EDUCATION  

B.S. Electrical Engineering, 1999, Dean's List
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

EXPERIENCE

Flight Controller

June 2001 – present

United Space Alliance, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX

As a NASA contractor for United Space Alliance (USA), support the Onboard Data Interfaces and Networks (ODIN) mission control console for monitoring and controlling the Command & Data Handling (C&DH) system onboard the International Space Station (ISS).  Supported two ISS assembly missions in 2003 as the Resource AVionics ENgineer (RAVEN) backroom console operator.  Support mission activities through software and procedure development and testing.

Mission Sequence Analyst  

May 1999 – present

Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Designed command sequences for the MSI (Multi-Spectral Imager) and NIS (Near-Infrared Spectrometer) instruments on the NASA Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Shoemaker spacecraft that orbited asteroid 433 Eros in 2000 and performed the first spacecraft landing on an asteroid in 2001.  Gained understanding of 3-axis stabilized spacecraft with a fixed instrument platform.  Designed the first ever image mosaic taken of an asteroid from an orbiting spacecraft.  Wrote mapping software program vital for mission planning and data analysis.

Computer Assistant/Programmer  

May 1997 – May 1999

Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Assisted the NEAR MSI/NIS Team in mission planning and data analysis.  Analyzed satellite search images from the 1997 flyby of asteroid 253 Mathilde.  Became familiar with commanding of the MSI and NIS instruments and spacecraft slewing and scanning patterns.  Wrote several computer programs in C and IDL.

Student Technical Consultant  

August 1996 – May 1997

Academic Technology Services, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Provided technical support to faculty, staff and students for campus Internet and e-mail connectivity software as part of student help desk team.  Worked problem tickets with clients through phone, e-mail, and in-house support.

Computer Technician

Summers 1995, 1996 and January 1996

Homisco/VoiceNet Inc., Melrose, MA
Assembled hotel call-accounting systems by installing memory, hard drives, and other components.  Setup DOS/Windows, OS/2, or UNIX based systems and installed and configured communications software packages.  Assembled circuit boards for various communications systems.  Remotely resolved client system problems.  

RESEARCH

The Odysseus Team

Spring 1998 – present

Space Exploration Engineering Design Team

Founded an engineering design team within the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department at Cornell University with the goal of furthering space exploration research through annual student research projects.  As a student on original 5-member team, designed hypothetical mission architecture for a spacecraft to land on Jupiter’s moon Europa, melt through its ice crust and search for evidence of life in the assumed liquid ocean.  Conducted experiments testing the theoretical efficiency of a melting probe through an ice block.

Evolution of Deep Space Telecommunications Systems

Spring 1999

Independent Research Paper

Independent study culminated in a paper that traced the evolution of telecommunications systems on interplanetary robotic spacecraft, including the Mariner, Pioneer, Voyager, Galileo and Cassini programs.  Presented an overview of the principles behind deep space telecommunications systems including the design of a communication link with an emphasis on modulation and error control coding schemes.

ACTIVITIES

Fan and competitive participant of sports including soccer, tennis, basketball, baseball, golf, track & field and ultimate frisbee • Enjoy jogging and working out • Follow developments in space exploration and computing/information technologies

PAPERS & ABSTRACTS

NEAR Infrared Spectrometer Photometry of Asteroid 433 Eros.  B.E. Clark, P. Helfenstein, J.F. Bell III, C. Peterson, J. Veverka, N.I. Izenberg, D. Domingue, D. Wellnitz, L. McFadden. Icarus, Vol. 155,  pp. 189-204, 2002.

Near-IR Reflectance Spectroscopy of 433 Eros from the NEAR Mission.  1. Low Phase Angle Observations. J.F. Bell III, B. E. Clark, P.G.Lucey, N.I. Izenberg, J. Warren, C. Chapman, L.A. McFadden, D. Wellnitz, S. Murchie, J. Veverka, M. Winter, M.J. Gaffey, M. Malin, P. Thomas, M.S. Robinson, C. Peterson, A. Harch, M.E. Bell, A. Cheng.  Icarus, Vol. 155,  pp. 119-144, 2002.

The landing of the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft on asteroid 433 Eros.  J. Veverka, B. Farquhar, M. Robinson, P. Thomas, S. Murchie, A. Harch, P.G. Antresian, S.R. Chesley, J.K. Miller, W.M. Owen Jr., B.G. Williams, D. Yeomans, D. Dunham, G. Heyler, M. Holdridge, R.L. Nelson, K.E. Whittenburg, J.C. Ray, B. Carcich, A. Cheng, C. Chapman, J.F. Bell III, M. Bell, B. Bussey, B. Clark, D. Domingue, M.J. Gaffey, E. Hawkins, N. Izenberg, J. Joseph, R. Kirk, P. Lucey, M. Malin, L. McFadden, W.J. Merline, C. Peterson, L. Prockter, J. Warren & D. Wellnitz. Nature, Vol. 413, pp. 390-393, 2001.

Space weathering on Eros: constraints from albedo and spectral measurements of Psyche crater.  B.E. Clark, P. Lucey, P. Helfenstein, J.F. Bell III, C. Peterson, J. Veverka, T. McConnochie, M.S. Robinson, B. Bussey, S.L. Murchie, N.I. Izenberg & C.R. Chapman. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, Vol. 36, pp. 1617-1637, 2001.

