JPL's Dr. Katie Stack Morgan

From Pathfinder to Perseverance: A Planetary Scientist’s Journey 🔍

Origin Story: A Spark from the Museum

• A childhood visit to the Air and Space Museum sparked a lifelong love of space. Inspired by the Pathfinder mission and an exhibit on the Moon. Declared: “I’m going to discover water on the Moon.” Katie determined: “I want to work on another planet.” From Caltech to JPL, now as acting project scientist for Perserverance.

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• Katie has been working on Perseverance rover, now 4.5 years into the mission.

• • Carries ~40 sample tubes.

  • 32 filled, 7 left—final stages of a historic sample collection.

  • Decisions now more deliberate with remaining tubes.

• • Once a lake with rivers, Jezero Crater offers strong evidence for past water.

  • Home to sedimentary rocks, excellent for preserving signs of ancient environments.

  • Special focus on carbonates—formed from surface water + CO₂:

    • Preserve unique environmental signals.

    • Key to understanding Mars’ paleoclimate.

  • Sample with "leopard spots"—dark rims, light interiors.

    • Possible signs of oxidation-reduction reactions.

    • These could hint at the presence of microbial life.

      
      

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  And much more ! Tune into this episode to hear more from the Acting Project Scientist for the Perserverance rover at NASA's JPL.