Papers
5
Total Citations
55
H-Index
4
About
Leslie Gertsch is a pioneering figure in space resources and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), a field critical to sustainable human exploration beyond Earth. Her work centers on developing technologies to extract and use materials from asteroids and other celestial bodies, reducing reliance on Earth-supplied consumables. Gertsch made foundational contributions through her leadership on NASA’s Capability Roadmap Team for ISRU, which outlined the strategic path for harvesting space resources under the Vision for Space Exploration. She also played a key role in the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) Formulation Assessment and Support Team, helping define mission requirements for robotic asteroid capture. Notably, Gertsch is a leading advocate for “optical mining,” an innovative approach that uses concentrated sunlight to excavate asteroid surfaces and extract water and volatiles for propellant and life support. Her work on the Apis mission architecture demonstrates how optical mining could enable affordable, sustained space operations. With papers cited over 50 times and direct input into NASA’s strategic planning, Gertsch’s research is shaping the next era of space exploration—turning asteroids into waystations for humanity’s expansion into the solar system.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Results from the NASA Capability Roadmap Team for In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)24 citations · 2005
- 2Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) Formulation Assessment and Support Team (FAST) Final Report17 citations · 2016
- 3
- 4Optical Mining Subscale Testing6 citations · 2016
- 5Space Resources Science1 citations · 2021