Imaging of small-scale features on 433 Eros from NEAR: evidence for a complex regolith.  J. Veverka, P. C. Thomas, M. Robinson, S. Murchie, C. Chapman, M. Bell, A. Harch, W. J. Merline, J. F. Bell III, B. Bussey, B. Carcich, A. Cheng, B. Clark, D. Domingue, D. Dunham, R. Farquhar, M. J. Gaffey, E. Hawkins, N. Izenberg, J. Joseph, R. Kirk, H. Li, P. Lucey, M. Malin, L. McFadden, J. K. Miller, W. M. Owen Jr., C. Peterson, L. Prockter, J. Warren, D. Wellnitz, B. G. Williams & D. K. Yeomans. Science, Vol. 292, pp. 484-488, 2001.

NEAR at Eros: Imaging and Spectral Results.  J. Veverka, M. Robinson, P. Thomas, S. Murchie, J. F. Bell III, N. Izenberg, C. Chapman, A. Harch, M. Bell, B. Carcich, A. Cheng, B. Clark, D. Domingue, D. Dunham, R. Farquhar, M. J. Gaffey, E. Hawkins, J. Joseph, R. Kirk, H. Li, P. Lucey, M. Malin, P. Martin, L. McFadden, W. J. Merline, J. K. Miller, W. M. Owen Jr., C. Peterson, L. Prockter, J. Warren, D. Wellnitz, B. G. Williams, and D. K. Yeomans. Science, Vol. 289,  pp. 2088-2097, 2000.

Spatial variations in the near-IR spectral properties of 433 Eros: Analysis of NEAR/NIS low orbit observations.  Bell III, J.F., B.E. Clark, N. Izenberg, C. Dodd, R. Clinite, C. Peterson, P. Martin, S. Murchie, L. McFadden, D. Wellnitz, M.J. Gaffey, P. Lucey, M. Winter, C. Chapman, J. Veverka, and the NEAR MSI/NIS Team. Bull. Amer. Astron. Soc., Vol. 32, pp.  995, 2000.

A search for small-scale spectral heterogeneity on 433 Eros from Near-Infrared Spectrograph observations.  J.F. Bell III, N. Izenberg, B.E. Clark, D. Wellnitz, L.A. McFadden, S. Murchie, J. Warren, P. Lucey, M. Winter, P.D. Martin, M. Gaffey, M.S. Robinson, J. Veverka, C. Chapman, P. Thomas, M. Malin, A. Harch, M.E. Bell & C. Peterson. Meteoritics and Planetary Science., Vol. 35, A23, 2000.

Imaging and infrared spectroscopy results from NEAR MSI and NIS at Eros.  Murchie, S., J. Veverka, M. Robinson, P. Thomas, J.F. Bell III, N. Izenberg, C. Chapman, A. Harch, M. Bell, B. Carcich, A. Cheng, B. Clark, D. Domingue, D. Dunham, R. Farquhar, M. Gaffey, E. Hawkins, J. Joseph, R. Kirk, H. Li, P. Lucey, M. Malin, L. McFadden, W. Merline, J. Miller, W. Owen, C. Peterson, L. Prockter, J. Warren, D. Wellnitz, B. Williams, D. Yeomans, and B. Bussey.  Eos Trans. AGU, Vol. 81, F803-804, 2000.

Initial results from the NEAR/NIS spectroscopy investigation at Eros. Bell III, J.F., N.I. Izenberg, B.E. Clark, S.M. Murchie, P.D. Martin, L.A. McFadden, D. Wellnitz, P.G. Lucey, M.J. Gaffey, J. Warren, J. Veverka, C. Chapman, W. Merline, M.S. Robinson, P. Thomas, J. Joseph, B. Carcich, A. Harch, M.E. Bell, C. Peterson, and M. Malin. Lunar and Planet. Sci. XXXI, Invited presentation, LPSC 31, Houston TX, 2000 (abstract).

A science-driven processing pipeline for the NIS spectrometer onboard the NEAR spacecraft.  Martin, P.D., J.F. Bell III, B.E. Clark, M.E. Bell, B. Carcich, A. Harch, J. Joseph, C. Peterson, P. Thomas, J. Veverka, N. Izenberg, S.L. Murchie, J. Warren, D. Domingue, L.A. McFadden, D. Wellnitz, C.R. Chapman, W. Merline, M.S. Robinson, M.J. Gaffey, R. Kirk, P.G. Lucey, and M. Malin. Lunar and Planet. Sci. XXXI, Abstract #1379, LPI, Houston TX, 2000 (abstract).

The Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIS) Investigation on the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Mission.  J.F. Bell III, N. Izenberg, S. Murchie, J. Warren, J. Veverka, C. Chapman, L.A. McFadden, M.S. Robinson, P. Thomas, M. Malin, B.E. Clark, D. Wellnitz, P. Martin, A. Harch, M.E. Bell, C. Peterson. Asteroids, Comets, Meteors Conference, Ithaca NY, 1999 (abstract).