My Profile

John Hamilton

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Geology, Geography
Why I Want to Build a MoonBase

I want to build a Moon Base as the stepping off point for Humanity to begin their expansion into the Solar System.  It will be here that people learn to forge a new culture and identity and learn that we have more in common than we have differences.  The Chinese say that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.  The IMB is that first step that cements in permanency Neil Armstrong's "first step for mankind".  It is the fulfillment of our true Manifest Destiny!

I'm Passionate About

1) Human exploration and colonization of the Solar System, our Solar neighborhood, our Milky Way Galaxy and the Cosmos.

2) The eventual meeting between Humans and extraterrestrial civilizations.

3) The ever expanding frontiers of scientific knowledge and the new technologies that are engineered from them.

 

Professional Biography

Faculty in the Physics & Astronomy Dept. Univ. of Hawai'i-Hilo. Currently Co-I on two NASA PSTAR-Planetary Science & Technology from Analog Research grants: BASALT-Biologic Analog Science Associated With Lava Terrains, Conops Development For Future Human Exploration Of Mars  & SUBSEA-Subsea Ultramafic and Basaltic Science and Exploration Analog. He was directly responsible for the logistics & execution for 3 NASA In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) analog field tests operated by PISCES @ UHH: 2008 Resolve mission, 2010 International (NASA/CSA/ESA) Lunar Surface Operations ISRU Utilization Test & PI for 2012 Resource Prospector Lunar Polar Mission. He has received 3 NASA Group Achievement Awards for this work and several NASA Certificates of Appreciation for Mars analog work on Mauna Kea and judging at the NASA KSC Robotic Mining Competition. He has also run field campaigns for the Google Lunar X-Prize teams.  He served successively as Research Manager, Deputy Director and Director of PISCES prior to its move into DBEDT.  Hamilton had an experiment on Skylab prior to earning degrees with Honors at Univ. of Texas-Austin, BS Physics & BA Astronomy.  Following his MS Astronomy degree from Univ. Hawaii-Manoa, he began a career in observational astronomy at Mees Solar Observatory and LURE Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment on Haleakalā, then moved to the premier high-altitude site of Mauna Kea. There he worked at the NASA InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF-3m), Canada-France-Hawai`i Telescope (4m) and Gemini Observatory (8m, inc. Gemini South, Cerro Pachon, Chile). While at UH-Hilo, Hamilton has taught over 27 distinct courses in Physics and Astronomy, including special topics on Space Exploration and served as department chair in 2006. He was awarded the UH system 2017 Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.  His UH-Hilo Astrogeology group has proposed 2 sites for the Mars Human Landing/Exploration Zones workshop and has priority data from MRO.

 

How I and/or my organization will contribute to building a MoonBase. - 250 Max Characters

UH-Hilo is well placed to be the host educational/research college with students, staff and faculty available locally and on a daily basis to assist the IMB.  Support by courses in multiple disciplines and possible venue for ISU collaborations.

Let's Talk About

Hi-Fi Lunar & Mars Analog tests-Hawaii

My Areas of Expertise

Astronomy and space physics. Planetary geophysics of the Moon, Mars and minor objects.

Asteroid detection. Lunar impact observing.

Astrobiology / Geobiology

Mars Manned Landing sites.

Lunar and Mars analog sites and field tests. Test and research logistics for field operations and deployments.