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Mucus does far more than just act as a protective barrier. Emerging research reveals ways to harness its power and deliver treatments for everything from yeast infections to inflammatory bowel disease

Mucus does far more than just act as a protective barrier. Emerging research reveals ways to harness its power and deliver treatments for everything from yeast infections to inflammatory bowel disease

The 2025 Atlantic Hurricane season expected to be busier than normal, according to NOAA forecasters.

Portrait of Dave Des Marais

Let’s start with your childhood, where you’re from, your family at the time, if you have siblings, your early years, and when it was that you became interested in what has developed into your career as an astrophysicist or research scientist?

I was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1948, the youngest of four siblings – two brothers, a sister and myself. My father was a civil engineer for DuPont chemical company and designed HVAC systems for plants built in the late 30’s and early 40’s for the war effort. Our family moved around frequently back then, so my siblings and I were born in different states. When our father transferred to  DuPont headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, we moved to nearby Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles southwest of Philadelphia. During my childhood, my participation in outdoor activities with the Boy Scouts and my motivation by excellent high school chemistry and physics teachers stimulated my interest in the natural sciences.

I attended Purdue University in Indiana in part because Purdue had an excellent chemistry curriculum and because my second older brother, whom I had always admired, received his chemical engineering degree there. As an undergraduate, I was particularly fascinated by the periodic table of the elements and analytical chemistry. Experiences outside the classroom were also important.  I noticed that another student in my dormitory had a little miner’s carbide headlamp on his desk. He explored caves as a member of the Purdue Outing Club and invited me to join. When we took caving and climbing trips in southern Indiana, I developed a fascination with geology, particularly about how caves form and about rocks generally. This kindled my interest in geochemistry, which ultimately guided my choices of graduate school and career. Three factors led to my decision in 1970 to attend Indiana University. One was IU’s strong geology and geochemistry programs. I also wanted to remain as near as possible to Shirley, my future spouse. The third reason was to continue exploring caves!

While at IU I indeed continued cave exploration. I joined the Cave Research Foundation (CRF), which maps caves and supports research in the national parks, particularly in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, which is the longest cave in the world, with 250 miles of mapped passageways. My involvement with CRF deepened my interest in other aspects of geology and geochemistry.

(left) Cave in the Guadalupe Mountains, NM (D. Des Marais, 1980). (right) Climbing the 510 ft.-pit in Ellisons Cave, GA (D. Des Marais, 1972)

My NASA connection began when Dr. John Hayes became my graduate advisor in geochemistry. Hayes’ graduate dissertation had addressed organic compounds in meteorites. He was also involved with the Viking mission as a member of Klaus Bieman’s MIT research group, which created the mass spectrometer for the Mars Viking mission. I took Hayes’ class on mass spectrometry, and fortunately he liked my term paper! Soon after, I chose to do my dissertation with him on lunar sample analyses, focusing on carbon and other elements relevant to life. I first presented my work in 1972 at the third Lunar Science Conference, where I met Sherwood Chang, then chief of the Ames Exobiology branch. Sherwood was also investigating carbon and other elements in lunar samples. Sherwood, John, and others inspired me to continue in the space sciences.

That’s an Interesting path because many of our researchers had a postdoc with somebody or attended a conference and met someone through that network and found their way to Ames that way.

I then did a postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA with Dr. Isaac (Ian) Kaplan, whose biogeochemistry group also had analzed lunar samples. I continued developing methods for carbon isotopic analyses of very small samples. The carbon-13 to carbon-12 abundance ratios of molecules can offer clues about how they are formed. Isotopic measurements also help to identify contamination in meteorites and other extraterrestrial samples. Sherwood Chang wanted to create an isotope geochemistry laboratory in the Ames Exobiology Branch, and that led to my being hired at Ames in 1976.

You mentioned contamination of the meteorites. Was it geo-contamination or contamination from elsewhere that concerned you?

The basic analytical goal is to decipher the entire history of an extraterrestrial sample, starting with understanding the contents of an object when it was formed, which in most cases was billions of years ago. When an object was still in space, other events happened that altered its composition. But our major concern has been about what happens after a meteorite arrives here. Life has become so pervasive that its chemical ‘fingerprints’ are on virtually everything. It’s difficult to avoid these substances anywhere in the shallow Earth’s crust. Also, Earth is an inhospitable place for meteorites because its surface environments are relatively hot and moist compared to conditions in space. So our environment can alter the meteorites and add organic contamination.

What has been your most interesting work here at Ames?

I have had a near-unique opportunity to explore the biogeochemistry of carbon across a wide range of processes and environments that sustain our biosphere. I investigated the isotope geochemistry of carbon and nitrogen in lunar samples, meteorites, and oceanic basalts. Our molecular isotopic measurements of hydrocarbons in carbonaceous chondrites confirmed their extraterrestrial origins and provided clues about their synthesis. My measurements of mid-oceanic basalts and hydrocarbon gases in geothermal systems chracterized components from the mantle and from sedimentary organic carbon.

Co-leading a field trip in Yellowstone National Park (2015)

I participated in the Precambrian Paleobiology Research Group at U.C.L.A., led by Dr. J. W. Schopf. For example, we documented carbon isotopic evidence for the long-term evolution and oxygenation of Earth’s early environment. Later, I coordinated a long-term project to study the biogeochemistry of marine benthic microbial communities as modern analogs of Earth’s oldest known (>3 billion yr.-old) ecosystems. We characterized their enormous microbial diversity, their highly efficient harvesting of sunlight, their cycling of life-sustaining elements, and mechanisms for their fossilization in sedimentary rocks. These experiences, among others, informed me as I chaired the development of NASA’s Astrobiology Roadmaps in 2003 and 2008, and as I served as PI of Ames’ NASA Astrobiology Institute team from 1998 to 2014. These roles also informed my participation in NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover and Curiosity rover missions.

Des Marais et al. with a microbial mat experiment in Baja California (2000)

Now that you’ve described what your pursuit is, what your discipline or research interests are, how would you justify that to people who are not scientists as to why taxpayers should be funding this particular research for NASA?

NASA’s research programs are uniquely positioned to explore and compare multiple planets, including Earth. All life depends critically upon interactions between organisms and the geological processes and climate of their host planet. My career has addressed these interactions in multiple ways. Studies such as these are important for understanding the future of life on Earth, and they also guide our search for evidence of life elsewhere and for planning human missions to other bodies in our solar system.

A more specific answer to your question is that the public has been interested in any life on Mars. Searching for evidence of past or present life there requires environmental surveys and analyses to identify the most promising locations. NASA’s Viking mission illustrated why most of the Martian surface is really not suitable to look for evidence of life. At least 70% of the surface of Mars is clearly unsuitable, but the remaining more promising 30% is still a lot of territory. The surface area of Mars is equal to that of all the continents on Earth.  Much of my research has related to an assessment of habitability, namely, assessing the resources that an environment must provide to sustain life. Where are the best places to look? Our rovers have now visited places that we are convinced could have supported life some three or more billion years ago. The next questions are:  did any fossils survive and can we actually bring the right samples back to Earth to confirm any findings? 

Also, could a human mission sustain itself there? Again, we must look for resources that might support life today. Geochemical analyses are a key aspect of that search. If we have any future interest in Mars related to astrobiology or to human missions, we need to assess the past habitability and the present life-sustaining resources of potential landing sites. The public generally supports these exploration goals.

They do, that is true, and that’s really the answer to why NASA does what it does. It’s directed by Congress, and they are influenced by the public, by what the public wants. I’ve always thought, or at least for a long time, that robotic exploration is much more practical, but the country wants astronauts, that’s where the public support is.

