Jump to content

Sedimentary and Planetary Geologist Dr. Michael Thorpe


Recommended Posts

  • Publishers
Posted
A man wearing a tan beanie and a blue winter jacket with a hiking backpack strapped around him. He's walking across a rocky surface with mountains in the background.

“I didn’t always grow up knowing that I was going to be working for NASA. It was just the way my life unfolded, and I couldn’t be more grateful and lucky to have this opportunity to be here. I think hiking is what really got me into my passion for wanting to have this outdoors kind of career. I’ve always pursued environmental science and geology, and still at that point in time, I had no idea that I could apply that kind of science to outer space and work for NASA one day.

“It wasn’t until I had these amazing mentors in front of me who were showing me, ‘Hey, what you’re doing, you can apply this to, for instance, Mars.’ And that’s what sparked my inspiration — [realizing] Mars had these ancient lakes and [wondering], ‘How can I use what I’m doing here on Earth to understand what was going on with those ancient lakes on Mars?’

“I’m kind of lucky. It’s less of a job and more of this exciting career opportunity where I get to go out into the field and even hike for a good portion of [my workday]. For instance, I just got back from Iceland where I was for 10 days. On these field trips, I’m in my comfort zone wearing a flannel and winter hat, backpacking with my rock hammer and shovel, hiking for a few hours to pick up samples, and then come back home to analyze them in the lab. I couldn’t have written a better story for me to continue doing the stuff that I enjoyed as a child and now to be doing it now for NASA is something I couldn’t have even dreamed of.

“Hiking and being in the field is the fun part. But then I get to come back to the lab and compare it to what Martian rovers are doing. They’re our hikers, our pioneers, our explorers, our geologists who are collecting samples for us on other planets.  It’s remarkable, often mind-blowing, to be able to work directly with our planetary geologists as well as the amazing people on the rover teams from around the globe to understand the surface of Mars and then eventually, compare it to what I see in the field here on Earth.

“So, I’m still that young boy at heart with my backpack and flannel on and headed out into the field.”

– Dr. Michael Thrope, Sedimentary and Planetary Geologist, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Image Credit: Iceland Space Agency/Daniel Leeb
Interviewer: NASA/Tahira Allen

Check out some of our other Faces of NASA. 

