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Meet: Tony Muscatello
Senior Scientist
Who I Am and What I Do
I do chemical research for Pioneer Astronautics, a
NASA contractor. I'm a Senior Scientist doing R&D on in situ resource
utilization (ISRU), primarily focused on making rocket propellant for
getting back from Mars. Combining hydrogen from Earth with carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere of Mars over the right catalyst can give you 20-50
times as much propellant (methane plus oxygen) as the mass of hydrogen.
This leverage makes human missions possible by reducing the mass that
needs to be boosted to Mars by a factor of ten or more. I've also worked
on projects for extracting oxygen from lunar and Martian regolith and
small rocket engines powered by decomposition of nitrous oxide.
Areas
of expertise
I have a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry, which I use to understand
catalysts and prepare them for testing. The ability to locate, read, understand,
and use the relevant chemical literature is essential to making progress
in ISRU. Over the years, I have picked up skills in technical writing,
giving presentations, and project management. Being able to think logically
and creatively are essential.
How I first became interested in this profession
I grew up in the 1960's, the beginning of the Space Age, and I
always wanted to be an astronaut. I found my strongest area was in chemistry
and majored in it in college. It took me a while to get involved in space
research, but my other work in actinide chemistry and nuclear safety was
very useful in what I do now.
What helped prepare me for this job
My background in chemistry, project management, and working with
complicated materials was very important in preparing me for ISRU R&D.
Once you understand how to work with plutonium, everything else seems easy!
Focusing on my goals and working toward them got me where I am now.
Role Models
The Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo astronauts were my inspiration
early on. My chemistry professors in college and my major professor in
graduate school were also very influential in guiding me to a successful
career. More recently, I've come to admire NASA mission managers, such
as Gene Kranz, in my volunteer activities running Mars Society Mission
Support for analog Mars missions on Devon Island in the Arctic (FMARS)
and at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in southeastern Utah. For
more than ten years, Robert Zubrin has been an inspiration to me for his
unswerving dedication to getting humans to Mars.
My education and training
I looked for an found opportunities to learn what I needed to know.
I applied myself to my studies and took it very seriously, knowing
the key to a successful future is to succeed in the present and never
give up. The United States of America is a wonderful place for those
who are dedicated and want to develop their talents. I had to push
myself many times to do what had to be done, but it's all been worthwhile.
Career path
I grew up near Princeton, WV, and graduated high school
in 1968. I graduated from Concord College in nearby Athens, WV, majoring
in chemistry. I attended Florida State University in Tallahasse, FL, earning
a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry in 1979, developing a solvent extraction
technique for studying chelation kinetics. I was a post-doc at Argonne
National Laboratory near Chicago, IL, from 1979 to 1981, working on extractants
for nuclear waste treatment. I then moved to the Rocky Flats Plant near
Denver, CO, first continuing the nuclear waste treatment research, then
developing plutonium metal leaching techniques and a preparation method
for americium removal. I then worked for Los Alamos National Lab in New
Mexico from 1988 to 1990 with more solvent extraction R&D. I joined
the Los Alamos Technology Office back at Rocky Flats in 1990, focusing
on technology transfer, then nuclear materials safety and measurement.
In 1995, I was inspired to follow my dreams to be involved in space
exploration and learned about ISRU, which is right up my alley in chemistry.
I contacted Robert Zubrin and started doing library research part time
for Pioneer Astronautics, joining the company full time in 2001. I
also became involved with the Mars Society in 1998 and later volunteered
to run Mission Support for our analog missions.
What I like about my job
I like learning new things best, along with creating solutions to problems
that need fixing to achieve project goals.
What I don't like about my job
I dislike it when some piece of equipment breaks and it takes a long
time to fix it or replace it, holding up the project.
My advice to anyone interested in this occupation
Major in chemistry or chemical engineering, preferably some place
where a professor is doing ISRU R&D, such as at the University of Arizona,
but this is not mandatory. Be a NASA intern during the summers, doing related
work if you can. Earn a Master's or Ph.D. in as close an area as you can
and apply for a job at as many NASA centers as possible and at companies
doing ISRU contracts. Learn critical thinking skills and learn to be good
at giving presentations. Take some time for fun along the way so you're
a well-rounded person. Follow your dreams and set high goals for yourself.
You'll be surprised at what you will accomplish.
Personal Information
I'm married and have four children, two girls and two boys, ages 13,
15, 18, and 20. I enjoy science fiction movies and television, especially
Star Trek and Star Wars. I'm an occasional golfer and snow skier.
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