Stanford Engineering
03 November 2023
Space exploration and travel are two topics that are always exciting, and that have sparked a lot of enthusiasm about the future. Debbie Senesky, a previous guest on the show, researches ways to develop tiny, tough electronics that could help augment our abilities to further explore extreme environments, such as those found in space. Today we’re re-running a conversation Russ had with Debbie in 2017 on this topic. Enjoy. Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / MastodonConnect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / FacebookChapters: (00:00:00) Introduction Russ Altman introduces the episode, guest, Dr. Debbie Senesky and electronics for extreme environments. (00:04:29) Challenges in Space Exploration Dr. Senesky's insights into the challenges of space exploration, focusing on the need for tiny and tough electronics and introduces wide bandgap semiconductor materials. (00:07:38) Operation Temperatures of New Materials Discussion on the operational temperatures of wide band gap semiconductor materials, & contextualization of these temperatures in everyday life. (00:10:13) Venus and it’s harsh environment Introduction to Venus, and its unique characteristics as well as the scientific goals and reasons for studying it. (00:13:10) History of Venus Missions and Exploration Overview of past Venus missions, including the Venera program by Russia, and the challenges faced in engineering for these missions (00:16:21) Engineering Challenges in Other Space Exploration The conversation moves on to some of the other challenges posed by exploring other planets and areas of space including cold temps and power sources. (00:18:03) Collaboration with Space Agencies Discussion on collaborations between research labs and space agencies like NASA; Dr. Senesky explains her current area of research and opportunities for testing. (00:21:15) The Space Industry Renaissance and Access to Space Russ & Debbie discuss the current boom of the space industry, the technology and developments, as well as the challenges raised by it. (00:23:34) Nanoscale Materials and Engineering Challenges Introduction to nanoscale materials, their production, and their applications in space technologies. Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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