exploration go hand in hand, NASA created SSERVI in 2013 to advance human exploration of the Moon and other solar system destinations. The SSERVI Awards recognize outstanding achievement in exploration science and recipients have each made unique contributions to NASA’s human exploration efforts. SSERVI Award winners are nominated by their academic peers and are selected by a committee based at SSERVI’s central office. The awards will be presented along with invited lectures from the recipients at the 2022 NASA Exploration Science Forum (NESF) taking place July 19-21. It is our great pleasure to announce this year’s SSERVI award winners. Each is exceptionally deserving, and each is an outstanding member of our community, providing both exceptional science and strong leadership.

Susan Mahan Niebur Early Career Award: Dr. O.J. Tucker and Dr. Kelsey Young

Angioletta Coradini Mid-Career Award: Dr. Carolyn van der Bogert

Michael J. Wargo Exploration Science Award: Dr. Ben Bussey

Eugene Shoemaker Distinguished Scientist Medal Dr. Lisa Gaddis

Each of this year’s winners is exceptionally deserving, and it’s an honor to work with them to help further our great efforts as we get ever closer to what we all hope is a permanent presence on our Moon.

John C. Lindsay Memorial Award for Space Science

2020.08.27

A message from Center Director Dennis J. Andrucyk:

In a bit of good news, I would like to congratulate Dennis Reuter and Amy Simon, both from our Solar System Exploration Division, as this year’s co-recipients of the John C. Lindsay Memorial Award for Space Science, one of the highest honors bestowed by our center. Together, they have led the development and use of infrared spectrometers that are leading to groundbreaking discoveries. Among other achievements, their OSIRIS-REx OVIRS instrument is at asteroid Bennu, where it has enabled the discovery of hydrated minerals. In just a few months, OSIRIS-REx will pluck a sample from the asteroid, making this honor both timely and topical. They will be presented with the award during a future Goddard Scientific Colloquium. Hearty congratulations to both Dennis and Amy, and we’re excited to hear about more amazing discoveries from OSIRIS-REx!

Presidential Early Career Awards

2019.07.10

We congratulate Giada Arney, Shawn Domagal-Goldman and Jennifer Stern, on receiving Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. The Whitehouse web page describes the awards as, “Established in 1996, the PECASE acknowledges the contributions scientists and engineers have made to the advancement of science, technology, education, and mathematics (STEM) education and to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education, and community outreach. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy coordinates the PECASE with participating departments and agencies.”

Giada Arney, is recognized for far-reaching influence in predicting, observing, and communicating about habitability and the potential for life beyond Earth. Shawn Domagal-Goldman, is recognized for his work on the physical models of exoplanets, and Jennifer Stern, for her work on Mars habitability and life detection. Congratulations Giada, Shawn and Jennifer, on this outstanding achievement, and for representing our scientific community here at the Goddard Space Flight Center.

Poster Blowout 2019 is in the books!

2019.02.27

Photos from this year's Poster Blowout are available now. Congratulations to everyone, especially this year's winners!

SEEC: New Exoplanet Collaboration Seeks to Answer Age-Old Question: Are We Alone?

2018.10.23

Goddard scientists Avi Mandell and Elisa Quintana are among the scientists participating in the Sellers Exoplanet Environment Collaboration, a cross-disciplinary research effort named after the late Piers Sellers. The collaboration is now funding 16 cross-disciplinary research teams that are working with already-existing analytical tools, such as 3-D general-circulation and stellar-outflow models, to see how they could be adapted or modified to run simulations that would advance exoplanet science. The story runs in Goddard's technology magazine, "Cutting Edge" starting on page 13.

Poster Blowout 2018

2018.02.05

Note from the Director:
I would like to thank the Director’s Science Committee for putting on an amazingly successful event where scientists and engineers across Goddard shared their work and made new contacts. The interdisciplinary interactions were especially exciting and crossed all four science disciplines.
Best,
Colleen

Click the title of this news item or the image below for more images from the poster party.

The Search for Habitability

2017.11.21

How many planets could support life? In a TEDx talk, Goddard’s Geronimo Villanueva explains how scientists look for conditions suitable for life on Mars and other rocky or icy objects, and how they can take the search beyond our solar system.

Cassini's Grande Finale

2017.09.19

The Cassini spacecraft investigated Saturn, its rings and moons from 2004 to 2017. Goddard’s Conor Nixon spoke at the Library of Congress about Cassini from its earliest phases to its ‘Grand Finale.’

Goddard Planetary Instruments Win Development, Maturation Funding

2017.07.25

Three instrument proposals led by researchers in Goddard's Solar System Exploration Division were selected for funding by the PICASSO and MatISSE programs. The PICASSO selection was "Development of a Prototype for the Thermal Infrared Composite Imaging Spectrometer (TIRCIS) Instrument," with Terry Hurford as the PI. Selected for MatISSE funds were the "Mars Lidar for Global Climate Measurements from Orbit (MARLI)" with James Abshire as the PI, and "Picture this SELFI: A Maturation Project for a Submillimeter Enceladus Life Fundamentals Instrument (SELFI)" with Gordon Chin as the PI. Read more here.