I agree totally!

And so, we continue to do that, and they’ve done wonderful things. But the time will come when it’s not feasible to do astronautic things because we humans don’t live long enough given the distances involved.

Certainly that’s applies for destinations beyond our solar system. And even if there is a human mission to Mars, astronauts are going to be in a station, with robots going out in all directions. So robots will be with us in many ways for the future.

It’s a very fascinating career you’ve described and the work that has followed from it.

Thanks! It’s certainly been very fulfilling personally.

What advice might you give to a young person who sees what you’re doing, is intrigued by it, and would like to pursue it as a career, would like to become a researcher for NASA?

The advice I would give a young person is just engage in multiple experiences. You don’t know what what will stimulate and motivate you until you try it. And once you find something in particular, like astrobiology, then apply to institutions, like universities or institutes that are involved. Go to a place where they’re doing stuff that’s related to astrobiology in some way. Secondly, see if you can get yourself in a lab and get some undergraduate research experience.

As an example, what worked for my son? He’s not in astrobiology. He went to Berkeley as an undergraduate and wanted to be a physician. But then he had an opportunity to work in someone’s plant biology lab. By the time he was applying for graduate schools he was identifying professors with whom he might want to work.  Now, years later, he’s a professor in plant genetics at a major university. When I applied to graduate schools, my approach wasn’t nearly as rigorous as my son’s strategy! So, perhaps get an undergraduate experience in a lab and, in any case, get a sense of what’s interesting by giving yourself multiple experiences and not necessarily focusing too soon. That’s the most general advice.

That is similar to what parents do with their children. They don’t know what their children are going to be interested in or would do well, so they expose them to music, to art, and to all kinds of things and with some of them there won’t be any connection, but at some point, they’ll be interested in something and want to pursue it. So, you’re right, get a broad exposure to a variety of things and something will resonate.

Yes, the more experiences, the better chance you might hit something that really resonates for you.

You’ve talked about your professional work and research interests but what do you do for fun?

Well, along with a lot of the things I’ve already described, my interest in the outdoors has always been high. Our family has done a lot of hiking and travel.

Do you still do caving or spelunking?

I was still active after joining Ames in 1976. I got CRF involved at Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, and CRF is still working there. I’ve been fortunate to participate in this collaboration between CRF and the National Park Service at Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, California. My active participation tapered off about the same time my involvement with Mars picked up in the 1990’s.

Earlier, I mentioned a little miner’s carbide cap lamp in another student’s dormitory room that led me to the Outing Club, geology, and ultimately my career. So, over the years I’ve collected artifacts related to mining and interacted with folks who explore the history of mining and its economic importance. That has made me realize just how difficult were the lives of miners. What I hadn’t anticipated was how grateful I became that I am alive today and not 100+ years ago, or that I live in the US and not many other places today.

I often feel that. There are a lot of places in the world where you can’t just go over to the wall and dial up the temperature you want. We are certainly blessed in that regard. So, the collecting has been kind of a hobby for you. Do you have any musical interest or talent, anything like that?

I was pretty proficient at the piano until I got into high school. But I took up the saxophone and got into the high school band. Later, I joined the Purdue Marching Band and played at football games. That was a great experience but I didn’t continue beyond my college sophomore year. My daughter and son have continued on piano intermittently as an effective form of relaxation. This reminds me of Carl Pilcher (former NASA Senior Scientist for Astrobiology and Director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute) who was a really good pianist.

I didn’t know that and that’s interesting to me because I knew Carl. This is one reason why we do these interviews, because there will be a number of people who will read this and they won’t have known that about Carl if they knew him, and that’s how these little things that we don’t know about people come out as we sit down and talk with each other. You’ve mentioned your wife, Shirley, and your son and your daughter.  Would you like to say anything else about your family? Or your pets, or things you like to do together or vacations, anything like that?

Shirley and I have been married 54 years as of this interview. She was an elementary school teacher for more than 25 years. Her support was crucial while I was in graduate school. She became a full-time parent for our pre-school children but then returned to Redwood City schools for most of her teaching career. She then became deeply involved in the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, serving both as its chairman and in other leadership positions. Shirley is the keystone of our family and she has enabled my career achievements immeasurably.

Our son is a is a molecular biologist. He went to Berkeley first aspiring to be a doctor probably because his high school biology teacher emphasized human physiology. At Berkeley he ventured from one interest to the next. He had not been inspired by plant biology in high school, probably because his teachers focused on rote memorization of facts. But later he gained research experience in a Berkeley plant lab and got really interested in them. He attended graduate school at Duke University and is now an assistant professor in plant genetics with the MIT civil engineering  department. Why, you ask, is a civil engineering department interested in plant genetics? MIT started a major climate change project and one key concern is how crops must adapt.  His specialty is plant water use efficiency, response to CO2 levels, and temperature, factors that would be affected by a changing climate.

Des Marais family in Yellowstone National Park (2001)

Our daughter also attended Berkeley. She studied international economics of developing countries. She is good at math and also interested in social issues, so that curriculum motivated her. But her ultimate career choice arose from the focus on developing countries and her experiences in South America when she spent a semester at a university in Chile, and then worked with nonprofit organizations in Brazil. She then got a master’s degree in public health at the University of North Carolina.  She’s still involved in public health in North Carolina, working with a foundation that advises county health departments about treatments for drug addiction. The government has provided funds for counties, especially rural counties. She leads a group that’s advising them on how to administer these funds effectively.

That’s very commendable. You should be proud of her as well.

Yeah, we certainly are.

We also had cats from the early ‘70’s up until maybe 2010 or something like that. We eventually achieved ‘parental freedom’ when the kids moved away and the pets passed away.  But our our family’s legacy lives on: both our son and our daughter have multiple cats in their houses! (laughs)

We had cats too, and enjoyed them. My wife used to have to go away for a week or so every month to tend her parents, who were getting elderly, because she wanted to keep them in their home. I used to think it was funny that people talked to their pets, but when she was away, I talked to the cat all the time! I really enjoyed having her around. She would curl up on my lap if I was watching TV. She was good company.

Yeah, no kidding. Dogs especially are like little kids that never grow up!

Yes!

One of the questions we like to ask is who or what has inspired you along your life path?

My high school chemistry teacher inspired me about chemistry. He was also an outdoorsman type. My older brother was involved in Boy Scouts, and that also nurtured my interest in Scouts and the outdoors.

At the time I was enrolled at Purdue University, a geology department had recently started and three faculty occupied the basement of an engineering building. Dr. Levandowski advocated that geochemistry might actually be a good match for me. At Indiana University, John Hayes, my thesis advisor, was very accomplished, charismatic, and inspirational. He was recognized internationally and ultimately inducted into the National Academy of Sciences. And, of course, Sherwood Chang and Chuck Klein helped inspire and guide my early career at Ames.

Do you read for pleasure and if so, what do you like to read? What genre do you enjoy?

I do not read fiction for pleasure.  I frequently read popular science and technology articles, so I guess that’s my pleasure reading. It’s still science, but it’s science that extends well beyond my own work, and I find that interesting.

Absolutely it is.  I don’t read enough for pleasure. I buy a lot of books that I intend to read, but I just never get around to them. My wife says, in jest I think, when I’m gone, she’s going to have a big bonfire and burn all of them because they take up a lot of space. I would like to live to be 200 and read all of them, but I know I won’t! (laughs)

One of the things that we like to do is add pictures to these interviews, of things we talked about, or any images that you particularly like.  What picture might you have on the wall there in your office, or perhaps in your home?  You could add something later after thinking about it a bit.  I had a map of the world, a satellite image of the world at night, in my office for a time. You’ve probably seen it. I was fascinated by it because you could tell so much about the countries by the lighting, the different colors, where it was and where it wasn’t.

