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Jennifer Heldmann

Contact Information
Title: 
Research Scientist
Phone: 
(650)604-5530
Email : 
Jennifer.L.Heldmann@nasa.gov
Affiliation: 
Planetary Systems Branch (Code SST)
Professional Background
Education: 
B.S., Astrogeophysics, Colgate University
M.S., Space Studies, Minor in Geology, University of North Dakota
Ph.D., Planetary Science, Univ. of Colorado at Boulder

Research Interests: 
Heldmann’s scientific research interests focus on studies of the Moon and Mars. Her Mars research focuses on studies of recent water on the Red Planet through spacecraft data analysis, numerical modeling, and fieldwork in Mars-analog environments such as the Outback of Australia, the Canadian High Arctic, the Atacama Desert, Spitsbergen, the Mojave Desert, and Antarctica, among other locales. Her work focuses on martian and terrestrial gully features which can be indicative of geologically recent liquid water activity. Liquid water is especially important to understand climate, geology, and the potential for past and/or present life on Mars. She also studies surface and subsurface ice deposits on both Earth and Mars to further understand the physics, geomorphology, and potential habitability of such cold icy locales in the Solar System.

She is also involved in planning for the future human exploration of Mars and has served on several MEPAG (Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group) special action teams for defining precursor activities needed to enable future human exploration of Mars. (e.g. Mars Precursor Science Analysis Group, Human Exploration of Mars Science Analysis Group, Mars-Forward Lunar Objectives Special Action Team, Analysis of the Precursor Measurements of Mars Needed to Reduce the Risk of the First Human Missions to Mars). She has also served as the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Lead for OSEWG (Optimizing Science and Exploration Working Group) at NASA Headquarters to connect SMD science objectives with NASA’s human exploration plans for the inner Solar System. In addition to these planning activities, Heldmann actively participates in research and field campaigns to enable human and robotic exploration of the Solar System with tasks such as working in Science Operations Backrooms, serving as Science Lead for tactical and strategic science planning for human and robotic missions, and assisting in the development of mission concepts and conops for multiple analog field campaigns.

Heldmann also studies the Moon with a focus on improving our understanding of lunar volatile deposits. Such studies are important scientifically in terms of Solar System evolution and also are relevant for planning future human exploration of the Moon through the identification of materials that can be used for in situ resource utilization (ISRU). She recently served on the Science Team, Payload Team, and as the Observation Campaign Coordinator for NASA’s Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission to study the permanently shadowed regions of the lunar poles. LCROSS successfully impacted the Cabeus crater at the lunar south pole and confirmed the presence of water ice as well as numerous other volatile species on our Moon. She is currently a member of the RESOLVE (Regolith and Environment Science and Oxygen and Lunar Volatiles Extraction) science team and helping to develop real-time science operations protocols for a lunar polar rover.



Select Publications: 
Heldmann, J.L., Pollard, W., McKay, C.P., Marinova, M.M., Davila, A., Williams, K.E., Lacelle, D. and D.T. Andersen. Comparison of geomorphic features formed in the presence of ice-cemented soil in the Upper Dry Valleys, Antarctica with observations at the Mars Phoenix landing site, accepted, 2013.

Marinova, M.M., McKay, C.P., Heldmann, J.L. et al. Distribution of the depth to ice-cemented soils in the high-elevation Quartermain Mountains, Dry Valleys of Antarctica. Antarctic Science, doi:10.1017/S095410201200123X, 2013.

McKay, C.P., Stoker, C.R., Glass, B.J., Dave, A.I., Davila, A.F., Heldmann, J.L., Marinova, M.M., Fairen, A.G., Quinn, R.C., Zacny, K.A., Paulsen, G., Smith, P.H., Parro, V., Andersen, D.T., Hecht, M.H., Lacelle, D., and W.H. Pollard. The Icebreaker Life mission to Mars: A search for biomolecular evidence for life. Astrobiology, 13, doi:10.1089/ast.2012.0878, 2013.

