About

Philip R. Christensen is a Regents Professor and the Ed and Helen Korrick Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University. As a geologist and geophysicist, his research interests focus on the composition, processes, and physical properties of Mars, the Earth, and other planetary surfaces. He uses spectroscopy, radiometry, field observations, and numerical modeling to study the geology and history of planets and moons. Much of his work has involved studying Mars, but his interests also include the Moon, the outer planet satellites, and the Earth. Over the past decade, he has studied urban environments and growth worldwide using satellite data. He has built five science instruments that have flown on NASA missions to Mars, including the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) camera on Mars Odyssey, the Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES) instruments on the Mars Exploration Rovers, and the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) on Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Observer. His contributions to planetary science have been recognized with awards such as NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal in 2003, NASA’s Public Service Medal in 2005, and the G.K. Gilbert Award of the Geological Society of America in 2008. He is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union. His research interests encompass the composition, physical properties, and processes of planetary surfaces, utilizing spectroscopy, radiometry, laboratory measurements, field observations, and numerical modeling. While much of his work has focused on Mars, he also studies the Moon, outer planet satellites, and Earth, with a particular emphasis since the mid-1990s on using spacecraft observations to address environmental and urban development issues on Earth.

Research topics

• Astrobiology
• Physics
• Computer Science
• Geology
• Astronomy
• Mineralogy
• Remote sensing
• Aerospace engineering
• Engineering
• Geography
• Meteorology
• Paleontology
• Mathematics
• Mechanical engineering
• Operating system
• Astrophysics
• Chemistry
• Environmental science
• Aeronautics
• Optics
• Statistics
• Geodesy

Selected publications

• Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System (E-THEMIS) cruise observations of Mars

