Funsten, a Laboratory employee since 1990, is active in developing instrumentation for measurement of the near-Earth and interplanetary space environment. He is a member of the Los Alamos team that developed mass spectrometers for NASA's Cassini and Deep Space 1 missions. He led the development of the neutral atom imaging spectrometers on NASA's TWINS mission and the plasma spectrometer on the Department of Defense's SAVE mission.
In addition to space physics, his other research interests include detector physics and the study of the interaction of energetic ions in solids (better known as particle-solid interaction physics). Funsten has over 60 publications, 3 patents, and 2 patents pending.
"Los Alamos offers tremendous resources for new science in the civilian space programs. I greatly look forward to the challenges of developing these exciting scientific opportunities for the lab," said Funsten.
The Center for Space Science and Exploration was formed in 1999 under the Nonproliferation and International Security Division to enhance the civilian space efforts across the Laboratory. CSSE has begun an enhanced program-development effort, which has served to expand Los Alamos' position in its core areas of space physics, astrophysics, and planetary science and also to expand activities into areas such as astrobiology/exobiology, advanced space materials, space nuclear power and propulsion, Earth remote sensing, and space resource utilization.
CSSE also serves as the program office for all nondefense space activities at the Laboratory, which include NASA, National Science Foundation, and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration space programs.
CSSE identifies and promotes interdisciplinary research to develop and enhance coordination and synergy between Space Science and Exploration programs and capabilities from across the Laboratory. The center has four staff who manage 70 externally funded projects and CSSE leads an Laboratory Directed Research and Development thrust area with 12 activities. CSSE manages an annual budget of approximately $15M, of which the majority comes from NASA.
CSSE was initially led by David McComas, who took a position as the executive director, Space Science and Engineering Division with Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas.
Information about CSSE is on the web at http://www.lanl.gov/csse/.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and Washington Group International for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.