NASA Ames Stars of the Month: September 2024

The NASA Ames Science Directorate recognizes the outstanding contributions of (pictured left to right) Don Sullivan, Serena Trieu, Emmett Quigley, and Zara Mirmalek. Their commitment to the NASA mission represents the talent, camaraderie, and vision needed to explore this world and beyond.

Earth Science Star: Don Sullivan

Don Sullivan enables cutting-edge research in the Earth Science Division, serving as telemetry and communications lead for the Airborne Science Program. As Principal Investigator, Don led the highly successful and innovative STRATO long-duration balloon flight project in August 2024 with the United States Forest Service (USFS) that demonstrated last-mile connectivity and near real-time infrared imagery to a remote wildfire incident command station.

Space Biosciences Star: Serena Trieu

Serena Trieu conducts research in the Bioengineering Branch for projects that develop Earth-independent spaceflight instrumentation, especially for the International Space Station (ISS). She has excelled in coordinating the inventory for 21 spaceflight trash batches sent to Sierra Space, Inc., for ground-unit testing of the Trash Compaction Processing System (TCPS). Tapping into her innovative spirit and technical expertise, she developed a new method to prepare trash batches for the ISS without freezing.

Space Science & Astrobiology Star: Emmett Quigley

Emmett Quigley is a mechanical technician with the Astrophysics Branch who goes above and beyond to serve Ames. As a specialist in small precision manufacturing, Emmett has designed and built lab hardware, telescopes, and airborne instruments, as well as small satellites and instruments heading to the Moon and beyond. His collaborative disposition and dedication to problem solving have enabled delivery of numerous projects on behalf of the Space Science and Astrobiology Division and the Earth Science Division.

Space Science & Astrobiology Star: Zara Mirmalek

Zara Mirmalek is the Deputy Science Operations Lead for VIPER within the Space Science & Astrobiology Division and has been pivotal in the design and build efforts of the VIPER Mission Science Operations team and Mission Science Center. She has applied her expertise in science team social-technical interactions to recommend discussions, groupings, and timelines that enable the VIPER Science Team to advance pre-planning for VIPER surface operations.