Chemistry and Materials for Space Science and Technology

SPACE Institute Seminar Series 2:

The New Jupiter: Results from the Juno Mission

A Presentation by: Dr. Scott Bolton
Wednesday, March 22, 2023, 4:00 p.m. PT Lecture

Bolton is the principal investigator of NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter, which launched in 2011. The Juno spacecraft entered Jupiter orbit in 2016, making discoveries that have since rewritten the textbooks about the gas giant. Juno’s extended mission began in August 2021, and addresses both fundamental questions that arose during Juno’s prime mission and extends the mission to study the full Jovian system with close flybys of Jupiter’s ring system and three of the Galilean moons.

Prior to Juno, Bolton served on both the Galileo and Cassini missions to the outer planets. His research has focused on modeling the radiation environments of Jupiter and Saturn, the atmospheric and core structures of those planets, and the formation and evolution of the solar system. In addition to his work as a scientist, Bolton has collaborated with many artists to bring visual and musical interpretations of the outer solar system to a wide audience. He has consulted and appeared in numerous documentaries and strives to bring STEM outreach to students around the world. For his wide-ranging work, Bolton received the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Individual Award for Exceptional Excellence in Leadership in 2002, 2001 and 1996, as well as the Excellence in Management award in 2000. He has also received over 30 NASA Group Achievement Awards as well as numerous awards including the Space Pioneer Award for Science and Engineering in 2020 the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award in 2018, the AIAA Space Systems Award in 2017 and the Nelson P. Jackson Aerospace Award, from the National Space Club Foundation in 2017.

Come explore interactive science booths, talks, and a planetarium at UCLA! Also, an award ceremony for a special guest you won't want to miss. Be sure to reserve your tickets to the planetarium early. All activities are free of charge and materials are provided - just bring your open mind! Booths, speakers, and other event details for 2022 are TBD - check back in late October. EYU is an opportunity for people of all ages to engage, in a meaningful way, with space sciences..

Prof. Mainzer's research focuses on understanding the populations of small bodies in our solar system, including characterizing their basic physical and dynamical properties and the potential impact hazards they may pose to Earth. Prof. Mainzer uses orbital and ground-based facilities for this work. She serves as the Principal Investigator for NASA's Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) mission, an Earth-orbiting satellite that uses infrared sensors to characterize asteroids and comets. She is also leading NASA's Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission, currently in development, which will carry out a comprehensive survey for the most potentially hazardous NEOs. Prof. Mainzer has also embarked on new research to study the distribution of invasive weeds driving wildfires and causing loss of biodiversity using hyperspectral imaging, LiDAR, and field work. The aim of the project is to assist agencies charged with management to mitigate emerging invasions and optimize restoration plans. Prof. Mainzer is the Past Chair of the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS), the world's largest professional society of planetary scientists. She also served as the Chair of NASA's Planetary Advisory Committee (PAC). She is the science consultant, co-executive producer, and on-camera host of the PBS Kids television show Ready Jet Go!, which aims to teach basic physics, Earth science, and astronomy to children ages 3-8.