Missions

Targeting Specialist

Spacecraft Design

Science Team

Targeting Specialist: Dr. Bray is a targeting specialist who commands HiRISE – a high resolution camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (a satellite currently in orbit around Mars). She takes suggestions from the science team and the public and instructs HiRISE which images of Mars to collect. If you would like your chosen picture of Mars taken by the HiRISE camera then just submit your suggestion here:  https://www.uahirise.org/hiwish/

Spacecraft and Payload Design: Dr. Bray is involved in the design of future space missions and the development of scientific payloads that would fly on them. Her current projects aim to send orbital spacecraft and landed seismic payloads to the Moon, and the icy satellites of Jupiter. Instruments in development are tested in Earth ‘analogue environments’ – those meant to approximate the cold, icy conditions of the outer solar system – such as Alaska and Greenland.

Science Team Member: Dr. Bray has been involved in multiple missions as a science team member. Both current and previous involvement is listed here:

• Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) – currently taking high-resolution images of the Moon. Dr. Bray participated before launch, and during the Primary Science Phase (PSP), as a “Targeting Action Team” member. Her role was to generate targets for LROC to image. LROC is now in its extended science phase (ESP) and Dr. Bray conitnues to study lunar surface processes as an LROC Science Team member.
• The High Resolution Imaging Experiment (HiRISE) – currently high-resolution images of Mars. Dr. bray has been a science team member for HiRISE since 2008. Her specific speciality on the team is impact cratering.
• New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. Dr. Bray joined the New Horizons Team prior to the spacecraft’s encounter with Pluto. Her role on the team is that of ‘comparative planetologist’ and impact cratering specialist. She has remained on the science team for New Horizons’ later encounter with Kuiper Belt Object Arrokoth.
• Cassini – Dr. Bray’s earliest active mission involvement was that of associate team member for the Cassini mission to Saturn. She used the images and compositional data to study Saturn’s moon Enceladus.