I have a big map of the world that emphasizes geology and particularly shows a lot of details about the ocean floor, especially with the volcanoes and all the features there. And you’ve probably seen the exobiology mural? it was in building N-200.

I think I know which one you’re talking about. It has sea life coming up from the ocean on one side across the land and up to the stars on the other side.

Exobiology panorama (D. Des Marais, L. Jahnke, T. Scattergood, 1988)

That’s right. Linda Jahnke, Tom Scattergood, and I created that back in 1980’s.

You did?

Yeah. When the art department made copies, I got one for my office, and several others have copies also.

Oh, that’s wonderful. If you have an image of that you could include it when you send me back your edited transcript, and we could put it in and attribute it to you, Linda, and Tom.

OK. That mural touches on several research topics I’ve addressed during my career. So, it would be a good one to include.

We also ask if there is a favorite quote that has been particularly meaningful to you. We can put that in, too.

 ‘Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans’ (John Lennon)

‘We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.’ (the attribution to Winston Churchill is controversial)

Thank you for getting in touch with me and for sitting down for an hour to do this. I will get this into a format where you can edit it. And then we’ll make a post out of it. And I think you’ll be pleased. And if not, you’ll have only yourself to blame! (laughs)

That’s very cagey of you! (laughs) But then again, you’ve done this for quite a while.
Your approach is quite sophisticated, so I appreciate that. I also appreciate your effort because so often stuff like this just disappears from history.

Well, thank you, Dave. I’ve appreciated the chat and thank you for your time. We’ll make something out of it.

Thanks for your commitment and for pursuing me to do this. Take care.

You’re welcome.

________________________________________________

Interview conducted by Fred Van Wert on January 13, 2025

Portrait of Dave Des Marais

Let’s start with your childhood, where you’re from, your family at the time, if you have siblings, your early years, and when it was that you became interested in what has developed into your career as an astrophysicist or research scientist?

I was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1948, the youngest of four siblings – two brothers, a sister and myself. My father was a civil engineer for DuPont chemical company and designed HVAC systems for plants built in the late 30’s and early 40’s for the war effort. Our family moved around frequently back then, so my siblings and I were born in different states. When our father transferred to  DuPont headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, we moved to nearby Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles southwest of Philadelphia. During my childhood, my participation in outdoor activities with the Boy Scouts and my motivation by excellent high school chemistry and physics teachers stimulated my interest in the natural sciences.

I attended Purdue University in Indiana in part because Purdue had an excellent chemistry curriculum and because my second older brother, whom I had always admired, received his chemical engineering degree there. As an undergraduate, I was particularly fascinated by the periodic table of the elements and analytical chemistry. Experiences outside the classroom were also important.  I noticed that another student in my dormitory had a little miner’s carbide headlamp on his desk. He explored caves as a member of the Purdue Outing Club and invited me to join. When we took caving and climbing trips in southern Indiana, I developed a fascination with geology, particularly about how caves form and about rocks generally. This kindled my interest in geochemistry, which ultimately guided my choices of graduate school and career. Three factors led to my decision in 1970 to attend Indiana University. One was IU’s strong geology and geochemistry programs. I also wanted to remain as near as possible to Shirley, my future spouse. The third reason was to continue exploring caves!

While at IU I indeed continued cave exploration. I joined the Cave Research Foundation (CRF), which maps caves and supports research in the national parks, particularly in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, which is the longest cave in the world, with 250 miles of mapped passageways. My involvement with CRF deepened my interest in other aspects of geology and geochemistry.

(left) Cave in the Guadalupe Mountains, NM (D. Des Marais, 1980). (right) Climbing the 510 ft.-pit in Ellisons Cave, GA (D. Des Marais, 1972)

My NASA connection began when Dr. John Hayes became my graduate advisor in geochemistry. Hayes’ graduate dissertation had addressed organic compounds in meteorites. He was also involved with the Viking mission as a member of Klaus Bieman’s MIT research group, which created the mass spectrometer for the Mars Viking mission. I took Hayes’ class on mass spectrometry, and fortunately he liked my term paper! Soon after, I chose to do my dissertation with him on lunar sample analyses, focusing on carbon and other elements relevant to life. I first presented my work in 1972 at the third Lunar Science Conference, where I met Sherwood Chang, then chief of the Ames Exobiology branch. Sherwood was also investigating carbon and other elements in lunar samples. Sherwood, John, and others inspired me to continue in the space sciences.

That’s an Interesting path because many of our researchers had a postdoc with somebody or attended a conference and met someone through that network and found their way to Ames that way.

I then did a postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA with Dr. Isaac (Ian) Kaplan, whose biogeochemistry group also had analzed lunar samples. I continued developing methods for carbon isotopic analyses of very small samples. The carbon-13 to carbon-12 abundance ratios of molecules can offer clues about how they are formed. Isotopic measurements also help to identify contamination in meteorites and other extraterrestrial samples. Sherwood Chang wanted to create an isotope geochemistry laboratory in the Ames Exobiology Branch, and that led to my being hired at Ames in 1976.

You mentioned contamination of the meteorites. Was it geo-contamination or contamination from elsewhere that concerned you?

The basic analytical goal is to decipher the entire history of an extraterrestrial sample, starting with understanding the contents of an object when it was formed, which in most cases was billions of years ago. When an object was still in space, other events happened that altered its composition. But our major concern has been about what happens after a meteorite arrives here. Life has become so pervasive that its chemical ‘fingerprints’ are on virtually everything. It’s difficult to avoid these substances anywhere in the shallow Earth’s crust. Also, Earth is an inhospitable place for meteorites because its surface environments are relatively hot and moist compared to conditions in space. So our environment can alter the meteorites and add organic contamination.

What has been your most interesting work here at Ames?

I have had a near-unique opportunity to explore the biogeochemistry of carbon across a wide range of processes and environments that sustain our biosphere. I investigated the isotope geochemistry of carbon and nitrogen in lunar samples, meteorites, and oceanic basalts. Our molecular isotopic measurements of hydrocarbons in carbonaceous chondrites confirmed their extraterrestrial origins and provided clues about their synthesis. My measurements of mid-oceanic basalts and hydrocarbon gases in geothermal systems chracterized components from the mantle and from sedimentary organic carbon.

Co-leading a field trip in Yellowstone National Park (2015)

I participated in the Precambrian Paleobiology Research Group at U.C.L.A., led by Dr. J. W. Schopf. For example, we documented carbon isotopic evidence for the long-term evolution and oxygenation of Earth’s early environment. Later, I coordinated a long-term project to study the biogeochemistry of marine benthic microbial communities as modern analogs of Earth’s oldest known (>3 billion yr.-old) ecosystems. We characterized their enormous microbial diversity, their highly efficient harvesting of sunlight, their cycling of life-sustaining elements, and mechanisms for their fossilization in sedimentary rocks. These experiences, among others, informed me as I chaired the development of NASA’s Astrobiology Roadmaps in 2003 and 2008, and as I served as PI of Ames’ NASA Astrobiology Institute team from 1998 to 2014. These roles also informed my participation in NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover and Curiosity rover missions.

Des Marais et al. with a microbial mat experiment in Baja California (2000)

Now that you’ve described what your pursuit is, what your discipline or research interests are, how would you justify that to people who are not scientists as to why taxpayers should be funding this particular research for NASA?

