‘I was one of those kids who thought everybody became a scientist... I was always fascinated with galaxies." An interview with Tom Statler

Description

As the program scientist in NASA’s Planetary Science Division and the Planetary Defense Coordination Office, Tom Statler works with mission teams as they send robots to asteroids and other entities in our Solar System. From a science-rich upbringing to his journey through academia to his position at NASA today, Tom has spent his whole life pursuing a passion for exploring the galaxy. He spoke with us about orchestrating current missions to the Jupiter Trojan Asteroids and the Martian moons, building an academic program from the ground up, and changing an asteroid’s motion for the first time ever through the groundbreaking DART mission.

Participants

• Jason Rodriguez
  
• Tom Statler
  
• AGU Narratives
  

Interview By

• AGU Narratives