An AE/EAS Joint Technical Seminar presented by Dr. Craig Hardgrove, Arizona State University

Exploring the Mood and Mars Using Neutron Detectors: New Missions, Instrumentation and Techniques

Dr. Craig Hardgrove earned his Doctoral degree in Geology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2011 and his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2005. Dr. Hardgrove’s research is focused on the characterization of hydrated materials and their constituent phases on rocky planets through the use of nuclear spectroscopy. He is also involved in the development and implementation of small spacecraft instrumentation and technologies for interplanetary exploration.

Dr. Hardgrove is the Principal Investigator for the Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper (LunaH-Map) cubesat mission.The LunaH-Map spacecraft was delivered to NASA Kennedy Space Center in July of 2021 and will launch on the Space Launch System Artemis-1 mission in early 2022. LunaH-Map will orbit the Moon to produce a more detailed map of the distribution of water-ice throughout the lunar south pole, including within permanently shadowed regions. He is also a Participating Scientist on the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons instrument team. Dr. Hardgrove has developed a new type of modular, compact neutron and gamma-ray spectrometer for the LunaH-Map mission, as well as an active neutron and gamma-ray spectrometer system that can be used on future landed planetary missions. Dr. Hardgrove has over a decade of experience working on spacecraft missions, having begun his career working on the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity. In addition to serving as the Principal Investigator for LunaH-Map, he is currently a member of the science team on the BepiColombo mission to Mercury and the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover science team.