NASA’s research programs are uniquely positioned to explore and compare multiple planets, including Earth. All life depends critically upon interactions between organisms and the geological processes and climate of their host planet. My career has addressed these interactions in multiple ways. Studies such as these are important for understanding the future of life on Earth, and they also guide our search for evidence of life elsewhere and for planning human missions to other bodies in our solar system.

A more specific answer to your question is that the public has been interested in any life on Mars. Searching for evidence of past or present life there requires environmental surveys and analyses to identify the most promising locations. NASA’s Viking mission illustrated why most of the Martian surface is really not suitable to look for evidence of life. At least 70% of the surface of Mars is clearly unsuitable, but the remaining more promising 30% is still a lot of territory. The surface area of Mars is equal to that of all the continents on Earth.  Much of my research has related to an assessment of habitability, namely, assessing the resources that an environment must provide to sustain life. Where are the best places to look? Our rovers have now visited places that we are convinced could have supported life some three or more billion years ago. The next questions are:  did any fossils survive and can we actually bring the right samples back to Earth to confirm any findings? 

Also, could a human mission sustain itself there? Again, we must look for resources that might support life today. Geochemical analyses are a key aspect of that search. If we have any future interest in Mars related to astrobiology or to human missions, we need to assess the past habitability and the present life-sustaining resources of potential landing sites. The public generally supports these exploration goals.

They do, that is true, and that’s really the answer to why NASA does what it does. It’s directed by Congress, and they are influenced by the public, by what the public wants. I’ve always thought, or at least for a long time, that robotic exploration is much more practical, but the country wants astronauts, that’s where the public support is.

I agree totally!

And so, we continue to do that, and they’ve done wonderful things. But the time will come when it’s not feasible to do astronautic things because we humans don’t live long enough given the distances involved.

Certainly that’s applies for destinations beyond our solar system. And even if there is a human mission to Mars, astronauts are going to be in a station, with robots going out in all directions. So robots will be with us in many ways for the future.

It’s a very fascinating career you’ve described and the work that has followed from it.

Thanks! It’s certainly been very fulfilling personally.

What advice might you give to a young person who sees what you’re doing, is intrigued by it, and would like to pursue it as a career, would like to become a researcher for NASA?

The advice I would give a young person is just engage in multiple experiences. You don’t know what what will stimulate and motivate you until you try it. And once you find something in particular, like astrobiology, then apply to institutions, like universities or institutes that are involved. Go to a place where they’re doing stuff that’s related to astrobiology in some way. Secondly, see if you can get yourself in a lab and get some undergraduate research experience.

As an example, what worked for my son? He’s not in astrobiology. He went to Berkeley as an undergraduate and wanted to be a physician. But then he had an opportunity to work in someone’s plant biology lab. By the time he was applying for graduate schools he was identifying professors with whom he might want to work.  Now, years later, he’s a professor in plant genetics at a major university. When I applied to graduate schools, my approach wasn’t nearly as rigorous as my son’s strategy! So, perhaps get an undergraduate experience in a lab and, in any case, get a sense of what’s interesting by giving yourself multiple experiences and not necessarily focusing too soon. That’s the most general advice.

That is similar to what parents do with their children. They don’t know what their children are going to be interested in or would do well, so they expose them to music, to art, and to all kinds of things and with some of them there won’t be any connection, but at some point, they’ll be interested in something and want to pursue it. So, you’re right, get a broad exposure to a variety of things and something will resonate.

Yes, the more experiences, the better chance you might hit something that really resonates for you.

You’ve talked about your professional work and research interests but what do you do for fun?

Well, along with a lot of the things I’ve already described, my interest in the outdoors has always been high. Our family has done a lot of hiking and travel.

Do you still do caving or spelunking?

I was still active after joining Ames in 1976. I got CRF involved at Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, and CRF is still working there. I’ve been fortunate to participate in this collaboration between CRF and the National Park Service at Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, California. My active participation tapered off about the same time my involvement with Mars picked up in the 1990’s.

Earlier, I mentioned a little miner’s carbide cap lamp in another student’s dormitory room that led me to the Outing Club, geology, and ultimately my career. So, over the years I’ve collected artifacts related to mining and interacted with folks who explore the history of mining and its economic importance. That has made me realize just how difficult were the lives of miners. What I hadn’t anticipated was how grateful I became that I am alive today and not 100+ years ago, or that I live in the US and not many other places today.

I often feel that. There are a lot of places in the world where you can’t just go over to the wall and dial up the temperature you want. We are certainly blessed in that regard. So, the collecting has been kind of a hobby for you. Do you have any musical interest or talent, anything like that?

I was pretty proficient at the piano until I got into high school. But I took up the saxophone and got into the high school band. Later, I joined the Purdue Marching Band and played at football games. That was a great experience but I didn’t continue beyond my college sophomore year. My daughter and son have continued on piano intermittently as an effective form of relaxation. This reminds me of Carl Pilcher (former NASA Senior Scientist for Astrobiology and Director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute) who was a really good pianist.

I didn’t know that and that’s interesting to me because I knew Carl. This is one reason why we do these interviews, because there will be a number of people who will read this and they won’t have known that about Carl if they knew him, and that’s how these little things that we don’t know about people come out as we sit down and talk with each other. You’ve mentioned your wife, Shirley, and your son and your daughter.  Would you like to say anything else about your family? Or your pets, or things you like to do together or vacations, anything like that?

Shirley and I have been married 54 years as of this interview. She was an elementary school teacher for more than 25 years. Her support was crucial while I was in graduate school. She became a full-time parent for our pre-school children but then returned to Redwood City schools for most of her teaching career. She then became deeply involved in the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, serving both as its chairman and in other leadership positions. Shirley is the keystone of our family and she has enabled my career achievements immeasurably.

Our son is a is a molecular biologist. He went to Berkeley first aspiring to be a doctor probably because his high school biology teacher emphasized human physiology. At Berkeley he ventured from one interest to the next. He had not been inspired by plant biology in high school, probably because his teachers focused on rote memorization of facts. But later he gained research experience in a Berkeley plant lab and got really interested in them. He attended graduate school at Duke University and is now an assistant professor in plant genetics with the MIT civil engineering  department. Why, you ask, is a civil engineering department interested in plant genetics? MIT started a major climate change project and one key concern is how crops must adapt.  His specialty is plant water use efficiency, response to CO2 levels, and temperature, factors that would be affected by a changing climate.

Des Marais family in Yellowstone National Park (2001)

Our daughter also attended Berkeley. She studied international economics of developing countries. She is good at math and also interested in social issues, so that curriculum motivated her. But her ultimate career choice arose from the focus on developing countries and her experiences in South America when she spent a semester at a university in Chile, and then worked with nonprofit organizations in Brazil. She then got a master’s degree in public health at the University of North Carolina.  She’s still involved in public health in North Carolina, working with a foundation that advises county health departments about treatments for drug addiction. The government has provided funds for counties, especially rural counties. She leads a group that’s advising them on how to administer these funds effectively.

That’s very commendable. You should be proud of her as well.

Yeah, we certainly are.

We also had cats from the early ‘70’s up until maybe 2010 or something like that. We eventually achieved ‘parental freedom’ when the kids moved away and the pets passed away.  But our our family’s legacy lives on: both our son and our daughter have multiple cats in their houses! (laughs)

We had cats too, and enjoyed them. My wife used to have to go away for a week or so every month to tend her parents, who were getting elderly, because she wanted to keep them in their home. I used to think it was funny that people talked to their pets, but when she was away, I talked to the cat all the time! I really enjoyed having her around. She would curl up on my lap if I was watching TV. She was good company.

