Artemis II splashes down with UGA expertise onboard

An instrument designed by a University of Georgia graduate is presently on its approach again to Earth after the profitable completion of NASA’s Artemis II mission.  

Since the April 1 launch, 4 NASA astronauts have been aboard the Orion spacecraft, nicknamed Integrity, rigorously testing its built-in techniques throughout the mission. Every breath onboard is fastidiously monitored by a compact system known as the laser air monitoring system. At the center of this method is a laser spectroscopy instrument created by Jeff Pilgrim, a UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences alumnus who constructed his profession round the concept lasers can “read” the air. 

Laser spectroscopy is a way that makes use of lasers to acquire details about objects primarily based on how they reply to mild. This data gives insights into objects’ chemical and molecular makeups, in addition to their bodily traits.

“The instruments on Integrity represent the culmination of efforts across multiple disciplines over two decades, moving laser spectroscopy forward into the future of human spaceflight,” Pilgrim stated. “I am grateful that NASA has allowed my company, Vista Photonics, to participate in this mission, where scientific and engineering principles instilled by my multidisciplinary Franklin College education could be applied to protect the crew.” 

The astronauts have traveled farther from Earth than any people because the Apollo period. The mission included a detailed lunar flyby, throughout which the crew gathered scientific information whereas testing crucial techniques for future exploration.

The 10-day mission has demonstrated important life-support, navigation and communication capabilities wanted for upcoming lunar landings. The spacecraft is presently making ready for high-speed reentry and splashdown within the Pacific Ocean, marking a pivotal step in NASA’s long-term Artemis program. 

Pilgrim earned his doctorate in chemistry in 1995 underneath UGA Regents’ Professor Michael Duncan. His work at UGA laid the inspiration for a profession on the intersection of scientific analysis and real-world utility. 

In 2003, he based Vista Photonics in Las Cruces, New Mexico, to commercialize laser sensing applied sciences, resulting in collaborations with companies akin to NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Navy.  

The firm’s improvements first reached area in 2013 when NASA chosen Vista Photonics to develop a multi-gas analyzer for the International Space Station. That analyzer earned the Johnson Space Center Director’s Team Award in 2015.  

Since then, Vista Photonics has continued creating expertise for NASA, the Navy and Artemis missions, incomes quite a few recognitions. Pilgrim obtained a number of honors for his work, together with the UGA Chemistry Distinguished Alumni Award in 2023 and the NASA Johnson Space Center Crew and Thermal Systems Division Challenge Coin. 

With 32 publications and practically 30 patents worldwide, Pilgrim’s work continues to form the way forward for optical sensing and area exploration, demonstrating that innovation usually begins with a single, persistent spark of curiosity. 

NASA additionally invited Pilgrim and his spouse, Melissa, to attend the launch. 

“We were both so honored when NASA invited us to attend as their guests,” stated Melissa, who graduated from the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences in 1992. Melissa is co-owner of Vista Photonics and serves as its chief administrative officer. “The crowd was counting down, and there was applause and awe as we watched the rocket take off. I still cannot believe that we had this opportunity. I couldn’t be more excited about our company’s accomplishments.”