Nicole Gonzales

Graduate Associate,

School of Earth and Space Exploration

[email protected]

Mail code: 6004

Campus: Tempe
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Long Bio

Nicole Gonzales is a part of the Multispectral Imager Operations Team for the Psyche Mission (Bell Research Group)!

She completed her Masters of Science working on Planetary Neutron Spectroscopy via Earth Analogs in 2024 with Dr. Craig Hardgrove's Nuclear Planetary Science Research Group here at ASU. Her time as a graduate student also included mission operations work for the LunaH-Map CubeSat.

Her previous work as a researcher at the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Science Team, focusing on the history of crewed space exploration on the Moon as an Undergraduate Student Research Aide, Research Technician, and Graduate Research Associate. Prior to working at LROC, she also was a part of the Phoenix CubeSat USIP Mission developing the early drafts of the mission operations plan for the spacecraft during her undergrad years at ASU.

Education

Masters of Science in Geological Sciences from Arizona State University (2024) Thesis: Experimental Determination of the Spatial Sensitivity of a He-3 Neutron Spectrometer for Field Analog Experiments to Reunite Planetary Science and Terrestrial Hydrology

Bachelors of Science in Geological Sciences from Arizona State University (2019)

Google Scholar URL

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kp3sa-YAAAAJ&hl=en

Research Interests

Mission Operations

Planetary Geology

Neutron Spectroscopy

ISRU

Apollo Missions

Space Exploration

Planetary Tectonics

Research Group

Psyche Imager Mission Operations

Hardgrove Nuclear Planetary Science Research Group

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Science Operations Center

LunaH-Map CubeSat Mission Operations

Phoenix CubeSat Mission Operations

Publications

First Author

50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2019) - Abstract #3089. Apollo 11 Spatiotemporal Map. https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2019/pdf/3089.pdf
Completed map: http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/featured_sites/view_site/59

51st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2020) - Abstract #1578. Apollo 12 Spatiotemporal Map. https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2020/pdf/1578.pdf
E-poster: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2020/eposter/1578.pdf
Completed Map: https://www.lroc.asu.edu/featured_sites/view_site/61

5th Planetary Data Workshop and Planetary Science Informatics and Data Analytics Conference (2021) - Abstract #7062. Apollo 14 Spatiotemporal Map. https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/planetdata2021/pdf/7062.pdf
Recorded Conference Talk: https://youtu.be/_65LiiPkTEs
Completed Map: https://www.lroc.asu.edu/featured_sites/view_site/62

53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2022) - Abstract #2672. Apollo 15 Spatiotemporal Map. https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2022/pdf/2672.pdf
Completed Map: https://www.lroc.asu.edu/featured_sites/view_site/63

54th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2023) - Abstract #2740. Characterizing Wrinkle Ridges. https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2023/pdf/2740.pdf

54th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2023) - Abstract #2981. Passive Neutron Spectroscopy Analog Technology Demonstration. https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2023/pdf/2981.pdf

55th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2024) - Abstract #2738. Adapting Terrestrial Hydrology Methods for Passive Planetary Neutron Spectroscopy Analog Field Measurements.
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2024/pdf/2738.pdf

2nd Annual Terrestrial Analogs for Planetary Exploration Workshop (2024) - Abstract #8033. Where IS the Water? Spatial and Subsurface Sensitivity of a Portable Passive Neutron Detection System During Field Tests.
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/terrestrialanalogs2024/pdf/8033.pdf

Experimental Determination of the Spatial Sensitivity of a He-3 Neutron Spectrometer for Field Analog Experiments to Reunite Planetary Science and Terrestrial Hydrology (2024) - Masters Thesis. https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.199186

Co-Author

R. Watkins, et al., 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2021) - Abstract #2158. Apollo 16 Photometry.
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2021/pdf/2158.pdf 

J. Clark, et al., AGU 2022 ED22A-0546. Inclusivity in Field Work. https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm22/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1177999 

T. Roseborough, et al., 54th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2023) - Abstract #2869. Apollo 16 & 17 Spatiotemporal Maps. https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2023/pdf/2869.pdf 
Completed Apollo 16 Map: https://www.lroc.asu.edu/featured_sites/view_site/66 
Completed Apollo 17 Map: https://www.lroc.asu.edu/featured_sites/view_site/67 

R. Hurtado, et al., AGU 2023. Investigating Field-Scale Soil Moisture at Upland Watershed and Ephemeral Lake Sites Using Stationary and Roving Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensing.
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm23/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1325157 

Work History

Mission Operations (2025 - ongoing) - Psyche Multispectral Imager

Mission Operations (2022 - 2023) - LunaH-Map

Graduate Research Associate (2020 - current) - Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Science Operations Center; and the Hardgrove Nuclear Planetary Science Research Group

Research Technician (2019 - 2020) - Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Science Operations Center

Undergraduate Student Research Aide (2018 - 2019) - Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Science Operations Center

Instructive Teaching Assistant for GLG 103 (Spring 2018) - School of Earth and Space Exploration (Geological Sciences)

Mission Operations Lead (2016 - 2018) - Phoenix CubeSat (Sun Devil Satellite Labs)

Expertise Areas