Kevin Hand

Last updated
Kevin Hand
KevinHandAtJPL.jpg
Kevin Hand
NationalityAmerican
Scientific career
Fields
Thesis On the physics and chemistry of the ice shell and sub-surface ocean of Europa  (2007)
Doctoral advisor Christopher Chyba

Kevin Hand is an astrobiologist and planetary scientist at JPL. [1] [2] He is also the founder of Cosmos Education [1] [2] and was its president until 2007. [3] He was working at NASA Ames when he was inspired to form Cosmos Education in 1999 after getting a grant from the Earth and Space Foundation to tour African schools to talk about how education relates to space research. [4] [5]

Contents

Education and career

Hand studied psychology and physics as an undergraduate at Dartmouth. [6] He earned a master's degree at Stanford University in mechanical engineering while also working as a public policy research associate at Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC). [6] [7] He chose the question of whether Europa's putative ocean could harbor life as his Geological & Environmental Sciences PhD dissertation topic, under the direction of Christopher Chyba, [7] earning the doctorate in 2007. [6]

While a PhD student, he was chosen by James Cameron to take marine biology samples from hydrothermal vents in subsea expeditions to the mid-Atlantic ridge and East Pacific Rise. [7] He was a featured scientist in Cameron's 2005 IMAX documentary, Aliens of the Deep . [8]

At a 2014 NASA panel discussion, Hand predicted that extraterrestrial life would be found within 20 years. [9] [10]

Hand published the book Alien Oceans in 2020. [11]

Selected publications

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

Astrobiology Science concerned with life in the universe

Astrobiology, known as exobiology, is an interdisciplinary scientific field that studies the origins, early evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. Astrobiology is the multidisciplinary field that investigates the deterministic conditions and contingent events with which life arises, distributes, and evolves in the universe. It considers the question of whether extraterrestrial life exists, and if it does, how humans can detect it.

Extraterrestrial life Hypothetical life that may occur outside Earth and which did not originate on Earth

Extraterrestrial life, sometimes colloquially referred to as alien life, is hypothetical life that may occur outside Earth and which did not originate on Earth. Such life might range from simple prokaryotes to intelligent beings and even sapient beings, possibly bringing forth civilizations that might be far more advanced than humanity. The Drake equation speculates about the existence of sapient life elsewhere in the universe. The science of extraterrestrial life in all its forms is known as astrobiology.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory Research and development center and NASA field center in California, United States

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center in the city of La Cañada Flintridge in California, United States.

Europa (moon) Smallest Galilean moon of Jupiter

Europa, or Jupiter II, is the smallest of the four Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter, and the sixth-closest to the planet of all the 80 known moons of Jupiter. It is also the sixth-largest moon in the Solar System. Europa was discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei and was named after Europa, the Phoenician mother of King Minos of Crete and lover of Zeus.

Christopher McKay American planetary scientist

Dr Christopher P. McKay is an American planetary scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, studying planetary atmospheres, astrobiology, and terraforming. McKay majored in physics at Florida Atlantic University, where he also studied mechanical engineering, graduating in 1975, and received his PhD in astrogeophysics from the University of Colorado in 1982.

Life on Titan Scientific assessments on the microbial habitability of Titan

Whether there is life on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is currently an open question and a topic of scientific assessment and research. Titan is far colder than Earth, but of all the places in the Solar System, Titan is the only place besides Earth known to have liquids in the form of rivers, lakes, and seas on its surface. Its thick atmosphere is chemically active and rich in carbon compounds. On the surface there are small and large bodies of both liquid methane and ethane, and it is likely that there is a layer of liquid water under its ice shell. Some scientists speculate that these liquid mixes may provide prebiotic chemistry for living cells different from those on Earth.

Habitability of natural satellites Measure of the potential of natural satellites to have environments hospitable to life

The habitability of natural satellites is a measure of the potential of natural satellites to have environments hospitable to life. Habitable environments do not necessarily harbor life. Natural satellite habitability is an emerging field which is considered important to astrobiology for several reasons, foremost being that natural satellites are predicted to greatly outnumber planets and it is hypothesized that habitability factors are likely to be similar to those of planets. There are, however, key environmental differences which have a bearing on moons as potential sites for extraterrestrial life.

David Grinspoon American astrobiologist

David H. Grinspoon is an American astrobiologist. He is Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute and was the former inaugural Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology for 2012-2013.

Earth analog Planet with environment similar to Earths

An Earth analog is a planet or moon with environmental conditions similar to those found on Earth.

Europa Clipper Planned multiple-flyby study of Europa

Europa Clipper is an interplanetary mission in development by NASA comprising an orbiter. Planned for launch in October 2024, the spacecraft is being developed to study the Galilean moon Europa through a series of flybys while in orbit around Jupiter.

Journey to Enceladus and Titan (JET) is an astrobiology mission concept to assess the habitability potential of Enceladus and Titan, moons of Saturn.

