'Dinosaurs led me to the moon'


Craig Hardgrove

Craig Hardgrove was fascinated with dinosaurs. When he found out they were killed off by an asteroid, he became fascinated with space. Now he’s head of a NASA satellite project to explore water-ice deposits on moon. “If you’re interested in something, you never really know where it’s going to lead you,” Craig says.

Luna-H Map

An image of the LunaH-Map Orbiter

Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper

It has been six years since deposits of water were found on the moon. Now the question isn’t “Is there,” but “How much” and “Where.” The LunaH-Map orbiter will train two neutron spectrometers on the moon’s south pole region to confirm and map water deposits in the always-dark craters there. The results will become part of NASA’s strategy for sending humans farther into the solar system.

Craig's favorite dinosaur

An image of the triceratops dinosaur

triceratops [trahy-ser-uh-tops]

Triceratops exceeded the largest rhinoceroses in bulk, equalling a fairly large elephant, but with much shorter legs.

Explore your interests, options, future

me3 is an interactive game that leads college-bound students to new, even unexpected paths like Craig’s. They explore career interests, relate them to college majors, and design a high school experience around them. Explore more

Download the Learn to Thrive app in the App Store or Google Play Store for more interactive features.

 
An icon to download the app on Google Play

More Science and technology

 

Collage of a photo of whales jumping out of the ocean and an enlarged illustration of anelloviruses.

Newly identified viruses found in dolphins

In a new study, researchers from Arizona State University together with national and international collaborators have identified anelloviruses in dolphins for the first time. Anelloviruses are a…

Man standing in front of something with group of students around him

ASU Interplanetary Lab celebrates 5 years of success

Five years ago, an Arizona State University student came up with the idea of creating a special satellite in what was then the newly built Interplanetary Laboratory. The idea was to design…

Professor teaching students in a classroom.

ASU secures NSF grant to advance data science literacy as demand soars

In an era where data permeates every facet of our lives, the importance of data literacy cannot be overstated. Recognizing this critical need, Jennifer Broatch, a professor at Arizona State…