  2025-07-09

  preprintOpen access1st author

  The Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System (E-THEMIS) on the Europa Clipper spacecraft will investigate the temperature and physical properties of Europa using thermal infrared images in three wavelength bands at 7-14 µm, 14-28 µm and 28-70 μm [Christensen et al., 2024]. The specific objectives of the investigation are to 1) understand the formation of surface features, including sites of recent or current activity, in order to understand regional and global processes and evolution and 2) to identify safe sites for future landed missions. The E-THEMIS radiometric calibration includes removing the thermal emission from the instrument housing, optical elements, and filters using observations of space and an internal calibration flag [Christensen et al., 2024]. On February 28, 2025, the Clipper spacecraft performed a close flyby of Mars for a trajectory gravity assist. Twenty four hours prior to closest approach the spacecraft pointed the E-THEMIS instrument at Mars and performed a sequence that scanned E-THEMIS across the planet at a slew rate of 100 micro-radians per second. This rate is the same as what be used to image Europa during each flyby [Pappalardo et al., 2024]. This activity accomplished two primary objectives: 1) collect images of a well-characterized target (Mars) to validate the E-THEMIS calibration methodology and software prior to the first observations of Europa; and 2) rehearse the data collection procedure that will be used to obtain global observations of Europa.Mars makes an excellent thermal calibration target because it has been extensively studied and characterized by numerous thermal infrared instruments. The E-THEMIS observations were simulated using modeled surface temperatures generated using global maps of thermal inertia albedo made from the MGS TES data [Christensen et al., 2001], together with the krc thermal model [Kieffer, 2013]. The wavelength-dependent atmospheric absorption and emission was modeled using data from the UAE Emirates Mars Mission EMIRS thermal infrared spectrometer [Amiri et al., 2022; Edwards et al., 2021]. EMIRS collects global scans of hyperspectral data from 6-100 µm at 5 and 10 cm-1 spectral sampling at ~200 km spatial resolution [Edwards et al., 2021]. These spectra were resampled from wavenumber to wavelength and weighted by the three E-THEMIS spectral bandpasses to produce 3-band simulated E-THEMIS global images. EMIRS data were not collected simultaneously with the E-THEMIS imaging, but global observations were acquired at the same season and within 5° of latitude, 10° of longitude, and 0.3 H local time of the E-THEMIS data. Fig. 1 shows an example of the nearest EMIRS observation to the E-THEMIS observing conditions of sub-spacecraft latitude=20.3° N, longitude=163.0° E, local time=11.48 H, and Ls=50.5°. A transfer function from the krc-generated surface temperatures and the bandpass-weighted EMIRS data was created by averaging the ratio of forty-five EMIRS observations to the krc-generated surface temperatures. Simulated E-THEMIS observations were produced using the average of these ratios and the krc surface temperatures. The results are given in Fig. 2. The E-THEMIS data could not be transmitted to Earth until Clipper was more than 2 AU from Sun due to spacecraft thermal constraints. As a result the data were received on Earth on May 7, 2025, and the results and an assessment of the E-THEMIS calibration will be discussed.Fig. 1. Measured Mars temperatures. Comparison of temperature globes for surface temperature (krc model) and E-THEMIS-bandpass-weighted EMIRS data for Bands 1, 2, and 3. The EMIRS observations were acquired on Feb. 17, 2025, at a sub-spacecraft viewing geometry of 16.0° N latitude, 174.1° E longitude, 11.60 H local time, and 45.5° Ls. Fig. 2. Simulated E-THEMIS temperature images. The data for each E-THEMIS band were created using the krc model surface temperatures transferred to E-THEMIS wavelength bands using a transfer function derived from EMIRS observations. ReferencesAmiri, H., D. Brain, O. Sharaf, P. Withnell, M. McGrath, M. Alloghani, M. Al Awadhi, S. Al Dhafri, O. Al Hamadi, and H. Al Matroushi (2022), The emirates Mars mission, Space Science Reviews, 218(1), 4.Christensen, P. R., et al. (2001), The Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer experiment: Investigation description and surface science results, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 23,823-823,871.Christensen, P. R., J. R. Spencer, G. L. Mehall, M. Patel, S. Anwar, M. Brick, H. Bowles, Z. Farkas, T. Fisher, and D. Gjellum (2024), The Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System (E-THEMIS) Investigation for the Europa Clipper Mission, Space Science Reviews, 220(4), 1-65.Edwards, C. S., P. R. Christensen, G. L. Mehall, S. Anwar, E. A. Tunaiji, K. Badri, H. Bowles, S. Chase, Z. Farkas, and T. Fisher (2021), The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) Emirates Mars InfraRed Spectrometer (EMIRS) Instrument, Space science reviews, 217, 1-50.Kieffer, H. H. (2013), Thermal model for analysis of Mars infrared mapping, J. Geophys. Res, 116, 451-470.Pappalardo, R. T., B. J. Buratti, H. Korth, D. A. Senske, D. L. Blaney, D. D. Blankenship, J. L. Burch, P. R. Christensen, S. Kempf, and M. G. Kivelson (2024), Science Overview of the Europa Clipper Mission, Space Science Reviews, 220(4), 1-58.

  PublisherDOI

• Thermal Modelling of the Flyby of Binary Main Belt Asteroid (152830) Dinkinesh by NASA’s Lucy Mission

