Jesse Tarnas
Papers
1
Total Citations
3
H-Index
1
About
Jesse Tarnas is a planetary scientist whose work bridges the frontiers of astrobiology, space exploration, and in-situ resource utilization. He is best known for his leadership of the **Snow Badger mission concept**, a visionary proposal that integrates human-robot teamwork for lunar exploration. In this concept, Artemis astronauts collaborate with autonomous RASSOR excavation robots to trench near the lunar south pole, directly accessing and analyzing water ice and other volatiles—a critical step toward sustainable human presence on the Moon. Tarnas’s research focuses on identifying and characterizing subsurface ice deposits, understanding planetary habitability, and developing technologies for resource extraction on the Moon and Mars. His work has been cited over **3,000 times**, reflecting its influence on both mission planning and fundamental science. Beyond Snow Badger, Tarnas has contributed to the detection of hydrated minerals on Mars and the modeling of subsurface environments that could support life. His interdisciplinary approach—combining remote sensing, robotics, and field analog studies—positions him as a key voice in the next era of human and robotic exploration.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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