Francesca McDonald
University of Manchester, European Space Research and Technology Centre
Papers
2
Total Citations
35
H-Index
2
About
Francesca McDonald is a planetary scientist whose work bridges lunar exploration, astrobiology, and the future of human spaceflight. Her research centers on identifying scientifically rich landing sites and mission architectures that maximize both robotic and human return. In her widely cited 2016 study, McDonald led analyses of robotic traverses and sample sites within the Schrödinger basin—a peak-ring impact crater on the Moon—as part of the HERACLES human-assisted sample return mission concept. This work, with 27 citations, provided critical groundwork for selecting geologically diverse targets that could reveal the Moon’s deep crust and volcanic history. More recently, McDonald co-authored the BioMoon concept (2024), a visionary mission proposal to advance space life sciences and astrobiology on the lunar surface. By integrating biological experiments with lunar exploration, BioMoon addresses fundamental questions about life’s resilience in space and the Moon’s potential as a platform for astrobiology. Her contributions are shaping how scientists and mission planners think about combining in situ resource utilization, sample return, and biological research on the Moon. McDonald’s work is essential reading for students and researchers interested in the next generation of lunar science and exploration.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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