Yeah, no kidding. Dogs especially are like little kids that never grow up!

Yes!

One of the questions we like to ask is who or what has inspired you along your life path?

My high school chemistry teacher inspired me about chemistry. He was also an outdoorsman type. My older brother was involved in Boy Scouts, and that also nurtured my interest in Scouts and the outdoors.

At the time I was enrolled at Purdue University, a geology department had recently started and three faculty occupied the basement of an engineering building. Dr. Levandowski advocated that geochemistry might actually be a good match for me. At Indiana University, John Hayes, my thesis advisor, was very accomplished, charismatic, and inspirational. He was recognized internationally and ultimately inducted into the National Academy of Sciences. And, of course, Sherwood Chang and Chuck Klein helped inspire and guide my early career at Ames.

Do you read for pleasure and if so, what do you like to read? What genre do you enjoy?

I do not read fiction for pleasure.  I frequently read popular science and technology articles, so I guess that’s my pleasure reading. It’s still science, but it’s science that extends well beyond my own work, and I find that interesting.

Absolutely it is.  I don’t read enough for pleasure. I buy a lot of books that I intend to read, but I just never get around to them. My wife says, in jest I think, when I’m gone, she’s going to have a big bonfire and burn all of them because they take up a lot of space. I would like to live to be 200 and read all of them, but I know I won’t! (laughs)

One of the things that we like to do is add pictures to these interviews, of things we talked about, or any images that you particularly like.  What picture might you have on the wall there in your office, or perhaps in your home?  You could add something later after thinking about it a bit.  I had a map of the world, a satellite image of the world at night, in my office for a time. You’ve probably seen it. I was fascinated by it because you could tell so much about the countries by the lighting, the different colors, where it was and where it wasn’t.

I have a big map of the world that emphasizes geology and particularly shows a lot of details about the ocean floor, especially with the volcanoes and all the features there. And you’ve probably seen the exobiology mural? it was in building N-200.

I think I know which one you’re talking about. It has sea life coming up from the ocean on one side across the land and up to the stars on the other side.

Exobiology panorama (D. Des Marais, L. Jahnke, T. Scattergood, 1988)

That’s right. Linda Jahnke, Tom Scattergood, and I created that back in 1980’s.

You did?

Yeah. When the art department made copies, I got one for my office, and several others have copies also.

Oh, that’s wonderful. If you have an image of that you could include it when you send me back your edited transcript, and we could put it in and attribute it to you, Linda, and Tom.

OK. That mural touches on several research topics I’ve addressed during my career. So, it would be a good one to include.

We also ask if there is a favorite quote that has been particularly meaningful to you. We can put that in, too.

 ‘Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans’ (John Lennon)

‘We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.’ (the attribution to Winston Churchill is controversial)

Thank you for getting in touch with me and for sitting down for an hour to do this. I will get this into a format where you can edit it. And then we’ll make a post out of it. And I think you’ll be pleased. And if not, you’ll have only yourself to blame! (laughs)

That’s very cagey of you! (laughs) But then again, you’ve done this for quite a while.
Your approach is quite sophisticated, so I appreciate that. I also appreciate your effort because so often stuff like this just disappears from history.

Well, thank you, Dave. I’ve appreciated the chat and thank you for your time. We’ll make something out of it.

Thanks for your commitment and for pursuing me to do this. Take care.

You’re welcome.

________________________________________________

Interview conducted by Fred Van Wert on January 13, 2025

Supermassive black holes could act as natural particle accelerators, helping humanity investigate dark matter.

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5 Min Read NASA’s Webb Rounds Out Picture of Sombrero Galaxy’s Disk

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s new image of the famous Sombrero galaxy in near-infrared wavelengths shows dust from the outer ring blocking stellar light from the inner portions of the galaxy.

Credits:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

After capturing an image of the iconic Sombrero galaxy at mid-infrared wavelengths in late 2024, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has now followed up with an observation in the near-infrared. In the newest image, the Sombrero galaxy’s huge bulge, the tightly packed group of stars at the galaxy’s center, is illuminated, while the dust in the outer edges of the disk blocks some stellar light.

Image A: Sombrero Galaxy (NIRCam) NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s new image of the famous Sombrero galaxy in near-infrared wavelengths shows dust from the outer ring blocking stellar light from the inner portions of the galaxy. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Studying galaxies like the Sombrero at different wavelengths, including the near-infrared and mid-infrared with Webb, as well as the visible with NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, helps astronomers understand how this complex system of stars, dust, and gas formed and evolved, along with the interplay of that material.

When compared to Hubble’s visible light image, the dust disk doesn’t look as pronounced in the new near-infrared image from Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument. That’s because the longer, redder wavelengths of infrared light emitted by stars slip past dust more easily, so less of that stellar light is blocked. In the mid-infrared image, we actually see that dust glow.

Image B: Sombrero Galaxy (NIRCam/MIRI) The Sombrero galaxy is split diagonally in this image: near-infrared observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope are at the left, and mid-infrared observations from Webb are at the right. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

The Sombrero galaxy is located about 30 million light-years away from Earth at the edge of the Virgo galaxy cluster, and has a mass equal to about 800 billion Suns. This galaxy sits “edge on” to us, meaning we see it from its side.

Studies have indicated that hiding behind the galaxy’s smooth dust lane and calming glow is a turbulent past. A few oddities discovered over the years have hinted this galaxy was once part of a violent merger with at least one other galaxy.

The Sombrero is home to roughly 2,000 globular clusters, or collections of hundreds of thousands of old stars held together by gravity. Spectroscopic studies have shown the stars within these globular clusters are unexpectedly different from one another.

Stars that form around the same time from the same material should have similar chemical ‘fingerprints’ – for example, the same amounts of elements like oxygen or neon. However, this galaxy’s globular clusters show noticeable variation. A merger of different galaxies over billions of years would explain this difference.

Another piece of evidence supporting this merger theory is the warped appearance of the galaxy’s inner disk.

While our view is classified as “edge on,” we’re actually seeing this nearly edge on. Our view six degrees off the galaxy’s equator means we don’t see it directly from the side, but a little bit from above. From this view, the inner disk appears tilted inward, like the beginning of a funnel, instead of flat.

Video A: Sombrero Galaxy Fade (Visible, Near-Infrared, Mid-Infrared) This video compares images of the Sombrero galaxy, also known as Messier 104 (M104). The first image shows visible light observed by the Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys. The second is in near-infrared light and shows NASA’s Webb Space Telescope’s look at the galaxy using NIRCam (Near-Infrared Instrument). The final image shows mid-infrared light observed by Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument).
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

The powerful resolution of Webb’s NIRCam also allows us to resolve individual stars outside of, but not necessarily at the same distance as, the galaxy, some of which appear red. These are called red giants, which are cooler stars, but their large surface area causes them to glow brightly in this image. These red giants also are detected in the mid-infrared, while the smaller, bluer stars in the near-infrared “disappear” in the longer wavelengths.

Also in the NIRCam image, galaxies of diverse shapes and colors are scattered throughout the backdrop of space. The variety of their colors provides astronomers with clues about their characteristics, such as their distance from Earth.

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

To learn more about Webb, visit:

https://science.nasa.gov/webb

Downloads

Click any image to open a larger version.

View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.

Media Contacts

Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

Hannah Braun – hbraun@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.

Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.

Related Information

Article: Types of Galaxies

Video: Different types of galaxies

Article: Sombrero Galaxy’s Halo Suggests Turbulent Past

More Images: Images of the Sombrero Galaxy in different types of light

Video: Sonification of Sombrero Galaxy images

More Webb News

More Webb Images

Webb Science Themes

Webb Mission Page

Related For Kids

What is the Webb Telescope?