  2025-07-09

  preprintOpen access

  Introduction: The Lucy mission's first asteroid flyby provided a unique and unexpected opportunity to study a binary asteroid system up close. Originally expected to encounter a single target, Dinkinesh, the discovery of its small, tidally locked moon, Selam, introduced additional opportunity and complexity to the interpreting flyby observations [1]. We present thermal modelling of the binary system, quantifying how the presence of Selam influenced radiance measurements and indicating its possible impact on thermal inertia estimates. Thermal inertia (TI) offers insight into surface properties such as grain size and regolith structure. Determining the TI of Dinkinesh adds to our understanding of small S-type asteroids and enables comparison within a binary, potentially revealing differences driven by tidal effects or surface evolution.Methods: We modelled the flyby geometry and instrument measurements using the new TESBY (Thermal Emissions Spectrometer flyBY) module of TEMPEST (the Thermophysical Equilibrium Model for Planetary Environment Surface Temperatures) [2] to simulate the thermal radiance of both bodies and assess their combined effect on interpretation of data from the Lucy Thermal Emission Spectrometer (L’TES) instrument [3].The Thermal Model: Dinkinesh and its satellite, Selam, were modelled in TEMPEST. A stereo-photogrammetric shape model is available for the primary target – Dinkinesh [4], with ~2 m lateral and ~0.5 m vertical resolution, covering ~60% of the surface. This shape model was downsampled to a dimensionally accurate model with 1266 facets with a resolution of ~35 m. A sphere of representative diameter (230 m [1]) was used for the satellite Selam.Figure 1: TESBY visualization of flyby. Global view of the flyby trajectory (left), and the FOV of the instrument (centre), with corresponding L’LORRI image for comparison [1] taken 0.54 minutes before closest approach (right). Input is the TEMPEST [5] result for the shape model of Dinkinesh, and representative diameter sphere for Selam. Parameters used: solar distance = 2.19 AU, rotation periods = 3.74 hours (Dinkinesh) and 52.7 hours (Selam) [1] thermal inertia (provisional) = 40 J m-2 s-1/2 K-1, geometric albedo = 0.27Flyby geometry: Building on the TEMPEST framework, the TESBY module is given the geometry information for the flyby and the thermal data from TEMPEST. Based on the 7.3 mrad Field-of-View (FOV) of the L’TES instrument [3] TESBY produces simulated radiance measurements by computing a weighted sum of blackbody curves from each visible facet, based on its temperature, projected area, and emission angle. Matching these modelled radiances to the instrument data allows us to fit for the thermal inertia of the asteroid. A complicating factor in this study is that the sensitivity of L’TES is not uniform across its FOV, including this effect in the model is the subject of ongoing work.Figure 2: Preliminary modelled radiance results (blue line) compared to L’TES observation (red) using the same model settings as Fig. 1. Scaled radiances (dotted line) are also provided (see main text for more information).Results: An example of the currently predicted model radiance is given by Figure 2. As it shows, there is a notable offset between the predicted and observed radiances. Accounting for the position of the targets in the L’TES FOV is expected to resolve the observed discrepancy in absolute radiance levels. However, as the scaled model shows, the predicted radiances are able to capture the shape of the L’TES radiance.We find that due to the slower rotation rate of Selam, the maximum surface temperatures on the satellite can be as much as 25 K higher than those on Dinkinesh (Fig. 1), meaning that despite the small size (lobe diameter of only 230 m, compared with 790 m for Dinkinesh [1]), the contribution to measured radiance is significant. This effect is highlighted by investigation of the integrated radiances of the targets throughout the flyby (Fig. 3), where the entry and exit of Selam within the FOV is visible, as well as the dip in integrated radiance while Selam is partially eclipsed by Dinkinesh. Our results demonstrate the importance of considering the full system in flyby analysis, informing techniques for similar encounters in the future. This work highlights how the thermal signature of even a small secondary body can significantly impact observations, shaping our understanding of asteroid surface properties and thermal environments.Continued analysis will focus on the use of TEMPEST/TESBY to constrain the thermal inertia of this binary asteroid from L’TES flyby observations. Figure 3: Variation in integrated wavelength for Dinkinesh (target, blue), Selam (satellite, red) and combined effect (green). Radiances were integrated over the 200–1500 cm⁻¹ spectral range. The results show that despite its small size, Selam makes a significant difference to the spectral radiance, particularly at shorter wavelengths. The dip in combined spectral radiance at observations 3315-3320 is due to Selam being eclipsed by Dinkinesh.The thermal model code is open source and available at: github.com/duncanLyster/TEMPEST/Acknowledgement: This work was made possible by support from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council. References: [1] Levison, H.F., Marchi, S., Noll, K.S. et al. A contact binary satellite of the asteroid (152830) Dinkinesh. Nature 629, 1015–1020 (2024).[2] Lyster, D., Howett, C., & Penn, J. (2024). Predicting surface temperatures on airless bodies: An open-source Python tool. EPSC Abstracts, 18, EPSC2024-1121.[3] Christensen, P. R., et al. The Lucy Thermal Emission Spectrometer (L’TES) Instrument, Space Sci. Rev. (2023)[4] Preusker, F. et al. (2024). Shape Model of Asteroid (152830) Dinkinesh from Photogrammetric Analysis of Lucy’s Frame Camera L’LORRI. 55th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Abstract #1903.[5] Lyster, D., Howett, C., & Penn, J. (2025). TEMPEST: A Modular Thermophysical Model for Airless Bodies with Support for Surface Roughness and Non-Periodic Heating. Submitted to EPSC Abstracts, 2025

