Location: Prescott Public Library, Founder’s Suite
Speaker: Dr. Jonathon Hill
Comments:
The ASU Mars Space Flight Facility has designed, built and operated infrared instruments throughout the solar system for over 30 years, specializing in both infrared spectrometers and infrared imagers. As our name suggests, we initially studied the mineral composition and thermal characteristics of the Martian surface, which revealed a mostly volcanic planet with significant amounts of subsurface water ice.
Bio:
Dr. Jonathon Hill is a mission planner at Arizona State University, where he operates the THEMIS camera currently orbiting Mars on NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. He previously operated the Mini-TES instruments on the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, assisted with mission operations for the OTES instrument on the OSIRIS-REx sample return mission to the asteroid Bennu, and is responsible for mission operations planning for the E-THEMIS instrument on the Europa Clipper mission.
He attended Arizona State University and earned degrees in Aerospace Engineering, Russian, and Geological Sciences, with his PhD in Geological Sciences focused on studying salt deposits in the Martian southern highlands.