SpacePlace for Kids

En Español

Ciencia de la NASA

NASA en español 

Space Place para niños

Keep Exploring Related Topics

James Webb Space Telescope

Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the…

Galaxies

Galaxies Stories

Universe

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Last Updated

Jun 03, 2025

Editor Marty McCoy Contact Laura Betz laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

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• Astrophysics
• Galaxies
• Goddard Space Flight Center
• Science & Research
• Spiral Galaxies
• The Universe

Explore Webb

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5 Min Read NASA’s Webb Rounds Out Picture of Sombrero Galaxy’s Disk

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s new image of the famous Sombrero galaxy in near-infrared wavelengths shows dust from the outer ring blocking stellar light from the inner portions of the galaxy.

Credits:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

After capturing an image of the iconic Sombrero galaxy at mid-infrared wavelengths in late 2024, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has now followed up with an observation in the near-infrared. In the newest image, the Sombrero galaxy’s huge bulge, the tightly packed group of stars at the galaxy’s center, is illuminated, while the dust in the outer edges of the disk blocks some stellar light.

Image A: Sombrero Galaxy (NIRCam) NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s new image of the famous Sombrero galaxy in near-infrared wavelengths shows dust from the outer ring blocking stellar light from the inner portions of the galaxy. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Studying galaxies like the Sombrero at different wavelengths, including the near-infrared and mid-infrared with Webb, as well as the visible with NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, helps astronomers understand how this complex system of stars, dust, and gas formed and evolved, along with the interplay of that material.

When compared to Hubble’s visible light image, the dust disk doesn’t look as pronounced in the new near-infrared image from Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument. That’s because the longer, redder wavelengths of infrared light emitted by stars slip past dust more easily, so less of that stellar light is blocked. In the mid-infrared image, we actually see that dust glow.

Image B: Sombrero Galaxy (NIRCam/MIRI) The Sombrero galaxy is split diagonally in this image: near-infrared observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope are at the left, and mid-infrared observations from Webb are at the right. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

The Sombrero galaxy is located about 30 million light-years away from Earth at the edge of the Virgo galaxy cluster, and has a mass equal to about 800 billion Suns. This galaxy sits “edge on” to us, meaning we see it from its side.

Studies have indicated that hiding behind the galaxy’s smooth dust lane and calming glow is a turbulent past. A few oddities discovered over the years have hinted this galaxy was once part of a violent merger with at least one other galaxy.

The Sombrero is home to roughly 2,000 globular clusters, or collections of hundreds of thousands of old stars held together by gravity. Spectroscopic studies have shown the stars within these globular clusters are unexpectedly different from one another.

Stars that form around the same time from the same material should have similar chemical ‘fingerprints’ – for example, the same amounts of elements like oxygen or neon. However, this galaxy’s globular clusters show noticeable variation. A merger of different galaxies over billions of years would explain this difference.

Another piece of evidence supporting this merger theory is the warped appearance of the galaxy’s inner disk.

While our view is classified as “edge on,” we’re actually seeing this nearly edge on. Our view six degrees off the galaxy’s equator means we don’t see it directly from the side, but a little bit from above. From this view, the inner disk appears tilted inward, like the beginning of a funnel, instead of flat.

Video A: Sombrero Galaxy Fade (Visible, Near-Infrared, Mid-Infrared) This video compares images of the Sombrero galaxy, also known as Messier 104 (M104). The first image shows visible light observed by the Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys. The second is in near-infrared light and shows NASA’s Webb Space Telescope’s look at the galaxy using NIRCam (Near-Infrared Instrument). The final image shows mid-infrared light observed by Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument).
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

The powerful resolution of Webb’s NIRCam also allows us to resolve individual stars outside of, but not necessarily at the same distance as, the galaxy, some of which appear red. These are called red giants, which are cooler stars, but their large surface area causes them to glow brightly in this image. These red giants also are detected in the mid-infrared, while the smaller, bluer stars in the near-infrared “disappear” in the longer wavelengths.

Also in the NIRCam image, galaxies of diverse shapes and colors are scattered throughout the backdrop of space. The variety of their colors provides astronomers with clues about their characteristics, such as their distance from Earth.

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

To learn more about Webb, visit:

https://science.nasa.gov/webb

Downloads

Click any image to open a larger version.

View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.

Media Contacts

Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

Hannah Braun – hbraun@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.

Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.

Related Information

Article: Types of Galaxies

Video: Different types of galaxies

Article: Sombrero Galaxy’s Halo Suggests Turbulent Past

More Images: Images of the Sombrero Galaxy in different types of light

Video: Sonification of Sombrero Galaxy images

More Webb News

More Webb Images

Webb Science Themes

Webb Mission Page

Related For Kids

What is the Webb Telescope?

SpacePlace for Kids

En Español

Ciencia de la NASA

NASA en español 

Space Place para niños

Keep Exploring Related Topics

James Webb Space Telescope

Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the…

Galaxies

Galaxies Stories

Universe

Share

• 
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
  

Details

Last Updated

Jun 03, 2025

Editor Marty McCoy Contact Laura Betz laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

Related Terms

• James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
• Astrophysics
• Galaxies
• Goddard Space Flight Center
• Science & Research
• Spiral Galaxies
• The Universe

Two NASA-developed technologies are key components of a new high-resolution sensor for observing wildfires: High Operating Temperature Barrier Infrared Detector (HOT-BIRD), developed with support from NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO), and a cutting-edge Digital Readout Integrated Circuit (DROIC), developed with funding from NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

NASA’s c-FIRST instrument could provide high resolution data from a compact space-based platform in under an hour, making it easier for wildfire managers to detect and monitor active burns. Credit: NASA/JPL

A novel space-based sensor for observing wildfires could allow first responders to monitor burns at a global scale, paving the way for future small satellite (SmallSat) constellations dedicated entirely to fire management and prevention.

Developed with support from NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO), the “Compact Fire Infrared Radiance Spectral Tracker” (c-FIRST) is a small, mid-wave infrared sensor that collects thermal radiation data across five spectral bands. Most traditional space-based sensors dedicated to observing fires have long revisit times, observing a scene just once over days or even weeks. The compact c-FIRST sensor could be employed in a SmallSat constellation that could observe a scene multiple times a day, providing first responders data with high spatial resolution in under an hour.

In addition, c-FIRST’s dynamic spectral range covers the entire temperature profile of terrestrial wild fires, making it easier for first-responders to detect everything from smoldering, low-intensity fires to flaming, high intensity fires.

“Wildfires are becoming more frequent, and not only in California. It’s a worldwide problem, and it generates tons of by-products that create very unhealthy conditions for humans,” said Sarath Gunapala, who is an Engineering Fellow at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and serves as Principal Investigator for c-FIRST.

The need for space-based assets dedicated to wildfire management is severe. During the Palisade and Eaton Fires earlier this year, strong winds kept critical observation aircraft from taking to the skies, making it difficult for firefighters to monitor and track massive burns.

Space-based sensors with high revisit rates and high spatial resolution would give firefighters and first responders a constant source of eye-in-the-sky data.

“Ground-based assets don’t have far-away vision. They can only see a local area. And airborne assets, they can’t fly all the time. A small constellation of CubeSats could give you that constant coverage,” said Gunapala.

c-FIRST leverages decades of sensor development at JPL to achieve its compact size and high performance. In particular, the quarter-sized High Operating Temperature Barrier Infrared Detector (HOT-BIRD), a compact infrared detector also developed at JPL with ESTO support, keeps c-FIRST small, eliminating the need for bulky cryocooler subsystems that add mass to traditional infrared sensors.