Life Investigation For Enceladus (LIFE) was a proposed astrobiology mission concept that would capture icy particles from Saturn's moon Enceladus and return them to Earth, where they could be studied in detail for signs of life such as biomolecules.

Amanda Hendrix American planetary scientist

Amanda R. Hendrix, Ph.D. is an American planetary scientist known for her pioneering studies of solar system bodies at ultraviolet wavelengths. She is a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute. Her research interests include moon and asteroid surface composition, space weathering effects and radiation products. She is a co-investigator on the Cassini UVIS instrument, was a co-investigator on the Galileo UVS instrument, is a Participating Scientist on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter LAMP instrument and is a Principal Investigator on Hubble Space Telescope observing programs. As of 2019, she is also the co-lead of the NASA Roadmaps to Oceans World Group.

Christina Richey American planetary scientist and astrophysicist

Christina "Chrissy" Richey is an American planetary scientist and astrophysicist working at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge, California. Richey is a project staff scientist for the Europa Clipper mission and is a research technologist in the Astrophysics and Space Sciences Section. Prior to working at JPL, Richey worked as contractor for Arctic Slope Regional Corporation at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. They were a program officer in NASA's Planetary Science Division, the deputy program scientist for the OSIRIS-REx mission, and the deputy science advisor for research and analysis for the Science Mission Directorate.

Europa Lander Proposed NASA lander for Europa

The Europa Lander is a proposed astrobiology mission concept by NASA to send a lander to Europa, an icy moon of Jupiter. If funded and developed as a large strategic science mission, it would be launched in 2027 to complement the studies by the Europa Clipper orbiter mission and perform analyses on site. NASA's budget for fiscal year 2021 neither mandates nor allocates any funds to the mission, leaving its future uncertain.

Oceanus (Titan orbiter)

Oceanus is a NASA/JPL orbiter mission concept proposed in 2017 for the New Frontiers mission #4, but it was not selected for development. If selected at some future opportunity, Oceanus would travel to Saturn's moon Titan to assess its habitability. Studying Titan would help understand the early Earth and exoplanets which orbit other stars. The mission is named after Oceanus, the Greek god of oceans.

Ocean Worlds Exploration Program NASA program for the exploration of water worlds in the Solar System

The Ocean Worlds Exploration Program (OWEP) is a NASA program to explore ocean worlds in the outer Solar System that could possess subsurface oceans to assess their habitability and to seek biosignatures of simple extraterrestrial life.

Breakthrough Enceladus mission

Breakthrough Enceladus is a proposed privately funded astrobiology mission by Breakthrough Initiatives founded by Yuri Milner. Its aim is to assess the possibility of life on Saturn's moon Enceladus. NASA will be “providing expert reviewers and feedback on their design". Corey S. Powell, editor-in-chief of Discover magazine, reporting for NBC News stated that the mission was particularly notable as it would "rewrite the rules of space exploration," being potentially the first to find proof of complex life in the solar system, as it is "riskier than anything NASA would attempt on its own."

Michael J. Mumma American astrobiologist

Michael J. Mumma is an American astrobiologist at the Goddard Space Flight Center; he is best known for his investigation of the chemistry of comets.

BRUIE Autonomous underwater vehicle

BRUIE is an autonomous underwater vehicle prototype by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The prototype began underwater testing in 2012 and it is meant to eventually explore the interior of water worlds in the Solar System, such as Europa or Enceladus.

References

  1. 1 2 "Kevin Hand, Planetary Scientist and Astrobiologist". Emerging Explorers. National Geographic. 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  2. 1 2 Bowermaster, Jon (July 27, 2011). "The five explorers of the future". GADLING. AOL.com . Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  3. Ravneet Sehmi (27 August 2008). "Bringing Science Education Down to the Grass Roots" (PDF). Nairobi Star; Star Life. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 August 2010. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  4. Charles Cockell; Don White; Douglas Messier; M. Dale Stokes (2002). "Fostering links between environmental and space exploration: the Earth and Space Foundation" (PDF). Space Policy. 18 (4): 301–306. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.536.4575 . doi:10.1016/s0265-9646(02)00043-7 . Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  5. "Earth and Space Awards 1999". Earth and Space Foundation. 1999. Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
  6. 1 2 3 "Kevin Hand". JPL Science: Planetary Ices: People.
  7. 1 2 3 "Kevin Hand". Voices.
  8. "Kevin Hand". SETI Institute Explorer. 2005.
  9. connecticut.cbslocal.com/2014/07/15/nasa-humans-will-prove-we-are-not-alone-in-the-universe-within-20-years/
  10. Gates, Sara (2014-07-15). "We Are Not Alone in Universe, NASA Scientists Say". Huffington Post.
  11. McLemee, Scott (15 May 2020). "The Oceans of Outer Space". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved 19 August 2020.