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Marilia Samara – Launches Rockets at Auroras

Marilia Samara
Credits: NASA/W. Hrybyk

Name: Marilia Samara
Formal Job Classification: Research astrophysicist
Organization: Code 673, Geospace Physics Laboratory, Heliophysics Division, Sciences Directorate

What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? How do you help support Goddard’s mission?

I study the space environment between the Earth and the sun. I study many aspects of this environment. One that I’m particularly fond of is the aurora which occurs in both the northern and southern polar regions. I study mostly the northern aurora commonly referred to as the Northern Lights. I use data from instruments on the ground and build instruments that make measurements in space from both rockets and satellites.

Why do you focus on the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights are a unique peek into our space environment. They are an aspect of nature that is both beautiful and captivating in terms of aesthetic images. At the same time, they contain a wealth of information about the actual space environment and how that can affect us on Earth. It all starts with the sun, our source of life, which is constantly shedding mass toward Earth. The mass is composed of tiny charged particles that get trapped by the magnetic field of Earth and are ultimately responsible for creating the aurora after they reach Earth. When the charged particles hit neutral particles already in the upper atmosphere, a photon or light particle is emitted. These photons make up the colors of the aurora. Particles with different energies result in different colors. The aurora can be blue, green, purple and red, and is often a mixture of colors. This celestial painting provides a critical view of our space environment!

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Greece, the cradle of democracy! I was born and raised in the northern part of Greece by the coast. My parents came from the nearby mountains. So I had the best of both. I went to school in Greece through high school.

Did you always want to become a physicist?

I really liked math in school and wanted to be a mathematician. My inspiration was my brother, Miltos, who was a mathematician, aeronautical scientist and pilot. His support and admiration meant the world to me. He was brilliant and made science and everything look easy!

When I was in high school, the local university had an open house for their observatory. Their telescope was pointed at the moon. I had never before looked at the moon through a big telescope. I remember looking through the telescope and thinking that it was just great. I decided to pursue a career in astronomy and physics, both of which involve a lot of math.

Mainly, I was always really curious and always wanted to understand how nature works. Physics is part of nature, the beginning of my interest in the field.

At the same time, I was always interested in theater and music. My mother is a classically trained opera singer. Our house was steeped in music, so naturally I was very interested in singing but eventually science won out! I still sing, but mostly to my young baby.

Where did you go to college and university?

I left Greece to go to Boston University for a degree in astronomy and physics. I then attended Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, and got a doctorate in astronomy and physics with a concentration in space physics.

My doctorate thesis focused on the electromagnetic waves created inside the aurora and used data from NASA rockets launched out of Poker Flat Research Range, Alaska.

So you began working with NASA while in graduate school?

Yes. When a scientist has an idea for studying space that requires putting an instrument on a rocket, they can apply to NASA to be allowed the use of a specific rocket for their instruments. My thesis adviser launched instruments on three NASA rockets while I was in graduate school. I got to work on those instruments from build up to launch. It was a unique experience for a graduate student and a very hands on approach. I not only worked on these instruments, I also analyzed the resulting data which became the core of my thesis. While in graduate school, I worked with several NASA people, both at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and at the launch site in Alaska.

What did you do after you got your doctorate?

I went to Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, which has a space physics division specializing in plasma instruments for satellites. I analyzed data from several satellites including the NASA Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) satellite, which focused on the aurora, and the European Space Agency Rosetta satellite, which focuses on the environment around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

I also established a multi-platform program for studying aurora from the ground and in space. We put together high speed cameras for use by anyone in the community studying aurora and other phenomena. These cameras take successive images, effectively movies, and can also be moved to other locations for special campaigns. To date, these cameras have been involved in special campaigns in places including Greenland; Resolute Bay, Canada; and Tromso, Norway.

While at Southwest, I also was a principal investigator for a NASA rocket that studied aurora with both ground-based imaging and particle and field measurements from instrumentation in space.

Additionally, I taught at the University of Texas, San Antonio, graduate school. I developed a course called ionospheric physics, which deals with the environment in the upper atmosphere of Earth.

Why did you want to come to Goddard?

I was extremely interested in Goddard because of its active, vibrant science community. It is invigorating to be in the company of so many world-class scientists across all the major NASA disciplines. The opportunities for inter-disciplinary research are phenomenal. The seminars alone are enough inspiration to get anyone out of their science rut! This is the type of environment that fosters the innovative research needed for scientific and engineering breakthroughs.

Do you conduct field work?

I’m involved with two aspects of field work. First, I install ground-based instruments for field campaigns. The cameras we use to study the aurora are also used to study air glow and meteors, commonly called shooting stars. In addition to the field work I previously mentioned, I’ve also done field work with these cameras in Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico; Jicamarca Radio Observatory in Peru and Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.

The other aspect of my field work concerns field campaigns for rocket launches at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. I am involved with both integration and also during the two-week launch window at Poker Flat Research Range, our launch site in Alaska. When we integrate our instrument to the rocket, we do extensive testing. To launch, we need an optimal two-week window with the right science conditions. In addition to the right amount of minimal wind and cloud cover, we need to have good aurora at the right place for our specific science goals.

What is your role as chair of Goddard’s Science Director’s Committee?

Goddard’s Science Directorate’s Science Director’s Committee consists of a group of about 20 early- to mid-career civil servant scientists serving approximately two-year terms. I am currently the chair. We meet monthly with the head of the Science Directorate to share our thoughts with her and to talk about how we can enable more science and a smoother operation at Goddard.

Our group also sponsors the annual Poster Party Blow Out. Every January, we invite all our colleagues who have given posters at conferences throughout the year to share them with us. Last year we had about 200 different participants.

Additionally, we recently launched our Conversations with Senior Fellows Panel Series. We present a variety of topics to be discussed by three-person panels composed of Senior Fellows, some of our most experienced scientists. We try to have one panel a month. Our topics have included topics such as “Goddard’s Unwritten Rules,” and “How to Speak Engineer-ese.”

Are you a mentor?

Although I do not currently formally teach, I still very much enjoy mentoring students, which I have done extensively since coming to Goddard. I have so far mentored three students ranging from high school to undergraduate. In addition, I still advise my first Ph.D. student, who started working with me in Texas on the rocket and is now analyzing the data. He is about to defend his thesis.

My advice to them is simple: Do something that you actually enjoy and don’t be intimidated by other people’s perceptions of your abilities.

What is unique about being married to a fellow Goddard scientist?

My husband is a space physicist who also studies the aurora and meteors and does a lot of field work. We talk about the science a lot. We both really love the science, understand each other’s work and the demands and appreciate each other’s work. Now we also talk a lot about our baby.

What lessons or words of wisdom would you pass along to somebody just starting their career at Goddard?

Find your passion in life, whatever gets you up in the morning with a smile. It’s important to be practical, but don’t sacrifice your passion just to be practical. Whatever you do, respect others.

My mother always said to me that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well. That is what I always try to do.

Do you think you will ever add opera to your repertoire?

Although our baby is quite young, he already adores singing and has a wonderful voice. Perhaps one day when my mom starts formally training him, I will join them. I would love to expand my voice and opera repertoire!

By Elizabeth M. Jarrell
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

A graphic with a collection of people's portraits grouped together in front of a soft blue galaxy background. The people come from various races, ethnicities, and genders. A soft yellow star shines in the upper left corner, and the stylized text "Conversations with Goddard" is in white on the far right.
Conversations With Goddard is a collection of question and answer profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage.

Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage.

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Last Updated
Jul 26, 2023