Colaprete, A. et al. An Overview of the LCROSS Mission. Space Sci. Rev., 167, 3-22, doi: 10.1007/s11214-012-9880-6, 2012.

Eppler, D. et al. Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS) 2010 science operations: Operational approaches and lessons learned for managing science during human planetary surface missions. Acta Astronautica, doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2012.03.009, 2012.

Smith et al. Lunar Net - a proposal in response to an ESA M3 call in 2010 for a medium sized mission. Esp. Astron., 33, 587-644, doi:/10.1007/s10686-011-9250-5, 2012.

Dove, A., Heldmann, J.L., McKay, C.P., and O.B. Toon. Physics of thick seasonal snowpack with possible implications for snow algae. Arctic, Antarctic, & Alpine Science, 44, 36-49, 2012.

Heldmann, J.L., Marinova, M.M., et al. Formation and evolution of buried snowpack deposits in Pearse Valley, Antarctica and implications for Mars. Antarctic Science, doi:10.1017/S0954102011000903, 2012.

Heldmann, J.L. et al. LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) Observation
Campaign: Strategies, implementation, and lessons learned, Space Sci. Rev., doi: 10.1007/s11214-011-9759-y, 2011.

Lacelle, D., Pollard, W, Andersen, D., Davila, A., Heldmann, J.L., et al. Stability of
massive ground ice bodies in University Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica:
Using stable O–H isotope as tracers of sublimation in hyper-arid regions, Earth. Planet.
Sci. Lttrs., 301, 2011.

Rask, J., Heldmann, J.L., Smith, H., Battler, M., and C. McKay. The NASA Spaceward Bound field training curriculum, in Garry, W.B., and Bleacher, J.E., eds., Analogs for Planetary Exploration: Geol. Soc. Amer. Special Paper 483, p.157–163, 2011.

Heldmann, J.L., Conley, C., Fletcher, L., Brown, A.J., Bishop, J., and C.P. McKay. Liquid
Water Origin for Atacama Desert Mudflow and Recent Gully Deposits on Mars,
Icarus, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2009.09.013, 2009.

Williams, K., Toon, O.B., Heldmann, J.L., and M.T. Mellon. Ancient Melting of Mid-Latitude
Snowpacks on Mars as a Water Source for Gullies, Icarus, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2008.12.013,
2008.

Williams, K., Toon, O.B., Heldmann, J.L., McKay, C.P., and M.T. Mellon. Stability of Mid-latitude Snowpacks on Mars, Icarus, doi:10.1016/j.icars.2008.03.017, 2008.

Heldmann, J.L., Carlsson, E., Johansson, H., Mellon, M.T., and O.B. Toon. Observations of
martian gullies and constraints on potential formation mechanisms, Part II: The northern
hemisphere, Icarus, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.12.010, 2007.

Williams, K.E., Toon, O.B. and Heldmann, J.L. Modeling Water Ice Lifetimes at Recent
Martian Gully Locations, Geophys. Res. Letters, 34, doi:10.1029/2007GL029507, 2007.

Heldmann, J.L., Brown. A.J., Clarke, J.D., Martinez, E., Rupert, S.M., and M. Thomas. Follow
the Water: Applying a Mars Exploration Strategy to the Arkaroola Analog Region,
South Australia, in Mars Analog Research, American Astronautical Society Science and
Technology Series, 2006.

Heldmann, J.L., Pollard, W.H., McKay, C.P., Andersen, D.T., and O.B. Toon. Annual
Development Cycle of an Icing Deposit and Associated Perennial Spring Activity on
Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 37, 127-135, 2005.

Heldmann, J.L., Toon, O.B., Pollard, W.H., Mellon, M.T., Pitlick, J., McKay, C.P., and D.T.
Andersen. Formation of Martian Gullies by the Action Liquid Water Flowing Under
Current Martian Environmental Conditions, Journal of Geophysical Research, 110,
doi:10.1029/2004JE002261, 2005.

