Topics: Astrophysics, Comets, Diversity, Diversity in Science, Space Exploration, Rosetta, Women in Science
Yesterday was "Back to the Future, Part II" day. I saw a lot of commentary about how far we've come in 30 years. Interestingly not only did I not comment on it, I don't really recall seeing the second movie! I saw the first and third. I guess I'll have to rent it to catch up. We don't have flying cars or hover boards, but we seem to have a plethora of "Biff" personalities. I'll let you interpret...
This also happened yesterday, which didn't get a lot of notice. I don't expect it will, but if our priorities were actually calibrated to regard important people doing important things other than athletes, bombastic public characters, rappers and "reality shows"...it would.
The C. Alexander Gate, located on the smaller lobe of Comet 67P/C-G, has been named for Claudia J. Alexander, a U.S. Rosetta project scientist. Alexander passed away on July 11, 2015, after a 10-year battle with breast cancer. She was 56.
Alexander earned a bachelor's degree in geophysics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master's degree in geophysics and space physics from the University of California, Los Angeles. She went on to earn her doctorate degree in atmospheric, oceanic and space sciences from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She began working at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California before completing her doctorate. At the relatively young age of 40, she served as project manager for NASA's Galileo mission in 2000.
Alexander strove to inspire young people, writing children's books on science and mentoring young African-American girls. She also wrote "steampunk" science-fiction short stories.
The A. Coradini Gate, located on the larger lobe of the comet, was dedicated to Angioletta Coradini, the former principal investigator of Rosetta's VIRTIS instrument. Coradini passed away in September 2011 after a year-long battle with cancer. She was 65.
Coradini earned her master's degree in physics at the University of Rome, where she also earned her doctorate degree. She worked for the National Research Council of Italy before moving on to the National Astrophysics Institute of Italy. She led the Italian team for the Cassini VIMS visual channel. She worked on NASA's Dawn mission team, which explored the asteroid Vesta and is presently in orbit around the dwarf planet Ceres.
"Angioletta was one of the world-recognized leading experts in the Planetary Sciences, with varied interests ranging from minor bodies to outer planets and theoretical work on the formation of our solar system," said a tribute posted on the American Astronomical Society website. "She made fundamental contributions in all these domains."
Space.com: Rosetta Team Names Comet Features for Lost Colleagues
Nola Taylor Redd
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