GT Professor chosen by NASA for solar system research

Mar 23, 2017

In an effort to advance basic and applied research for lunar and planetary science, and advance human exploration of the solar system though scientific discovery, NASA created the Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. The institute fosters collaborations with science and exploration communities, which enables cross-disciplinary partnerships with research institutions, both domestic and abroad.

NASA has selected four new research teams to join the existing nine teams in SSERVI to address scientific questions about the Moon, near-Earth asteroids, the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos, and their near space environments, in cooperation with international partners.

Thomas Orlando, a professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has been named as a member of the Radiation Effects on Volatiles and Exploration of Asteroids and Lunar Surfaces (REVEALS) team. The REVEALS team will explore radiation processing of natural regolith and human-made composite materials to understand the condensed-matter physics and radiation chemistry that can lead to volatile formation, sequestration and transport.

This team also will explore how novel materials and real-time radiation detectors can minimize risks and exposure to dangerous radiation during human exploration missions.

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