Since the April 1 launch, four NASA astronauts have been aboard the Orion spacecraft, nicknamed Integrity, rigorously testing its integrated systems during the mission. Every breath onboard is carefully monitored by a compact device called the anomaly gas analyzer. At the heart of this system is a laser spectroscopy instrument created by Jeff Pilgrim, a UGA Department of Chemistry alumnus who built his career around the idea that lasers can “read” the air. 

Laser spectroscopy is a technique that uses lasers to obtain information about objects based on how they respond to light. This information provides insights into objects’ chemical and molecular makeups, as well as their physical characteristics.

“The instruments on Integrity represent the culmination of efforts across multiple disciplines over two decades, moving laser spectroscopy forward into the future of human spaceflight,” Pilgrim said. “I am grateful that NASA has allowed my company, Vista Photonics, to participate in this mission, where scientific and engineering principles instilled by my multidisciplinary Franklin College education could be applied to protect the crew.” 

Dr. Pilgrim received his B.S. degree and his Ph.D. (1995) at UGA. In his Ph.D. research with Prof. Michael Duncan, Jeff worked with time-of-flight mass spectrometry and laser spectroscopy in supersonic molecular beams. Among his many awards and recognitions, he was named the 2023 Distinguished Alumnus by the Department of Chemistry.