Michael Pauken

About

Michael Pauken is a key figure in NASA’s robotic exploration of Mars, specializing in the thermal design of spacecraft and the development of advanced scientific instrumentation. His most impactful contribution is as a co-author on the seminal 2021 paper detailing the SHERLOC instrument on the Perseverance rover (237 citations), which uses Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy to map organic chemicals and minerals on the Martian surface. Beyond spectroscopy, Pauken has been instrumental in the Mars Sample Return (MSR) Campaign, leading the design of the Sample Recovery Helicopter (2023), a critical backup system for retrieving cached samples. His earlier work on the thermal test programs for the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) and the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) project demonstrates a deep expertise in ensuring spacecraft survive the extreme thermal environments of space and planetary entry. Through these efforts, Pauken has directly enabled both the search for past life on Mars and the technical pathways for bringing Martian samples back to Earth.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Perseverance’s Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC) Investigation

   237 citations · 2021
2. 2
   Sample Recovery Helicopter

   11 citations · 2023
3. 3
   Mars Exploration Rover Thermal Test Program Overview

   4 citations · 2004
4. 4
   Thermal Design and Analysis of the Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test Vehicle for the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator Project

   3 citations · 2013

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links