With HOT-BIRD alone, c-FIRST could gather high-resolution images and quantitative retrievals of targets between 300°K (about 80°F) to 1000°K (about 1300°F). But when paired with a state-of-the-art Digital Readout Integrated Circuit (DROIC), c-FIRST can observe targets greater than 1600°K (about 2400°F).

Developed by Copious Imaging LLC. and JPL with funding from NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, this DROIC features an in-pixel digital counter to reduce saturation, allowing c-FIRST to capture reliable infrared data across a broader spectral range.

Artifical intelligence (AI) will also play a role in c-FIRST’s success. Gunapala plans to leverage AI in an onboard smart controller that parses collected data for evidence of hot spots or active burns. This data will be prioritized for downlinking, keeping first responders one step ahead of potential wildfires.

“We wanted it to be simple, small, low cost, low power, low weight, and low volume, so that it’s ideal for a small satellite constellation,” said Gunapala.

Gunapala and his team had a unique opportunity to test c-FIRST after the Palisade and Eaton Fires in California. Flying their instrument aboard NASA’s B-200 Super King Air, the scientists identified lingering hot spots in the Palisades and Eaton Canyon area five days after the initial burn had been contained.

Now, the team is eyeing a path to low Earth orbit. Gunapala explained that their current prototype employs a standard desktop computer that isn’t suited for the rigors of space, and they’re working to incorporate a radiation-tolerant computer into their instrument design.

But this successful test over Los Angeles demonstrates c-FIRST is fit for fire detection and science applications. As wildfires become increasingly common and more destructive, Gunapala hopes that this tool will help first responders combat nascent wildfires before they become catastrophes.

“To fight these things, you need to detect them when they’re very small,” said Gunapala.

A publication about c-FIRST appeared in the journal “Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers” (SPIE) in March, 2023.

For additional details, see the entry for this project on NASA TechPort.

To learn more about emerging technologies for Earth science, visit ESTO’s open solicitations page.

Project Lead:  Sarath Gunapala, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Sponsoring Organization: NASA ESTO

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Details

Last Updated

Jun 03, 2025

Related Terms

• Technology Highlights
• Earth Science Division
• Earth Science Technology Office
• Science-enabling Technology

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Two NASA-developed technologies are key components of a new high-resolution sensor for observing wildfires: High Operating Temperature Barrier Infrared Detector (HOT-BIRD), developed with support from NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO), and a cutting-edge Digital Readout Integrated Circuit (DROIC), developed with funding from NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

NASA’s c-FIRST instrument could provide high resolution data from a compact space-based platform in under an hour, making it easier for wildfire managers to detect and monitor active burns. Credit: NASA/JPL

A novel space-based sensor for observing wildfires could allow first responders to monitor burns at a global scale, paving the way for future small satellite (SmallSat) constellations dedicated entirely to fire management and prevention.

Developed with support from NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO), the “Compact Fire Infrared Radiance Spectral Tracker” (c-FIRST) is a small, mid-wave infrared sensor that collects thermal radiation data across five spectral bands. Most traditional space-based sensors dedicated to observing fires have long revisit times, observing a scene just once over days or even weeks. The compact c-FIRST sensor could be employed in a SmallSat constellation that could observe a scene multiple times a day, providing first responders data with high spatial resolution in under an hour.

In addition, c-FIRST’s dynamic spectral range covers the entire temperature profile of terrestrial wild fires, making it easier for first-responders to detect everything from smoldering, low-intensity fires to flaming, high intensity fires.

“Wildfires are becoming more frequent, and not only in California. It’s a worldwide problem, and it generates tons of by-products that create very unhealthy conditions for humans,” said Sarath Gunapala, who is an Engineering Fellow at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and serves as Principal Investigator for c-FIRST.

The need for space-based assets dedicated to wildfire management is severe. During the Palisade and Eaton Fires earlier this year, strong winds kept critical observation aircraft from taking to the skies, making it difficult for firefighters to monitor and track massive burns.

Space-based sensors with high revisit rates and high spatial resolution would give firefighters and first responders a constant source of eye-in-the-sky data.

“Ground-based assets don’t have far-away vision. They can only see a local area. And airborne assets, they can’t fly all the time. A small constellation of CubeSats could give you that constant coverage,” said Gunapala.

c-FIRST leverages decades of sensor development at JPL to achieve its compact size and high performance. In particular, the quarter-sized High Operating Temperature Barrier Infrared Detector (HOT-BIRD), a compact infrared detector also developed at JPL with ESTO support, keeps c-FIRST small, eliminating the need for bulky cryocooler subsystems that add mass to traditional infrared sensors.

With HOT-BIRD alone, c-FIRST could gather high-resolution images and quantitative retrievals of targets between 300°K (about 80°F) to 1000°K (about 1300°F). But when paired with a state-of-the-art Digital Readout Integrated Circuit (DROIC), c-FIRST can observe targets greater than 1600°K (about 2400°F).

Developed by Copious Imaging LLC. and JPL with funding from NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, this DROIC features an in-pixel digital counter to reduce saturation, allowing c-FIRST to capture reliable infrared data across a broader spectral range.

Artifical intelligence (AI) will also play a role in c-FIRST’s success. Gunapala plans to leverage AI in an onboard smart controller that parses collected data for evidence of hot spots or active burns. This data will be prioritized for downlinking, keeping first responders one step ahead of potential wildfires.

“We wanted it to be simple, small, low cost, low power, low weight, and low volume, so that it’s ideal for a small satellite constellation,” said Gunapala.

Gunapala and his team had a unique opportunity to test c-FIRST after the Palisade and Eaton Fires in California. Flying their instrument aboard NASA’s B-200 Super King Air, the scientists identified lingering hot spots in the Palisades and Eaton Canyon area five days after the initial burn had been contained.

Now, the team is eyeing a path to low Earth orbit. Gunapala explained that their current prototype employs a standard desktop computer that isn’t suited for the rigors of space, and they’re working to incorporate a radiation-tolerant computer into their instrument design.

But this successful test over Los Angeles demonstrates c-FIRST is fit for fire detection and science applications. As wildfires become increasingly common and more destructive, Gunapala hopes that this tool will help first responders combat nascent wildfires before they become catastrophes.

“To fight these things, you need to detect them when they’re very small,” said Gunapala.

A publication about c-FIRST appeared in the journal “Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers” (SPIE) in March, 2023.

For additional details, see the entry for this project on NASA TechPort.

To learn more about emerging technologies for Earth science, visit ESTO’s open solicitations page.

Project Lead:  Sarath Gunapala, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Sponsoring Organization: NASA ESTO

Share

• 
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
  

Details

Last Updated

Jun 03, 2025

Related Terms

• Technology Highlights
• Earth Science Division
• Earth Science Technology Office
• Science-enabling Technology

Explore More

4 min read Unearthly Plumbing Required for Plant Watering in Space

Article


2 weeks ago

6 min read Quantum Sensing via Matter-Wave Interferometry Aboard the International Space Station

Article


4 weeks ago

4 min read Entrepreneurs Challenge Winner PRISM is Using AI to Enable Insights from Geospatial Data

Article


1 month ago

Even how matter exists in the first place is a mystery to physicists

New research suggests there may be a narrow window of possibility for life to persist on the icy moons of the outer solar system.