View the full article

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Similar Topics

    • By NASA
      Trailer for NASA’s upcoming documentary, “Planetary Defenders,” which will take audiences inside the high-stakes world of asteroid hunting and planetary defense. NASA is bringing the high-stakes world of planetary defense to the Sundance Film Festival, highlighting its upcoming documentary, “Planetary Defenders,” during a panel ahead of its spring 2025 premiere on the agency’s streaming service.
      “We’re thrilled that NASA is attending Sundance Film Festival for the first time – a festival renowned for its innovative spirit,” said Brittany Brown, director, NASA Office of Communications Digital and Technology Division, at the agency’s Headquarters in Washington. “Our participation represents a groundbreaking opportunity for NASA to engage with the film industry and share new avenues for collaborative storytelling. By connecting with the creative minds at the festival, we aim to inspire new narratives, explore new avenues for collaborative storytelling, and ignite a renewed sense of wonder in space exploration.”
      The NASA+ film explores a compelling question: How would humanity respond if we discovered an asteroid headed for Earth? Far from science fiction, “Planetary Defenders” follows real-life astronomers and other experts as they navigate the challenges of asteroid detection and safeguarding our planet from potential hazards.
      “NASA is home to some of the greatest stories ever told, and NASA’s new streaming platform NASA+ is dedicated to sharing these stories to inspire the next generation,” said Rebecca Sirmons, general manager and head of NASA+. “We are honored to host a panel at this year’s Sundance Film Festival discussing our upcoming NASA+ documentary “Planetary Defenders.”
      The panel, entitled “You Bet Your Asteroid: NASA Has a Story to Tell,” will start at 1:30 p.m. MST on Sunday, Jan. 26, at the Filmmaker Lodge in the Elks Building, 550 Main St., 2nd Floor, Park City, Utah. The event will include a discussion about the film followed by a Q&A session. Attendees also will have the opportunity to meet NASA experts and some of the planetary defenders themselves.
      Panelists include:
      Rebecca Sirmons, head of NASA+, NASA Scott Bednar, filmmaker and director, NASA 360/National Institute of Aerospace Jessie Wilde, filmmaker and director, NASA 360/National Institute of Aerospace Dr. Kelly Fast, acting planetary defense officer, NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office David Rankin, senior survey operations specialist, Catalina Sky Survey Dr. Vishnu Reddy, professor of planetary sciences and director of the Space4 Center, University of Arizona Media are encouraged to RSVP in advance and may request one-on-one interviews with NASA experts following the panel by contacting Karen Fox at karen.c.fox@nasa.gov.
      Through NASA+, the agency is continuing its decades long tradition of sharing live events, original content, and the latest news while NASA works to improve life on Earth through innovation, exploration, and discovery for the benefit of all. The free, on-demand streaming service is available to download without a subscription on most major platforms via the NASA App on iOS and Android mobile and tablet devices, as well as streaming media players like Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV.
      To keep up with the latest news from NASA’s planetary defense program, visit:
      https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense
      -end-
      Abbey Donaldson
      Headquarters, Washington
      202-358-1600
      abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov
      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Jan 17, 2025 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
      NASA+ Asteroids Planetary Defense Planetary Defense Coordination Office Planetary Science Planetary Science Division Science Mission Directorate Social Media View the full article
    • By NASA
      Planetary Defenders (Official NASA Trailer)
    • By NASA
      1 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      Artist concept highlighting the novel approach proposed by the 2025 NIAC awarded selection of PULSAR: Planetary pULSe-tAkeR concept.NASA/Marco Quadrelli Marco Quadrelli
      NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
      There is a strong coupling mechanism between the lithosphere, ionosphere, magnetosphere, atmosphere, and the plasmasphere of many planetary bodies. For example, the ionosphere has been shown to respond to space weather events induced by Solar activity, as well as to atmospheric events, and events in the surface and interior of a planet. PULSAR (Planetary pULSe-tAkeR) is a stable spacecraft constellation that enables large and reconfigurable detector baselines to sense a wide range of frequencies in this coupled domain, and distributed spatial and temporal measurements on a global scale, leading to new planetary science measurements. Like a doctor taking vitals and monitoring the health state of a patient, PULSAR literally “takes the pulse of the planet”.
      2025 Selections
      Facebook logo @NASATechnology @NASA_Technology


      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Jan 10, 2025 EditorLoura Hall Related Terms
      NIAC Studies NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program Keep Exploring Discover More NIAC Topics
      Space Technology Mission Directorate
      NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts
      NIAC Funded Studies
      About NIAC
      View the full article
    • By NASA
      Learn Home Science Activation NASA Workshops Culturally… Overview Learning Resources Science Activation Teams SME Map Opportunities More Science Activation Stories Citizen Science   2 min read
      NASA Workshops Culturally Inclusive Planetary Engagement with Educators
      From November 6-8, 2024, the NASA Science Activation Program’s Planetary Resources and Content Heroes (ReaCH) project held a Culturally Inclusive Planetary Engagement workshop at the Bradley Observatory at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, Georgia for the space sciences community, including planetary science, astrobiology, astronomy, and heliophysics professionals, as well as invited education specialists. To practice the skills learned in the workshop, participants facilitated a variety of space-themed, culturally-inclusive, hands-on activities for 79 students, family, and staff at the Center for a New Generation at the Tuskegee Airmen Global Academy Boys and Girls Club.
      Workshop participants provided anonymous feedback as a part of their workshop evaluations:
      “[This experience] helped me learn a lot about how to make different cultures and ethnicities feel involved and included and also engage with them to inspire in them a love for science”
      “. . .I feel like the discussions were so important to me, considering we all come from so many different backgrounds, and our exposure has been different, so we all have a different point of view to bring to the discussion that others, that I, might not think of right away. So I think it was really nice to hear so many different perspectives in all of these discussions.”
      “[The facilitator] connected cultural diversity to an activity. That is not easy to do. I loved it and it is what I expected coming into this workshop.”
      This workshop was conducted in partnership with Agnes Scott College, Georgia Tech, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, and members of the Center for Lunar Environment and Volatile Exploration Research (CLEVER) NASA Solar System Exploration Research Institute (SSERVI) Center. ReaCH workshops are designed to enhance the ability of scientists to engage their local communities in science. The Planetary ReaCH project is building a replicable model that will be used to support similar workshops for other science fields. NASA-funded researchers, including early-career scientists, are invited to apply for the 2025 workshops!
      The Planetary ReaCH project is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number 80NSSC21M0003 and is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn
      The workshop was attended by researchers including early career scientists, planetary scientists, astrobiologists, astronomers, heliophysicists, and education specialists. Share








