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About

David Flannery is a leading astrobiologist and planetary scientist whose work sits at the intersection of instrument development, robotic exploration, and the search for life beyond Earth. He is best known as a Co-Investigator on NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, where he played a pivotal role in the development of PIXL—the Planetary Instrument for X-Ray Lithochemistry. This X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, mounted on the Perseverance rover, has been essential for high-resolution elemental mapping of Martian rocks, directly supporting the mission’s goal of collecting samples for future return to Earth. His most cited paper, detailing PIXL’s design and capabilities, has garnered over 135 citations, underscoring its foundational importance to Mars science. Flannery’s contributions extend beyond instrumentation; he has led innovative mission concepts, including the Mars Astrobiological Cave and Internal habitability Explorer (MACIE), a New Frontiers-class proposal to explore Martian lava tubes for signs of life. He has also advanced autonomous mission planning for UAVs in planetary exploration and field-tested legged robots like the Limbed Excursion Mechanical Utility Robot (LEMUR) in extreme analog environments. Through this work, Flannery is shaping how we explore the most challenging and promising habitats in the Solar System.