Anita Sengupta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anita Sengupta
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|---|---|
| Born | |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Southern California |
| Known for | Cold Atom Laboratory Mars Science Laboratory Deep Space 1 Ion propulsion |
| Awards | Best technical paper by the Electric Propulsion Technical Committee of the AAIAA ASEI Woman Engineer of the Year Recipient |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Aerospace engineer |
| Institutions | NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology University of Southern California Virgin Hyperloop One Airspace Experience Technologies |
| Thesis | Experimental and Analytical Investigation of a Ring Cusp Ion Thruster Discharge Chamber Physics and Performance (2005) |
Anita Sengupta is an American aerospace engineer. She designs and builds things that fly, like spacecraft. She studied aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Southern California.
Anita led the team that created the special parachute system for the Curiosity rover. This parachute helped Curiosity land safely on Mars. Later, she managed the Cold Atom Laboratory project at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She also worked as a top engineer at Virgin Hyperloop One, a company working on super-fast transportation. Today, she helps lead Airspace Experience Technologies (ASX), a company focused on new ways to travel by air.
Early Life and Inspiration
Anita Sengupta was born in Glasgow, Scotland. Her family later moved to New York, where she grew up. Her father was a mechanical engineer from India. Her mother, from Britain, was an expert in languages. Her parents met while studying for their PhDs.
From a young age, Anita was fascinated by space. When she was six, she loved watching Star Trek. She was especially interested in the character Spock and his adventures on a starship. This show helped spark her interest in space and engineering.
The Cold Atom Laboratory
Anita Sengupta was the project manager for the Cold Atom Laboratory, also known as CAL. This special lab is on the International Space Station (ISS). It helps scientists study super-cold quantum gases.
What CAL Does
CAL allows scientists to study things in a very cold, "force-free" environment. This kind of environment is not possible to create in labs on Earth. In space, CAL can make things incredibly cold, almost to absolute zero. It can also observe them for longer periods. This helps scientists discover new things about how tiny particles behave.
How CAL Works
CAL was launched into space and installed on the ISS by astronauts. It uses a special rack that provides power and data connections. Scientists on Earth can control CAL remotely from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The lab is designed to be used by many different scientists. It can also be updated and maintained while in space. CAL is also helping to develop future quantum sensors that use laser-cooled atoms.
See also
- Adam Steltzner
- Bobak Ferdowsi
