Seminar: Sensing and Interpretation of the Earth’s Gravity Field from Space - Sept. 11
Srinivas Bettadpur
Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering MechanicsÌý
University of Texas Austin
Thursday, Sept. 11 | 8:45 A.M. | AERO 111
Abstract: Though the title is innocuous sounding, its subject offers a unique experience in connecting spaceflight technology with discovery in the Earth system sciences. The satellite is the instrument – this idea connects satellite geodesy with technology of inertial sensing to one side, presents challenges in engineering methods for quantitative reasoning – including aerospace systems engineering and computational methods for solving inverse problems – in the middle, and leads to an impact on improving our understanding of the planet Earth on the other side. In this seminar, I discuss the formative influences from my extended engagement in this field, discuss a few interesting technical challenges we tackled in this continuum in the past, and the opportunities for growth it continues to present for the future – in both research as well as education in aerospace engineering and in satellite geodesy.
Bio: Dr. Srinivas Bettadpur is the FSX Professor in Space Application and Exploration in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at UT Austin. His research interests span satellite geodesy, from the technology of space flight, modeling orbital motion, and estimation and interpretation of the Earth’s gravity field, its rotation, and the related reference frames. Significant milestones include helping originate the GRACE mission, complete life-cycle engagement with GRACE-FO and GRACE-C, serving as the Director of the UT Center for Space Research, and most recently, as Principal Investigator of the NASA-funded Quantum Pathways Institute. He obtained his PhD from UT Austin in 1993, and served at UTCSR in multiple research staff roles before transitioning to faculty position in 2015. Dr. Bettadpur is a Fellow of the IAG and the AGU, and an Associate Fellow of the AIAA. Personal recognitions include the European Geosciences Union Vening-Meinesz Medal in 2016, the NASA Exceptional Public Achievement Medal in 2018, and the Charles A Whitten Medal of the American Geophysical Union in 2024.