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CURRENT MEMBERS
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Justin Little
Assistant Professor
PhD, Princeton University
MA, Princeton University
BS, University of California, Irvine
Justin is the founder and director of the UW SPACE Lab. His research methods combine reduced-order theoretical modeling and innovative experiment design to explore the plasma physics fundamental to electric thrusters. The ultimate goal of his research is to improve the efficiency and capabilities of next-generation electric propulsion systems.
Curtis Promislow
PhD Student
MS, North Carolina State University
BS, North Carolina State University
Curtis is working on the High Pulse Rate planar Pulsed Inductive Thruster project, which investigates the effects of high pulse rate operation on the design, physics, and performance of planar pulsed inductive thrusters. His research combines power electronics and circuit design, plasma physics, and advanced plasma diagnostics. As part of this project, Curtis collaborates closely with the Propulsion Research and Development Laboratory at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
Landon Bevier
PhD Student
BS, University of Washington
BA, University of Washington
Landon's research focuses on applying new data science techniques developed at UW along with machine learning to analyze time resolved optical spectra data. These new methods will help fit data from experimental electric propulsion devices to collisional radiative models.
Reed Thompson
MS Student
BS, University of Washington
Reed has been interested in space exploration ever since he was in middle school and saw the observatories on Mauna Kea while visiting Hawaii. Reed joined SPACE Labs as a volunteer assistant researcher and is back at SPACE Labs as a masters student, undecided if he will continue his research with hall thrusters or expand his knowledge in other electric propulsion technologies.
Anna Sheppard
NSF Graduate Research Fellow
PhD Student
MS, University of Washington
BS, University of Michigan
Anna is researching electric propulsion concepts that run on molecular propellants. She is presently designing an electrodeless thruster that can operate using a variety of complex propellants, including water, air, or mono-propellants. Using in-situ resource utilization, future NASA missions may eventually exploit this technology for planetary exploration.
Peter Thoreau
PhD Student
MS, University of Washington
MSc, International Space University
BE, University of Queensland
BSc, University of Queensland
Peter is researching Magnetically Shielded Hall Thrusters. His research covers plasma lensing and novel operation of the SPACE Lab low power Hall thruster. He has designed and built the thruster along with diagnostics for the lab including a thrust stand and Faraday probe array. His previous experience in the use of disruptive technologies to rapidly developed space hardware has resulted in several launched payloads to the ISS and LEO.
Jonah Taylor
MS Student
BS, Occidental College
Jonah’s research will focus on refurbishing the thermal vacuum chamber located within the SPACE Lab. This chamber will be used to test the lab’s thrusters in the various thermal environments found in space. Jonah will also be working on the thermal modeling of the low power Hall thruster that is currently being developed by the lab.
Cameron Marsh
MS Student
BS, University of Nevada
Cameron’s research focus is on understanding a relation between the plasma pre-ionization phase and current sheet formation in the acceleration phase of Inductive Pulsed Plasma Thrusters. Identifying this relation will help experiments that rely on pre-ionization to be able to set parameters for an ideal current sheet formation.
Charles Kelly
NASA NSTRF Fellow
PhD Student
MS, University of Washington
BS, Princeton University
Charlie researches plasma physics and deep-space mission design with Plasma Aerocapture, a technology with applications from getting humans on Mars to sending probes to Neptune. His work aims to develop both an analytic model and an experimental investigation informing system design of the device for these mission classes.
Arvindh Sharma
PhD Student
MS, University of Cincinnati
BE, Anna University
Arvindh is working on characterizing the evolution of dynamic structures in a Pulsed Inductive Thruster plasma. He comes from a background in fluids and combustion research and plans to apply image processing techniques to the study of plasma physics. His goal is to contribute to the development of space propulsion systems for long-term space exploration.
Gordon McCulloh
MS Student
BS, US Air Force Academy
Gordon is a member of the inaugural class of Space Force engineers. He is working on the Pulsed Inductive Thruster project, researching circuit design, mathematical modeling, and plasma physics. Gordon hopes to combine his knowledge of space propulsion systems with experience in SmallSat engineering to advance the capabilities of U.S. defense satellites and scientific platforms.
Sari Emese Barczay
MS Student
BA, George Mason University
BS, University of Washington
Sari's research focuses on the applications of plasma physics to the development of Plasma Aerocapture. In particular, her work focuses on developing a global model with molecular species in order to gain a more nuanced understanding of interactions between plasma and a neutral stream. She is excited to be supporting work that will help to expand the possibilities of space missions.
LAB ALUMNI
Sungyoung Ha, MS
PhD Student, Georgia Tech
Diego Mejia Montano, MS
Propulsion Engineer, Blue Origin
Wesley Jackson, MS
US Space Force
