astronomy

John C. Mankins

John C. Mankins is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand John C. Mankins rather than just read about it. In short: John C. Mankins is a former NASA physicist known for his work on space-based solar power.

Key takeaways

John C. Mankins belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect John C. Mankins to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of John C. Mankins from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

John C. Mankins is a former NASA physicist known for his work on space-based solar power. Mankins holds a Bachelor of Science from Harvey Mudd College, a Master of Science in physics from UCLA, and an MBA in Public Policy Analysis from The Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University. His 25-year career at NASA and CalTech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) ranged from flight projects and space mission operations, to systems level innovation and advanced technology research & development management. Mankins is currently (2018) President of Artemis Innovation Management Solutions.

NASA career For 10 years, he was a manager in the Office of Advanced Concepts and Technology (Code C) at NASA Headquarters, and the lead for critical studies of space solar power, highly reusable space transportation, affordable human exploration approaches, and other topics. He was the creator or co-creator of numerous novel concepts, including the ‘MagLifter’ electromagnetic launch assist system, the Internet-based NASA ‘Virtual Research Center’ the ‘Solar Clipper’ interplanetary transport vehicle, the ‘SunTower’ space solar power system, the ‘Hybrid Propellant Module’ for in-space refueling, the ‘HabBot’ mobile planetary outpost architecture, the Advanced Technology Life cycle Analysis System (ATLAS), and others. Following dissolution of the Advanced Concepts office by Administrator Goldin, Mr. Mankins was the manager of Exploration Systems Research and Technology within the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate with responsibility for an $800M annual budget, involving more than 100 individual projects and over 3,000 personnel. In recognition of his accomplishments, he has received numerous awards and honors, including the NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal in 2003 (of which he was the first recipient). He left NASA in 2005.

Power satellites During the late 1990s Mankins led the NASA team that wrote "A Fresh Look at Space Solar Power". The report of that work was published by the IAF. He testified about Space Solar Power to the U.S. House of Representatives Science Committee in 2000. He co-chaired the IAA's Study on Space Solar Power, which was the first international study carried out on this concept. His work transmitting microwaves between two Hawaiian Islands in 2008 is mentioned in this 2014 IEEE Spectrum article. In addition to his many technical publication, Mankins authored The Case for Space Solar Power, a text on space-based solar power systems.

Technology readiness level Building on the original NASA "technology readiness level" (TRL) scale for technology assessment (defined first with 6 or 7 levels in the 1970s), Mankins extended the scale to flight systems and operations in the late 1980s (TRLs 8 and 9), published the first detailed definitions of the TRLs in 1995 that discussed NASA's use of TRLs and proposed expanded descriptions for each TRL, and promoted the use of the scale by the US Department of Defense in the late 1990s.

Society Memberships He is a member of the board of directors of the National Space Society (NSS), a member of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and chair of the Academy Commission III (Space Systems and Technology Development); and a member of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and the Sigma Xi Research Honor Society.

References

External links Artemis Innovations website

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with John C. Mankins

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what John C. Mankins claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to John C. Mankins before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about John C. Mankins ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of John C. Mankins

In research: John C. Mankins appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses John C. Mankins in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: John C. Mankins is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 21st-century American physicists, Claremont Graduate University alumni, Harvey Mudd College alumni, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for John C. Mankins outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study John C. Mankins in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what John C. Mankins means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain John C. Mankins out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is John C. Mankins in simple terms?

John C. Mankins is a former NASA physicist known for his work on space-based solar power.

Why does John C. Mankins matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study John C. Mankins?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on John C. Mankins.