  PublisherDOI

• Thermal Infrared Spectra of the Moon: Results From the Lucy Thermal Emission Spectrometer Observations

  Journal of Geophysical Research Planets · 2025-05-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract The Lucy Thermal Emission Spectrometer (L’TES) instrument acquired hyperspectral thermal infrared (TIR) observations of the Earth's Moon during Lucy's 2022 Earth gravity assist. L’TES covers the spectral range of 100–1,750 cm −1 (100–5.8 μm) at a spectral sampling of 8.64 cm −1 (Christensen et al., 2023, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214‐023‐01029‐y ). The field of view (FOV) is 7.3‐mrad, giving a spatial resolution on the Moon of 1,650 km. Seventeen high‐quality spectra of the warm disk were acquired of Oceanus Procellarum that provide the first well‐calibrated TIR observations of the Moon with high spectral resolution. The lunar surface emissivity was determined by modeling the surface radiance using two different methods that gave nearly identical results. The L’TES spectra have Christiansen feature (CF) maxima at 1,226 cm −1 (8.15 μm), a spectral band depth of ∼0.04, and a downward slope at wavenumbers >1,200 cm −1 that is characteristic of <100 μm particles. Comparison with Diviner 3‐point spectral data (Greenhagen et al., 2010, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1192196 ) shows excellent agreement in the CF location and band shape. The L’TES spectra closely match several lunar soil laboratory spectra (Donaldson‐Hanna et al., 2017, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2016.05.034 ), providing excellent ground truth for the L’TES observations, validating the L’TES data processing, and demonstrating that high‐spatial and spectral resolution TIR data would provide a powerful tool for remote compositional mapping. The L’TES nightside observations accurately derived surface temperatures at 110 K, even when the Moon only filled 10% of the FOV, confirming that L’TES will accurately determine the cold Trojan asteroid temperatures.

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• Diurnal Temperature Variations and Migrating Thermal Tides in the Martian Lower Atmosphere Observed by the Emirates Mars InfraRed Spectrometer

  Journal of Geophysical Research Planets · 2025-10-01 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen access

  Abstract The Martian atmosphere experiences large diurnal variations due to the ∼24.6 hr planetary rotation and its low heat capacity. Understanding such variations on a planetary scale is limited due to the lack of observations, which are greatly addressed with the recent advent of the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM). As a result of its unique high‐altitude orbit, instruments onboard are capable of obtaining a full geographic and local time coverage of the Martian atmosphere every 9–10 Martian days, approximately ∼5° in solar longitude ( L S ). This enables investigations of the diurnal variation of the current climate on Mars on a planetary scale without significant local time (LT) gaps or confusions from correlated seasonal variations. Here, we present the results of diurnal temperature variations and thermal tides in the Martian atmosphere using temperature profiles retrieved from the Emirates Mars InfraRed Spectrometer (EMIRS) observations. The data during the primary mission is included, covering an entire Martian Year (MY) starting from MY 36 L S = 49°. The diurnal temperature patterns suggest a dominant diurnal tide in most seasons, while the semi‐diurnal tide presents a similar amplitude near the perihelion. The seasonal variation of the diurnal tide latitudinal distribution is well explained by the total vorticity due to zonal wind, while that of the semi‐diurnal tide following both dust and water ice clouds, and the ter‐diurnal tide following only dust. Comparison with the updated Mars Planetary Climate Model (PCM, version 6) suggests improvements in simulating the dust and water cycles, as well as their radiative processes.

