Peter Tsou

Peter Tsou is a principal science staff member at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the California Institute of Technology, where he has worked for the past 27 years. cite web|url=http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/news/bio_ptsou.html |title=Bios - Dr. Peter Tsou |publisher=NASA |accessdate=2006-05-11]

Education

Tsou was educated at University of California, Berkeley, where he received his Bachelor of Science and Master's degree, and earned his PhD from University of California, Los Angeles.

Research

His research interests for the past two decades have concentrated on achieving a sample return of cometary coma material. He invented the technique of intact capture of hypervelocity particles for just such a mission as Stardust, the 13th proposal for a comet flyby sample return mission. Working with scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, he made the aerogel material lighter and more suitable for catching the comet particles. [cite news|url=http://www.discover.com/issues/sep-03/features/featcomet/ |title=To Catch a Comet |author=Irion, Robert |date=2003, October |publisher=Discover] He has also introduced the use of aerogel as one of the capture media and flight qualified variable density aerogel for space flight.

He is the principal investigator for a series of Shuttle Sample Return Experiments and Mir Sample Return Experiment with silica aerogel he made at JPL. He continues to develop improved techniques to identify, remove and study particles captured in aerogel.

Quotes

*"“It's a perfect landing [...] we are jumping and applauding. I can hardly sleep. Nevertheless I had been waiting 25 years before this night.”" (Concerning the Stardust project) Fact|date=February 2007

* "“It has rounded the Sun for just 5 circles, that means, most of its materials are well kept at a pristine state 4.5 billion years ago.”" (Concerning the Stardust project) Fact|date=February 2007

References