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Emily Lakdawalla

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description Emily Lakdawalla Overview

Emily Lakdawalla is an American planetary geologist, science writer, and communicator known for explaining robotic exploration of the Solar System. Through her work with The Planetary Society, she has reported on spacecraft missions and interpreted planetary images and scientific findings for general audiences. She also writes and lectures about planetary mapping, image processing, and the operation of probes and rovers, and received a journalism award from the American Astronomical Society in 2011.

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What spacecraft missions did Emily Lakdawalla cover for The Planetary Society?

During her tenure as Senior Editor and Planetary Evangelist for The Planetary Society, Emily Lakdawalla extensively covered NASA's Mars rovers, such as Curiosity and Perseverance. She was particularly known for processing and explaining the raw images returned by these robotic missions. Her work made complex planetary science accessible to the general public.

Did Emily Lakdawalla write any books about space exploration?

Yes, Emily Lakdawalla authored the book "The Design and Engineering of Curiosity: How the Mars Rover Performs Its Job," which was published in 2018. She followed this up with a second book focused on the Curiosity rover's mission. These texts provide highly detailed, technical breakdowns of the famous Mars robots.

What is Emily Lakdawalla's educational background?

Emily Lakdawalla holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology from Brown University. She also began a Ph.D. program in planetary geology at Washington University in St. Louis before leaving to focus on public communication. This strong geology foundation heavily informs her analysis of planetary surfaces.

Is Emily Lakdawalla still working at The Planetary Society?

Emily Lakdawalla officially transitioned to a freelance science writer role in 2019 after working full-time at The Planetary Society for nearly two decades. However, she still occasionally contributes to the Society's reports and content. She now operates independently while continuing to interpret Solar System exploration.