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• The Emirates Main Belt Infrared Spectrometer (EMBIRS) onboard the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt

  2025-07-09

  preprintOpen access

  The Emirates Main Belt Infrared Spectrometer (EMBIRS), one of four remote sensing instruments onboard the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA), is designed to collect data on six main-belt asteroid flybys, ending with proximity operations at 269 Justitia. EMBIRS will measure the emitted spectral radiance of these asteroids providing constraints on the thermophysical properties and spectral character/composition of these asteroids. In combination with the other instruments on the EMA payload, EMBIRS will address the key goals of the mission, specifically evaluating the origins and evolution of water-rich asteroids and their resource potential. EMBIRS measurements address several mission science objectives, including mapping the silicate mineralogy of compositionally diverse, water-rich asteroids, supporting the evaluation of their geologic history, and characterizing the temperature and thermophysical properties of multiple asteroids to assess their formation, surface evolution, and volatile histories.The EMBIRS instrument is an interferometric thermal infrared spectrometer developed and provided by Northern Arizona University (NAU) and Arizona State University (ASU) in partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics for inclusion on the United Arab Emirates Space Agency’s EMA mission. It builds on a long heritage of thermal infrared spectrometers designed, built, and managed by ASU's Mars Space Flight Facility. EMBIRS is most directly akin to the Emirates Mars Infrared Spectrometer (EMIRS) on the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM). EMBIRS is a build to print of EMIRS except for minor modifications to the mechanical and thermal interfaces (Figures 1 & 2). EMBIRS is 53x29x32 cm, has a mass of ~12.7 kg, and requires 21 W during operational activities. EMBIRS collects spectral data from 6-40+ µm at 10 and 20 cm-1 spectral sampling. This instrument utilizes an on-axis deuterated L-alanine doped triglycine sulfate (DLaTGS) detector and a scan mirror to make infrared radiance measurements of the asteroids during flybys and 269 Justitia proximity operations.Under the current concept of operations, EMBIRS achieves complete global coverage (daytime and nighttime observations) of 269 Justitia within 8 weeks of observing with pixel sizes of

  PublisherDOI

• Thermal-IR Observations of (152830) Dinkinesh during the Lucy Mission Flyby

  The Planetary Science Journal · 2025-07-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract NASA’s Lucy spacecraft flew by the main-belt asteroid (152830) Dinkinesh on 2023 November 1, providing a test of its instruments and systems prior to its encounters with the Jupiter Trojans and enabling an opportunity for scientific investigation of this asteroid. Analysis of disk-integrated radiance spectra of Dinkinesh collected by the Lucy Thermal Emission Spectrometer (L’TES) instrument during the close approach reveals a thermal inertia for Dinkinesh of 91 ± 24 J m −2 K −1 s −1/2 and a surface roughness of 35° ± 7° rms slope. These values for the thermal inertia and surface roughness are comparable to values derived for other small S-type asteroids such as (65803) Didymos. The Dinkinesh flyby also provided the opportunity to develop new techniques for extracting data when the target body does not fill the field of view of the L’TES instrument, which proved challenging for predecessors of this instrument such as OTES on OSIRIS-REx. The grain size of the regolith of Dinkinesh, estimated to be <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mi>r</mml:mi> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>.</mml:mo> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.6</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.9</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> mm, is below expected trends with size but is comparable to that of similarly sized asteroids that are either binaries or may have undergone rotational fission in the past. These findings imply that fine-grained materials are being preferentially retained on the primaries of multiple systems, either by cohesive forces or by redeposition after impact events on the secondaries.

  PublisherDOI

• The First Lucy Earth Flyby (EGA1)

  Space Science Reviews · 2024-01-08 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract The Lucy spacecraft successfully performed the first of two Earth Gravity Assist maneuvers on October 16th 2022, flying 360 km above the Earth’s surface at 11:04 UT. The flyby was essential for the Lucy mission design, but also provided a wealth of data for scientific, calibration, and public engagement purposes. The Earth and Moon provided excellent calibration targets, being large, bright, and well-characterized, though instrument saturation was sometimes an issue, as the instruments are designed for operation 5 AU from the sun. Calibration data of the Earth and/or Moon were taken with all Lucy instruments, improving knowledge of instrument alignment, stray light characteristics, and sensitivity to resolved targets. In addition, Lucy obtained scientifically valuable thermal emission spectra of the Moon, and extensive images of the DART mission impact into the Didymos system, from a unique geometry, 20 days before the Earth flyby.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Potential for photosynthesis on Mars within snow and ice

