Papers
8
Total Citations
190
H-Index
4
About
T. L. Hudson is a planetary scientist specializing in the thermal properties of planetary surfaces, subsurface heat flow measurements, and Mars exploration instrumentation. Hudson's most significant contribution lies in advancing our understanding of Mars' interior through involvement with the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP³) aboard NASA's InSight mission, which attempted the first-ever measurement of Martian planetary heat flow — work that has garnered over 146 citations and represents a landmark effort in planetary geophysics. Hudson's research has extended to characterizing Martian regolith properties derived from the HP³ mole's challenging penetration attempts, providing valuable constraints on near-surface soil mechanics under real operational conditions. Earlier work on the Phoenix Mars Lander demonstrated breadth across missions, with contributions to near-surface humidity measurements in Mars' sub-polar boundary layer. Most recently, Hudson has pushed frontiers in lunar science through the LISTER instrument aboard Blue Ghost Mission 1, pioneering pneumatic excavation techniques for subsurface thermal exploration in Mare Crisium. Across multiple planetary bodies and missions, Hudson's career reflects a sustained commitment to in-situ geophysical instrumentation and the direct measurement of planetary thermal environments.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1The Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) for the InSight Mission146 citations · 2018
- 2Results from InSight Robotic Arm Activities17 citations · 2023
- 3
- 4
- 5HP<sup>3</sup>– Experiment on InSight Mission – Operations on Mars3 citations · 2018
- 6
- 7
- 8