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Precision Thrusters
Task Manager
Dr. Juergen Mueller
Dr. Juergen Mueller is JPL's lead in micro-thrust propulsion, having
build up this area of research since 1995. He has 17 years of experience
in electric propulsion. He received a Diploma in Physics at the University
of Giessen, Germany in 1987 with a research project on RIT ion engines,
and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Penn State University in
1993 under a Fulbright scholarship with a thesis on microwave electrothermal
propulsion. Since joining the Advanced Propulsion Technology Group
of JPL in 1991, Dr. Mueller has worked on microwave electrothermal
thrusters, ion engines, carbon-carbon ion accelerator grids, Hall
thrusters, and has participated in miscellaneous spacecraft mission
studies, including in JPL's Advanced Projects Design team (Team X).
More recently, Dr. Mueller has been leading JPL's micro-thrust propulsion
activities. Dr. Mueller has authored in excess of 40 technical and
journal papers in these areas, and was awarded the 2001 JPL Lew Allen
Award of Excellence for his work in micropropulsion. Dr. Mueller
has also obtained a NASA Space Act Award, approximately a dozen NASA
Tech Brief Awards, and is holder of a US patent.
Juergen.Mueller@jpl.nasa.gov
(818) 354-4755
Team Members
Dr. Colleen Marrese
Dr. Marrese is the design lead for Field Emitter Array
(FEA) development for propulsion applications at JPL. She received
a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan
in 1999. In 1993, she spend two semesters at the Propulsion Department
of the Moscow Aviation Institute in Moscow, Russia, working in Hall
thruster development. She currently is is employed in the Advanced
Propulsion technology Group at JPL where she is the lead engineer
for field emission cathode testing and modeling. Dr. Marrese is also
currently participating in the New Millennium ST-7 project, conducting
propellant stability experiments and planning contamination, plume
and neutralization experiments. Dr. Marrese has published over 20
technical papers in electric propulsion, has obtained a NASA Space
Act Award and two NASA Tech Briefs, and holds a US patent on miniature
colloid thrusters.
Colleen.Marrese@jpl.nasa.gov
(818) 354-8179
Mr. Richard Wirz (Caltech)
Richie Wirz is currently working on his Ph.D. thesis at Caltech
on the discharge plasma processes of ion thrusters and the corresponding
effects of ion thruster scaling under the National Defense Science
and Engineering Fellowship Program. Richie has recently received
his M.S. from Caltech in Aeronautics and Applied Physics and previously
received two B.S. degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Ocean Engineer,
with a minor in Mathematics, at Virginia Tech (VPI&SU). At NASA
Langley he worked with the Space Exploration Office to generate feasibility
analyses for Mars exploration for a wide range of funding scenarios.
He also worked with the Space Station Freedom office and created
a unique method for analyzing the vibrational characteristics of
the Space Station main truss that increased both accelerometer measurement
redundancy and accuracy. As an ocean engineer he has worked on renewable
ocean energy, ship dynamics, and ship electrical systems. Most notably,
he developed a method for significantly increasing the viability
of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) with a method now known
as the “Wirz Fraction.”
wirz@caltech.edu
(818) 393-1175
Mr. Mike Gale (Caltech)
Michael Gale received a B.S. from Cornell University in engineering
physics in May 2002. He then received a Masters of Aeronautics from
California Institute of Technology in June 2003. Various projects
include researching calibration methods for a 3D camera system for
Dimensional Photonics of Bedford, MA and a study of vortex ring formation
in biological systems as part of a Masters project. He plans to return
to grad school for a PhD in aerospace engineering in the near future.
mjg31@caltech.edu
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