Sigrid Elschot (born 1971) is a professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University.[1] Her primary research interest is the space environment with particular focus on meteoroids, meteors, and orbital debris, and their interaction with spacecraft and spacecraft operations.
Career
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Professor Elschot's research involves space weather detection and modeling for improved spacecraft designs, and advanced signal processing and electromagnetic wave interactions with plasma for ground-to-satellite communication systems. These topics fall under the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) umbrella that include environmental remote sensing using satellite systems and ground-based radar. Her current efforts are the MEDUSSA (Meteoroid, Energetics, and Debris Understanding for Space Situational Awareness) program, TALIS (Tomographic Array for Lightning and Ionospheric Studies) using ground-based and space-based RF sensors, and using ground-based radar data to characterize the meteoroid population and its threat to spacecraft. She was a member of two NRC panels, in 2010 examining options for detecting and countering near-Earth objects,[2] and in 2011 assessing NASA's meteoroid and orbital debris programs.[3]
Awards and honors
edit- In 2010, she won an NSF Career Award[4] and a Hellman Faculty Fellowship award[5] for her meteor research.
- In 2013 she was selected for a DoE Early Career Award[6] for her work on hypervelocity impact plasmas, and also awarded a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.[7]
- She was the inaugural Science Guest of Honor at the ArmadilloCon science fiction and fantasy literary convention in 2014.[8]
- In 2017 she was recognized by the American Geophysical Union with the Space Physics and Aeronomy Richard Carrington (SPARC) Education and Public Outreach Award.[9] for significant and outstanding impact on students' and the public's understanding of geophysical science through education and outreach activities.
- Asteroid 11009 Sigridclose, discovered by astronomer Schelte Bus at the Siding Spring Observatory in 1981, was named in her honor.[10] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 13 April 2017 (M.P.C. 103977).[10][11]
- In 2018 she was selected as a NIAC fellow for her research titled "Meteoroid Impact Detection for Exploration of Asteroids (MIDEA)", and in 2021 she was selected as a NIAC fellow for her research titled "Exploring Uranus through Sustained CubeSat Activity Through Transmitted Electromagnetic Radiation (SCATTER)".
Television
editIn 2011, Professor Elschot co-hosted season three of National Geographic Channel's Known Universe documentary series along with David E. Kaplan, Andy Howell, Michael J. Massimino, and Steve Jacobs.[12] She was interviewed on the Nova ScienceNow Can We Make It to Mars? episode in 2011[13] and the Nova Chasing Pluto special in 2015.[14]
References
edit- ^ Stanford Profiles - Sigrid Elschot Archived 2023-12-03(Date mismatch) at the Wayback Machine
- ^ National Academies - Report Examines Options for Detecting and Countering Near-Earth Objects
- ^ National Academies - NASA Needs Strategic Plan to Manage Orbital Debris Efforts; Risks Increasing for Satellites, Space Station
- ^ Stanford Engineering - Closing in on a mystery that impedes space exploration Archived 2013-05-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Hellman Fellows >> Sigrid CloseArchived 2021-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Early Career Research Program - U.S. DOE Office of Science
- ^ President Obama Honors Outstanding Early-Career Scientists
- ^ ArmadilloCon36 - Guests
- ^ 2017 AGU Section and Focus Group Awardees and Named Lecturers
- ^ a b "11009 Sigridclose". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ IMDB - Known Universe (TV Series 2009– )
- ^ "Nova ScienceNow" Can We Make It to Mars? (TV Episode)
- ^ IMDB - "NOVA" Chasing Pluto (TV Episode)