      Details
      Last Updated Jan 02, 2025 Editor NASA Science Editorial Team Related Terms
      Grades 5 – 8 for Educators Grades 9-12 for Educators Grades K – 4 for Educators Opportunities For Educators to Get Involved Planetary Science Science Activation Explore More
      3 min read Astronomy Activation Ambassadors: A New Era


      Article


      2 days ago
      5 min read NASA Study Shows Ferns Facilitate Recovery from Environmental Disaster 
      NASA-supported scientists have shown how ferns might help ecosystems recover from disasters.


      Article


      2 weeks ago
      5 min read NASA DAVINCI Mission’s Many ‘Firsts’ to Unlock Venus’ Hidden Secrets
      NASA’s DAVINCI probe will be first in the 21st century to brave Venus’ atmosphere as…


      Article


      2 weeks ago
      Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
      James Webb Space Telescope


      Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the…


      Perseverance Rover


      This rover and its aerial sidekick were assigned to study the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient microbial…


      Parker Solar Probe


      On a mission to “touch the Sun,” NASA’s Parker Solar Probe became the first spacecraft to fly through the corona…


      Juno


      NASA’s Juno spacecraft entered orbit around Jupiter in 2016, the first explorer to peer below the planet’s dense clouds to…

      View the full article
    • By NASA
      1 Min Read Coming Spring 2025: Planetary Defenders Documentary
      David Rankin, Senior Survey Operations Specialist at Catalina Sky Survey, is seen opening the dome structure surrounding the telescope at the asteroid-hunting facility in Mt. Lemmon, AZ. Credits:
      NASA How would humanity respond if we discovered an asteroid headed for Earth? NASA’s Planetary Defenders is a gripping documentary that delves into the high-stakes world of asteroid detection and planetary defense. Journey alongside a dedicated team of astronomers and scientists working tirelessly to track and monitor near-Earth asteroids, aiming to protect our planet from potential impacts. This documentary captures the intricate and collaborative efforts of these unsung heroes, blending cutting-edge science with personal stories to reveal the human spirit behind this critical global endeavor. Witness the drama, the challenges and the triumphs of those on the front lines of planetary defense.
      The dinosaurs went extinct because they didn’t have a space program. We do have one.
      Dr. vishnu reddy
      Professor of Planetary Science, University of Arizona
      Dr. Shantanu Naidu, Asteroid Radar Researcher, from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory points toward the Goldstone Solar System Radar in Barstow, CA – the most powerful planetary radar on Earth. NASA In 2016, NASA established the Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) to manage the agency’s ongoing mission of finding, tracking, and better understanding asteroids and comets that could pose an impact hazard to Earth.
      I really like that I am protecting the planet. And yes, I’m not the one that’s with a cape pushing the asteroid away, that’s not what I do. In some ways, my little contribution might not help just myself, but someone in the future, and I think it’s very important to do that.
      Dr. CASSANDRA LEJOLY
      RESEARCHER, SPACEWATCH®
      Dr. Cassandra Lejoly, a researcher with the University of Arizona’s SPACEWATCH® program, sits at a computer console at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tuscon, AZ, where she conducts follow up observations on near-Earth objects. NASA Planetary Defenders is an original NASA documentary that showcases the challenges and the triumphs of those on the front lines of planetary defense. This documentary will be released on NASA+ and other streaming platforms in Spring 2025. Stay tuned for updates!
      About the Author
      efurfaro

      Share








      Details
      Last Updated Dec 03, 2024 Related Terms
      Planetary Defense Planetary Defense Coordination Office Science Mission Directorate Explore More
      5 min read NASA-Led Team Links Comet Water to Earth’s Oceans
      Scientists find that cometary dust affects interpretation of spacecraft measurements, reopening the case for comets…


      Article


      49 mins ago
      2 min read Hubble Captures an Edge-On Spiral with Curve Appeal


      Article


      2 weeks ago
      5 min read NASA’s Hubble Finds Sizzling Details About Young Star FU Orionis


      Article


      2 weeks ago
      Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
      Missions



      Humans in Space



      Climate Change



      Solar System


      View the full article
  • Check out these Videos

×
×
  • Create New...