Solar System Exploration Division
|
Dr. Richard Vondrak
Solar System Exploration Division
NASA/GSFC, Code 690 Greenbelt, MD 20771 Phone: (301) 614-6010 FAX: (301) 614-6015 Email: Richard.Vondrak@nasa.gov |
Current Position
- Director, Solar System Exploration Division,
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Education
-
Ph.D., Space Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas (1970)
B. A., Physics, University of California at Berkeley (1966)
Professional Experience
-
NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Director, Solar System Exploration Division, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (2005 - now). Responsible for research and flight projects in several laboratories with about 300 scientific and technical personnel, including approximately 100 civil servants. Activities include experimental research, development of space instrumentation, and the archiving of data in planetary science, astrochemistry, astrobiology, space geodesy, and laser remote sensing.
Program Director, Robotic Lunar Exploration Program, NASA Headquarters, (April-December, 2004). As first RLEP Director, initiated the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, formulated program requirements, developed the program operating plan, established and co-chaired the Lunar Exploration Executive Committee, and presented briefings to Congress.
Chief of the Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (1995 - 2005). Responsible for leading a laboratory of 160 scientific and technical personnel, including approximately 80 civil servants. A broad program of experimental and theoretical research based on satellites, rockets, ground-based observations, laboratory studies, and theoretical investigations. Primary research areas were the physical properties and processes in the solar system, including the solar wind, planetary magnetospheres, ionospheres, and atmospheres, comets, and the magnetohydrodynamics of space plasmas. Lead Project Scientist for the Solar Terrestrial Probes program. Co-Director of the Sun Earth Connection Education Forum. Participated in the planning and implementation of national programs in space science.
Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory, Palo Alto, CA (1981 - 1995)
Director of Space Physics (1993-95). Responsible for leading and directing two laboratories with up to 150 personnel in areas of atmospheric physics, space science, solar physics, astrophysics, and scientific space payloads. Responsible for developing new business areas, transferring technology to Lockheed product divisions, and maintaining close professional contact with customers and with university and national laboratories. Manager (1984-1993) and Group Leader of Electrodynamic Processes (1981-1984), Space Sciences Laboratory. Responsible for the technical and management direction of up to 110 scientific, engineering, and support personnel engaged in experimental and theoretical research in space sciences. Principal Investigator or co-investigator on several satellite experiments and other research contracts for NASA, NSF, ONR and USAF.
Stanford Research Institute (SRI), Menlo Park CA (1974 - 1981)
Senior Research Physicist in the Radio Physics Laboratory. Project leader of the incoherent-scatter radar facility in Chatanika, Alaska. Responsible for analysis of auroral and ionospheric measurements with radar, satellites, rockets, and ground-based instrumentation. Developed a high-latitude ionospheric model for HF propagation prediction. Co-author of a parametric evaluation of a large spaceborne antenna structure for an interstellar search system. Principal Investigator or co-investigator on several research contracts for NSF, DNA, NASA, and USAF.
Rice University, Houston, Texas (1971-1974)
Research associate in the Department of Space Physics and Astronomy. Analysis and interpretation of data from suprathermal ion detectors deployed on the lunar surface by Apollos 12, 14, and 15. Science support at JSC during the Apollo 15-17 missions.
Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden (1970 - 1971)
Visiting postdoctoral research scientist in the Department of Plasma Physics. Theoretical studies of ionospheric currents and electric fields.
Rice University, Houston, Texas (1966 - 1970)
Research/teaching assistant in the Department of Space Physics and Astronomy. Ph.D. research: rocket-based measurement of auroral charged-particles and electric currents.
Professional Society Membership
-
American Geophysical Union
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
International Union of Radio Science (URSI)
International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy
National Management Association
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Honors
-
NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal (2001)
Presidential Award for Meritorious Senior Executive (2001)
Fellow of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (1994)
NASA Excellence in Outreach Award (2004)
Seven NASA Group Achievement Awards (1992-2004) for Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, Global Geospace Mission, IMAGE/LENA mission, Sun Earth Connection Educational Forum, etc.
Distinguished Service Award, DOE Solar Power Satellite Program (1981)
Swedish Ministry for Scientific Research Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (1970)
NASA Predoctoral Fellowship (1968-1970)
Sigma Pi Sigma (National Physics Honor Society) Physics Achievement Award (1963)
Recent Publications
2006 TJ Stubbs, RR Vondrak, Wm. Farrell, "A dynamic fountain model for lunar dust", Advances in Space Research, 37 (1): 59-66, 2006.
2006 A. Aksnes, J. Stadsnes, N. Østgaard, G. Germany, K. Oksavik, R.Vondrak, A. Brekke, U, Lovhaug. "Height profiles of the ionospheric electron density derived using space-based remote sensing of UV and X-ray emissions, and EISCAT radar data: A ground-truth experiment", J. Geophysical Res., 111 (A2): Art. No. A02301 Feb 3, 2006
2005 0. Amm, A. Aksnes, J. Stadsnes, N. Østgaard, R. R. Vondrak, G. A. Germany, G. Lu, and A. Viljanen, "Mesoscale ionospheric electrodynamics of omega bands determined from ground-based electronmagnetic and satellite optical observation", Annales Geophysicae, 23, 325-342, 2005.
2005 A. Aksnes, O. Amm, J. Stadsnes, N. Østgaard, G. Germany, R. Vondrak, I. Sillanpää, "Ionospheric conductances derived from satellite measurements of auroral UV and X-ray emissions, and ground-based electromagnetic data: A comparison", Ann. Geophys., 23, 343-358, 2005.
2005 T. Stubbs, R. Vondrak, N. Østgaard, J. Sigwarth, L. Frank, "Simultaneous Observations of the Auroral Ovals in Both Hemispheres Under Varying Conditions", Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 32, No. 3, L03103, Paper No. 10.1029/2004GL021199
2004 C. Sætre, J. Stadsnes, H. Nesse, A. Aksnes, S. M. Petrinec, C. A. Barth, D. N. Baker, R. R. Vondrak, and N. Østgaard, "Energetic electron precipitation and the NO abundance in the upper atmosphere: A direct comparison during a geomagnetic storm", J. Geophysical Res., 109, doi:10.1029/2004/JA010485, 2004
2004 O. Amm, A. Aksnes, J. Stadsnes, N. Østgaard, R.R. Vondrak, G.A. Germany, and I. Sillanpää, "Observations and analysis of ionospheric electrodynamics during a substorm recovery phase using the MIRACLE network", Proc. Seventh International Conf. on Substorms (ICS-7), Levi, Finland, March 21-27, 2004, Finnish Meterological Institute report 2004:5, p. 87-94, 2004.
2004 A. Aksnes, J. Stadsnes, G. Lu, A. Richmond, N. Ostgaard, T. Rosenberg, D. Detrick, G. Germany, R. Vondrak, and M. Schulz, "Effects of energetic electrons on the electrodynamics in the ionosphere", Annales Geophysicae, 22, 475.
2003 D. Crider, RR Vondrak, "Space Weathering og ice layers in lunar cold traps", Advances in Space Reasearch, 31 (11): 2293-2298, 2003
2003 D. Crider, "Ice at the lunar poles," American Scientist, 91, 322-329.