Beaty, D.W., Snook, K., Allen, C.C., Eppler, D., Farrell, W.M., Heldmann, J.L., Metzger, P., Peach, L., Wagner, S.A., and Zeitlin, C. An Analysis of the Precursor Measurements of Mars Needed to Reduce the Risk of the First Human Missions to Mars, Unpublished white paper, 77 p, posted June, 2005 by the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) at http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/reports/index.html.

Heldmann, J.L. and M.T. Mellon. Observations of Martian Gullies and Constraints on
Potential Formation Mechanisms, Icarus, 168, 285-304, 2004.

McKay, C., Andersen, D., Pollard, W.H., Heldmann, J.L., Doran, P., Fritsen, C., and J. Priscu, Polar Lakes, Streams, and Springs as Analogs for the Hydrological Cycle on Mars, in
Water on Mars and Life, edited by T. Tokano, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2004.

Heldmann, J.L. and M.T. Mellon. Gullies on Mars and Constraints Imposed by Mars Global
Surveyor Data, Astrobiology, 2, No. 4, 2002.

Heldmann, J.L. and M.T. Mellon. Gullies on Mars and Constraints Imposed by Mars Global
Surveyor Data, Eos. Trans. AGU, 83 (47), P51B-0356, 2002.

Mellon, M.T. and J.L. Heldmann. Recent Gullies on Mars: Observations and Theories, Eos.
Trans. AGU, 83 (47), P51B-0355, 2002.

Andersen, D.T., Pollard, W.H., McKay, C.P. and J.L. Heldmann. Cold Springs in Permafrost
on Earth and Mars, Journal of Geophysical Research, 107 (E3), March 2002.
Other Information
Awards and Other: 
•Member, MEPAG Mars Precursor Science Analysis Group, 2012
•NASA Lunar Science Forum, Science Organizing Committee Chair, 2012
•NASA Group Achievement Award, LCROSS/LRO Measurements Team, 2011
•NASA Group Achievement Award, Desert-RATS Science Team, 2011
•NASA Group Achievement Award, Lunar Precursor Robotic Team, 2010
•NASA Ames Group Achievement Award, Lunar Regolith Excavation Challenge, 2010
•NASA Ames Group Achievement Award, LCROSS Science & Payload Team, 2010
•NASA Lunar Science Forum, Science Organizing Committee Chair, 2010
•NASA Headquarters Special Act Award, 2009
•NASA Ames Honor Award, Mentor, 2008
•NASA Optimizing Science & Exploration Working Group (OSEWG) Co-Chair, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters (2008-2009)
•NASA Ames Group Achievement Award, NASA Lunar Science Conference, 2008
•NASA Ames Strategic Leadership Bootcamp, April 2008-October 2008
•NASA Optimizing Science & Exploration Working Group (OSEWG) Sampling Conference
Subteam Leader, June 2007
•COSPAR Mars Special Regions Colloquium, Invited Participant, September 2007
•Superior Achievement Award, NASA Space Science and Astrobiology Division, May 2007
•Member, MEPAG Human Exploration of Mars Science Analysis Group, March 2007-2008
•Member, MEPAG Mars-Forward Lunar Objectives Special Action Team, July-August 2006
•Science and Payload Team, Lunar Crater Observing and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission,
2006-present
•Community Representative, MEPAG Goal IV Review Committee: Robotic Precursor
Measurements for Human Exploration, 2006-present
•Member, NASA Astrobiology Science Conference 2006, Science Organizing Committee (SOC)
•Reviewer, Journal of Geophysical Research, Geophysical Research Letters, Journal of
Geophysical Research – Planets, Icarus
•Outstanding Referee Award, Geophysical Research Letters (2006)
•NASA Group Achievement Award, Mars Analog Research and Technology Experiment, 2006
•Reviewer, multiple NASA programs including Mars Data Analysis Program, Planetary
Geology and Geophysics, Mars Fundamental Research Program, Moon Mars Analog
Mission Activities
•Member, MEPAG Mars Human Precursor Science Steering Group, 2004-2005
Web Site: 
Jennifer Heldmann