More Goddard CubeSat Mission Concepts Selected for Study

2017.07.19

Researchers in Code 690 have leadership roles in six studies selected under the Planetary Science Deep Space SmallSat Studies (PSDS3) program to develop mission concepts for small satellites. 1. Valeria Cottini, PI: the CubeSat UV Experiment (CUVE); 2. Timothy Stubbs, PI: Bi-sat Observations of the Lunar Atmosphere above Swirls (BOLAS); 3. Tilak Hewagama, PI: Primitive Object Volatile Explorer (PrOVE); 4. Noah Petro, PI: Mini Lunar Volatiles (MiLUV) mission; 5. Mike Collier, PI: Phobos Regolith Ion Sample Mission (PRISM); and 6. Barbara Cohen, co-Investigator: Lunar Water Assessment, Transport, Evolution, and Resource (WATER) mission. Read more here.

Goddard CubeSat Mission Concepts Selected for Study

2017.03.22

Two studies led by researchers in Code 690 were selected under the Planetary Science Deep Space SmallSat Studies (PSDS3) program to develop mission concepts using small satellites to investigate Venus, Earth’s moon, asteroids, Mars and the outer planets. Timothy Stubbs leads the Bi-sat Observations of the Lunar Atmosphere above Swirls (BOLAS), which would use tethered 12-unit CubeSats to investigate the moon's hydrogen cycle. Valeria Cottini leads the CubeSat UV Experiment (CUVE), a 12-unit CubeSat orbiter to measure ultraviolet absorption and nightglow emissions to understand Venus’ atmospheric dynamics.

Science Jamboree event photos

2016.08.04

The 2016 Science Jamboree was a great success! A collection of 50 photos from the event are available now.

NASA Employees Among Finalists for Prestigious Heyman Medal

2016.05.02

This year’s finalists for the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal include Goddard scientist Dennis Reuter and his team, nominated for contributions to the New Horizons mission, which flew past Pluto in July 2015.

Paul Mahaffy Named Director of the Solar System Exploration Division

2015.12.11

Paul Mahaffy has been named the new Director of Goddard’s Solar System Exploration Division. Paul served for nearly 10 years as Chief of the Planetary Environments Laboratory, leading this group’s study of planetary atmospheres and surface environments with emphases on the modeling of atmospheres and surface environments, advanced instrument development, the study of terrestrial planetary analogs, and the development of space-qualified instruments. Paul is currently Principal Investigator of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) investigation on the Curiosity rover and of the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS) on the MAVEN Mars orbiter. He previously participated in a wide range of planetary missions, including those to Jupiter, Saturn, comets, and the moon.

AAAS Names NASA Goddard Scientists 2015 Fellows

2015.12.03

Three scientists in the Sciences and Exploration Directorate have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Lucy McFadden (693), Jose Rodriguez (614) and Compton Tucker (618) are among 347 AAAS members awarded this honor for their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. Congratulations!

NASA Scientist to Discuss "New Horizons: Journey to Pluto and Beyond" at Library of Congress Lecture

2015.12.01

The Dec. 8, 2015, talk will be given by Dennis Reuter, the instrument scientist for Ralph -- the New Horizons color imager and infrared spectrometer. Reuter will discuss the New Horizons mission and the first close-up images of Pluto.

Goddard Scientist to Discuss Dawn Mission at Library of Congress

2015.11.06

Goddard researcher Lucy McFadden will speak in the Madison Building of the Library of Congress on Thursday, Nov. 19, at 11:30 a.m. The title of her talk is “Dawn: A Journey to the Beginning of the Solar System.”

Special Titan Lecture: 101 Flybys and Counting

2014.03.24

Goddard scientists will host a free public lecture on Apr. 8, 2014, to celebrate the science and exploration Saturn's moon Titan, including the milestone of the Cassini mission's 101st flyby.

Anne Kinney wins a Presidential Rank Award

2013.08.09

Anne Kinney received a 2012 Presidential Rank Award (Meritorious Executive). These awards are given to high-performing senior career employees for "sustained extraordinary accomplishment." Executives from across Government are nominated by their agency heads, evaluated by citizen panels, and designated by the President. Winners of these awards are deemed to be strong leaders, professionals, or scientists who achieve results and consistently demonstrate strength, integrity, industry, and a relentless commitment to excellence in public service.

Dr F. Michael Flasar wins Lindsay Award

2011.08.26

Dr F. Michael Flasar of the Planetary Systems Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, was awarded the John C. Lindsay Memorial Award for Space Science, in recognition of his very substantial and fundamental contributions to planetary and atmospheric science as Principal Investigator of the Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) instrument. Dr. Flasar is an active, hands-on leader involved in every aspect of the instrument operations and analysis, and the scientific output of this instrument would be greatly diminished without his capable direction and leadership. Mike is perhaps best known for his insightful work on Saturn¹s giant moon Titan using Voyager and Cassini data, and he is rightly regarded as one of the foremost experts on the meteorology of Titan.

Congratulations to the OSIRIS-REx Team!

2011.05.25

Today we heard that the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security - Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission was selected as the next New Frontiers class mission. OSIRIS-Rex is a sample return mission to an asteroid that will launch in 2016, and spend over a year exploring 1999 RQ36, acquire samples while providing geologic context, and return to Earth in 2023. GSFC will manage the mission and provide the OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer (OVIRS) instrument.

Saturn's Atmospheric Oscillation

2011.03.29

Planetary Systems Lab Member Discusses Titan

2011.01.01

ESA article on Martian Atmosphere

2010.02.23

European Space Agency writes a web feature on the ground based observations of the Martian atmosphere by a team code 693 scientists.