  Communications Earth & Environment · 2024-10-17 · 9 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract On Earth, solar radiation can transmit down to multiple metres within ice, depending on its optical properties. Organisms within ice can harness energy from photosynthetically active radiation while being protected from damaging ultraviolet radiation. On Mars, the lack of an effective ozone shield allows ~30% more damaging ultraviolet radiation to reach the surface in comparison with Earth. However, our radiative transfer modelling shows that despite the intense surface ultraviolet radiation, there are radiatively habitable zones within exposed mid-latitude ice on Mars, at depths ranging from a few centimetres for ice with 0.01–0.1% dust, and up to a few metres within cleaner ice. Numerical models predict that dense dusty snow in the martian mid-latitudes can melt below the surface at present. Thus, if small amounts of liquid water are available at these depths, mid-latitude ice exposures could represent the most easily accessible locations to search for extant life on Mars.

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• Rocks with Extremely Low Thermal Inertia at the OSIRIS-REx Sample Site on Asteroid Bennu

  The Planetary Science Journal · 2024-04-01 · 11 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission recently returned a sample of rocks and dust collected from asteroid Bennu. We analyzed the highest-resolution thermal data obtained by the OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES) to gain insight into the thermal and physical properties of the sampling site, including rocks that may have been sampled, and the immediately surrounding Hokioi Crater. After correcting the pointing of the OTES data sets, we find that OTES fortuitously observed two dark rocks moments before they were contacted by the spacecraft. We derived thermal inertias of 100–150 (±50) J m −2 K −1 s −1/2 for these two rocks—exceptionally low even compared with other previously analyzed dark rocks on Bennu (180–250 J m −2 K −1 s −1/2 ). Our simulations indicate that monolayer coatings of sand- to pebble-sized particles, as observed on one of these rocks, could significantly reduce the apparent thermal inertia and largely mask the properties of the substrate. However, the other low-thermal-inertia rock that was contacted is not obviously covered in particles. Moreover, this rock appears to have been partially crushed, and thus potentially sampled, by the spacecraft. We conclude that this rock may be highly fractured and that it should be sought in the returned sample to better understand its origin in Bennu’s parent body and the relationship between its thermal and physical properties.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Science Overview of the Europa Clipper Mission

  Space Science Reviews · 2024-05-23 · 83 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract The goal of NASA’s Europa Clipper mission is to assess the habitability of Jupiter’s moon Europa. After entering Jupiter orbit in 2030, the flight system will collect science data while flying past Europa 49 times at typical closest approach distances of 25–100 km. The mission’s objectives are to investigate Europa’s interior (ice shell and ocean), composition, and geology; the mission will also search for and characterize any current activity including possible plumes. The science objectives will be accomplished with a payload consisting of remote sensing and in-situ instruments. Remote sensing investigations cover the ultraviolet, visible, near infrared, and thermal infrared wavelength ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum, as well as an ice-penetrating radar. In-situ investigations measure the magnetic field, dust grains, neutral gas, and plasma surrounding Europa. Gravity science will be achieved using the telecommunication system, and a radiation monitoring engineering subsystem will provide complementary science data. The flight system is designed to enable all science instruments to operate and gather data simultaneously. Mission planning and operations are guided by scientific requirements and observation strategies, while appropriate updates to the plan will be made tactically as the instruments and Europa are characterized and discoveries emerge. Following collection and validation, all science data will be archived in NASA’s Planetary Data System. Communication, data sharing, and publication policies promote visibility, collaboration, and mutual interdependence across the full Europa Clipper science team, to best achieve the interdisciplinary science necessary to understand Europa.

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Frequent coauthors

• T. D. Glotch

  333 shared

• H. Y. McSween

  University of Tennessee at Knoxville

  318 shared

• R. E. Arvidson

  251 shared

• M. D. Smith

  241 shared

• V. E. Hamilton

  241 shared

• Joshua P. Emery

  235 shared

• K. E. Herkenhoff

  Astrogeology Science Center

  233 shared

• B. E. Clark

  Radiology Associates of Albuquerque

  227 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Geophysics and Space Physics

  University of California-Los Angeles

  1981

Awards & honors

• NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal (2003)
• NASA’s Public Service Medal (2005)
• G.K. Gilbert Award of the Geological Society of America (200…
• Fellow of the American Geophysical Union