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2 min read

Hubble Filters a Barred Spiral This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1385. ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. Chandar, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST team

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features a luminous tangle of stars and dust called the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1385, located about 30 million light-years away. Hubble released an earlier image of NGC 1385, but the two images are notably different. This more recent image has far more pinkish-red and umber shades, whereas cool blues dominate the earlier image. This chromatic variation is not just a creative choice, but also a technical one, that represents the different number and types of filters used to collect the data that comprises the respective images.

NGC 1385, released in 2021 NGC 1385, released in 2023

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features a luminous tangle of stars and dust called the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1385, located about 30 million light-years away. Hubble released an earlier image of NGC 1385, but the two images are notably different. This more recent image has far more pinkish-red and umber shades, whereas cool blues dominate the earlier image. This chromatic variation is not just a creative choice, but also a technical one, that represents the different number and types of filters used to collect the data that comprises the respective images.Like all telescopes used in scientific research, Hubble holds a range of filters. These highly specialized filters are pieces of physical hardware that allow a range of wavelengths (broadband filters) or very specific wavelengths (narrowband filters) of light to enter the telescope. This allows astronomers to look for specific features in the object. The data can tell us what elements are present, the temperature, and pressure of the object. The ability to probe extremely specific parts of the electromagnetic spectrum is very useful to astronomers. It helps them better understand the physical processes and environments of the objects they study. ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. Chandar, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST team NGC 1385, released in 2021NGC 1385, released in 2023

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features a luminous tangle of stars and dust called the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1385, located about 30 million light-years away. Hubble released an earlier image of NGC 1385, but the two images are notably different. This more recent image has far more pinkish-red and umber shades, whereas cool blues dominate the earlier image. This chromatic variation is not just a creative choice, but also a technical one, that represents the different number and types of filters used to collect the data that comprises the respective images.Like all telescopes used in scientific research, Hubble holds a range of filters. These highly specialized filters are pieces of physical hardware that allow a range of wavelengths (broadband filters) or very specific wavelengths (narrowband filters) of light to enter the telescope. This allows astronomers to look for specific features in the object. The data can tell us what elements are present, the temperature, and pressure of the object. The ability to probe extremely specific parts of the electromagnetic spectrum is very useful to astronomers. It helps them better understand the physical processes and environments of the objects they study. ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. Chandar, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST team

NGC 1385, released in 2021
NGC 1385, released in 2023

Before and After

Two views of NGC 1385

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Image Details

These two views of NGC 1385 illustrate how Hubble’s filters allow astronomers to see specific features in this barred spiral galaxy. The earlier (left) image shows areas where hot, young, blue stars dominate. The more recent (right) image features pinkish-red, dusty areas where stars are forming.

Like all telescopes used in scientific research, Hubble holds a range of filters. These highly specialized filters are pieces of physical hardware that allow a range of wavelengths (broadband filters) or very specific wavelengths (narrowband filters) of light to enter the telescope. This allows astronomers to look for specific features in the object. The data can tell us what elements are present, the temperature, and pressure of the object. The ability to probe extremely specific parts of the electromagnetic spectrum is very useful to astronomers. It helps them better understand the physical processes and environments of the objects they study.

Text Credit: ESA/Hubble

Watch on YouTube: How Hubble Images are Made

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Media Contact:

Claire Andreoli (claire.andreoli@nasa.gov)
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD

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Last Updated

Jun 03, 2025

Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Related Terms

• Hubble Space Telescope
• Astrophysics
• Astrophysics Division
• Galaxies
• Goddard Space Flight Center
• Spiral Galaxies
• Stars
• The Universe

Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Hubble

Hubble Space Telescope

Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.

Exploring the Birth of Stars

Seeing ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light helps Hubble uncover the mysteries of star formation.

Hubble’s Galaxies

Hubble’s Night Sky Challenge

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2 min read

Hubble Filters a Barred Spiral This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1385. ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. Chandar, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST team

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features a luminous tangle of stars and dust called the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1385, located about 30 million light-years away. Hubble released an earlier image of NGC 1385, but the two images are notably different. This more recent image has far more pinkish-red and umber shades, whereas cool blues dominate the earlier image. This chromatic variation is not just a creative choice, but also a technical one, that represents the different number and types of filters used to collect the data that comprises the respective images.

NGC 1385, released in 2021 NGC 1385, released in 2023

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features a luminous tangle of stars and dust called the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1385, located about 30 million light-years away. Hubble released an earlier image of NGC 1385, but the two images are notably different. This more recent image has far more pinkish-red and umber shades, whereas cool blues dominate the earlier image. This chromatic variation is not just a creative choice, but also a technical one, that represents the different number and types of filters used to collect the data that comprises the respective images.Like all telescopes used in scientific research, Hubble holds a range of filters. These highly specialized filters are pieces of physical hardware that allow a range of wavelengths (broadband filters) or very specific wavelengths (narrowband filters) of light to enter the telescope. This allows astronomers to look for specific features in the object. The data can tell us what elements are present, the temperature, and pressure of the object. The ability to probe extremely specific parts of the electromagnetic spectrum is very useful to astronomers. It helps them better understand the physical processes and environments of the objects they study. ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. Chandar, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST team NGC 1385, released in 2021NGC 1385, released in 2023

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features a luminous tangle of stars and dust called the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1385, located about 30 million light-years away. Hubble released an earlier image of NGC 1385, but the two images are notably different. This more recent image has far more pinkish-red and umber shades, whereas cool blues dominate the earlier image. This chromatic variation is not just a creative choice, but also a technical one, that represents the different number and types of filters used to collect the data that comprises the respective images.Like all telescopes used in scientific research, Hubble holds a range of filters. These highly specialized filters are pieces of physical hardware that allow a range of wavelengths (broadband filters) or very specific wavelengths (narrowband filters) of light to enter the telescope. This allows astronomers to look for specific features in the object. The data can tell us what elements are present, the temperature, and pressure of the object. The ability to probe extremely specific parts of the electromagnetic spectrum is very useful to astronomers. It helps them better understand the physical processes and environments of the objects they study. ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. Chandar, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST team

NGC 1385, released in 2021
NGC 1385, released in 2023

Before and After

Two views of NGC 1385

CurtainToggle2-Up

Image Details

These two views of NGC 1385 illustrate how Hubble’s filters allow astronomers to see specific features in this barred spiral galaxy. The earlier (left) image shows areas where hot, young, blue stars dominate. The more recent (right) image features pinkish-red, dusty areas where stars are forming.

Like all telescopes used in scientific research, Hubble holds a range of filters. These highly specialized filters are pieces of physical hardware that allow a range of wavelengths (broadband filters) or very specific wavelengths (narrowband filters) of light to enter the telescope. This allows astronomers to look for specific features in the object. The data can tell us what elements are present, the temperature, and pressure of the object. The ability to probe extremely specific parts of the electromagnetic spectrum is very useful to astronomers. It helps them better understand the physical processes and environments of the objects they study.

Text Credit: ESA/Hubble

Watch on YouTube: How Hubble Images are Made

Facebook logo @NASAHubble

@NASAHubble

Instagram logo @NASAHubble

Media Contact:

Claire Andreoli (claire.andreoli@nasa.gov)
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD

Share

• 
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
  

Details

Last Updated

Jun 03, 2025

Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Related Terms

• Hubble Space Telescope
• Astrophysics
• Astrophysics Division
• Galaxies
• Goddard Space Flight Center
• Spiral Galaxies
• Stars
• The Universe

Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Hubble

Hubble Space Telescope

Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.

Exploring the Birth of Stars

Seeing ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light helps Hubble uncover the mysteries of star formation.

Hubble’s Galaxies

Hubble’s Night Sky Challenge

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