NASA-funded Pinoy scientist talks about living his childhood dream

Like any child from the ‘60s, Pinoy instrument scientist Joel Villasenor was fascinated by science fiction and space exploration. But unlike his peers who dreamt of walking on the moon, Villasenor pursued a life dedicated to studying astrophysics.

Villasenor’s innate passion and curiosity for the astronomical sciences fueled his decision to study in the U.S. With the blessing of his parents, he graduated with a Physics degree from the California Technological Institute (CalTech), and with a Plasma Physics doctoral degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Filipino scientist Joel Villasenor helped out in proposing the TESS project to NASA, back in 2013.

Fast-forward to 30 years later and Villasenor has become instrumental to the NASA-funded team that recently launched the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) into space.

The TESS is the first of its kind — a breakthrough all-sky space satellite that would look for exoplanets outside the solar system.

A collaborative effort between the MIT Kavli (MITK), NASA, and several US-based funding institutes, the TESS will be able to cover more ground in searching for extraterrestrial life.

The search for the next ‘Earth’

In its quest to discover the ‘next Earth’, the TESS will be monitoring over 200,000 stars outside the Solar System for temporary dips in brightness, often caused by planets orbiting the stars.

The TESS will use the transit photometry method, which measures the amount of light given out by a celestial object.

“If you have a planet passing right in front of a star, it will cast a shadow. Because of that shadow, the light intensity dips,” Villasenor explained.

By periodically recording these dips, the TESS will be able to measure a planet’s size, its orbital shape and how long it would take to circle the sun. 

Unlike the Kepler satellite which only focused on a small patch of the sky, the TESS will be able to search the entire sky for exoplanets with atmospheres that may be conducive to life.

According to Villasenor, these exoplanets or ‘Goldilocks planets’ must be located within the habitable zone, a region where water can exist.

“These planets cannot be too close or too far from a star. We know that life [originated] from liquid water. We’re looking for places that can support liquid water,” Villasenor explained, quickly emphasizing that the presence of water does not immediately imply the presence of life.

“If the planet has too much water on its surface, it is called Super Earth. Planets like these have no land for things to live on, or make a base. The TESS is looking for a planet that has the possibility of supporting life based on the right amount of liquid water,” he said.

Villasenor believes that the TESS is a follow-up mission to the Kepler, which, according to NASA, has been losing space fuel since March 2018.

As the only Pinoy scientist in the TESS, Villasenor talked about his role as the project’s instrument scientist.

“When we started out, I helped design the electronics package, checked the prototypes, and tested the cameras in actual space environments. I also helped out in proposing the TESS project to NASA, back in 2013,’ Villasenor said.

‘Golden Age’

“I’m really happy to be doing a lot of space physics right now. This [millennium] is like a golden age for astronomy. We’re now able to send satellites into space. This is very crucial in making discoveries,” said Villasenor.

What was once a distant dream for starry-eyed hopefuls like Villasenor has now become a foreseeable reality.

“Nowadays, we’re at the threshold where more and more people are allowed to go to space. The cost of sending people into space is going down, especially with companies like SpaceX. It’s going to be a continuing trend,” he quipped.

Today, several U.S funding institutes and organizations are looking to the skies for answers. That includes NASA, a hot shot funder in the space industry. In 2013, the TESS won the NASA Explorer award, which allowed TESS researchers to make their vision of an all-sky satellite come to life.

Asked about what it’s like working for NASA, Villasenor debunked a common misconception.

“People don’t really work for NASA. They work with NASA,” Villasenor explained, highlighting the fact that the space agency was only one of the many funders of the TESS.

“In truth, NASA has [space] centers such as the Goddard, Ames Research, Johnson and Kennedy. NASA has a few workers, but most of the interesting projects that are going up [in space] right now are [spearheaded] by consortiums of universities and centers that are working together,” he said.

Working with NASA is a dream that scientists can achieve, according to Villasenor.

“It’s all about getting involved with your university’s research programs. Usually, the people who get [to work with NASA] are those who finish grad school,” he said.

According to him, it may be a little different in the Philippines, given the notion that those who are pursuing Masters or Doctoral degrees are destined to be future educators.

“Getting these higher degrees does not mean that you are limited to the academe. Teaching is a fine profession, but not everyone is predisposed to it. You shouldn’t be afraid to go on to higher learning,” Villasenor said.

He also underscored the fact that NASA isn’t the only funding institution around, as the TESS was a collaborative effort of several institutions.

For Villasenor, both private and government industries are looking for people with advanced degrees to carry out research.

Asked about his advice for aspiring astronomers and scientists, he gives a short but meaningful answer.

“Just be very curious, and keep looking for ways to answer your question,” Villasenor said. — LA, GMA News