Valerie L. Wiesner

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Valerie L. Wiesner is a materials scientist at NASA Langley Research Center whose work sits at the critical intersection of surface engineering and space exploration. Her primary research focuses on developing advanced polymeric coatings to mitigate lunar dust adhesion—a formidable challenge for future Artemis missions. Wiesner’s most impactful contribution, "Spray-deposition of graphene/polymer thin coatings on polyimide sheets for lunar dust adhesion mitigation" (2024, 13 citations), demonstrates a scalable, practical method for creating durable, dust-repellent surfaces using graphene-enhanced polymer films. This work is pivotal because lunar dust is highly abrasive, electrostatically charged, and poses serious risks to both equipment and astronaut health. Her earlier conference paper, "Surface Engineering Polymeric Materials Towards Lunar Dust Mitigation" (2023), presented at the ASCEND conference in Las Vegas, laid the foundational framework for this approach. Though her citation counts are still growing—reflecting the emerging nature of her field—Wiesner’s research is already shaping NASA’s strategy for in-situ resource utilization and habitat protection. Her achievements highlight a career dedicated to solving tangible, mission-critical problems, making her a key figure in the next generation of space materials engineers.