astronomy

Peter Tsou

Peter Tsou 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 Peter Tsou rather than just read about it. In short: "Astrobiology of Icy Worlds". astrobiology.nasa.gov. December 2014.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

"Astrobiology of Icy Worlds". astrobiology.nasa.gov. December 2014. Archived from the original on 2024-05-16. Retrieved 2024-05-16.

Peter Tsou is a science staff member at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the California Institute of Technology. His research primarily centers around the utilization of aerogel in space exploration. Tsou has served as the principal investigator (PI) for several missions conducted on the Space Shuttle and Mir, during which he devised the method of intact capture for hypervelocity particles. He gained recognition for his involvement in the capture and retrieval of cometary particles through NASA's Stardust mission, where he served as the deputy PI.

Education Tsou completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where he obtained a B.S. degree in electrical engineering in 1965, followed by an M.S. degree in the same field in 1966. In 1972, he received his Ph.D. in large-scale engineering systems from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Career

Since 1974, Tsou has been employed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, CA. Currently, he holds the position of Deputy Principal Investigator for the STARDUST mission, a role he has held since 1994. Tsou has also served as principal investigator for various projects, including the MIR Sample Return Experiment (1994–1997), the Spacehab II Sample Return Experiment, and the Get Away Special Sample Return Experiment (1989–present). He has held several managerial and engineering positions at JPL, including STARDUST proposal manager (1992–1994), instrument definition manager (1984–1990), spacecraft system engineer (1982–1990), task manager for the Low-Cost Solar Array program (1975–1980), and system engineer (1974–1975). As of 2020, Tsou was working on two projects at NASA. He conducted research in the field of astrobiology of ice planets and their potential water-rich environments.

Research Dr. Tsou's research focus has primarily been on the retrieval of cometary samples. He is credited with inventing the method of capturing hypervelocity particles intact, which has been instrumental in missions such as Stardust. Collaborating with scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, he contributed to the development of a lighter aerogel specifically designed for capturing cometary particles. Additionally, he played a role in introducing aerogel as a flight-qualified variable density material and capture medium for space missions. Furthermore, Dr. Tsou has made contributions to the field of space thermal insulation by inventing an integrated aerogel thermal-structural design for the Mars Pathfinder Sojourner rover. His research interests extend to investigating the potential exobiological effects of extraterrestrial bodies and exploring methods to retrieve samples of materials from other planets.

Awards 2000 NASA Patent: Large Field of View 3-D Hologram Display System 2000 NASA Group Achievement Award – STARDUST Project Team 1997 NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal 1996 JPL Inaugural Award for Excellence – Exceptional Technical Excellence 1985 NASA Group Achievement Award – Low-Cost Solar Array Project

In Media Peter Tsou has appeared on TV twice as himself.

Naked Science - Season 4, Episode 17: Birth of the Solar System (2007) The Universe - Season 3, Episode 6: Deadly Comets and Meteors (2008)

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Peter Tsou

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Peter Tsou 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 Peter Tsou 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 Peter Tsou 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 Peter Tsou

In research: Peter Tsou 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 Peter Tsou 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: Peter Tsou is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics American scientists, Living people, NASA people, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Peter Tsou 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 Peter Tsou in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Peter Tsou 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 Peter Tsou out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Peter Tsou in simple terms?

"Astrobiology of Icy Worlds". astrobiology.nasa.gov. December 2014.

Why does Peter Tsou 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 Peter Tsou?

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 Peter Tsou.