Margot Wasz receives SWE Resnik Challenger Medal

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Oct. 16, 2009 — Dr. Margot Wasz, a senior scientist at The Aerospace Corporation, has been awarded the Resnik Challenger Medal by the Society of Woman Engineers. The award will be given to Wasz at the Society of Women Engineers National Conference tonight (Oct. 16) in Long Beach, Calif.

Wasz is being recognized with the Resnik medal for her investigation into battery issues critical to the successful operation of space programs. Wasz’s innovative approach and timely resolution of multiple launch-vehicle battery issues has had a significant impact on the ability of U.S. space programs to function properly. In addition, Wasz’s groundbreaking battery research has led to exceptional accomplishments in long-term research, short-term applications, and failure analysis.

“Dr. Wasz has a unique ability to rapidly spot the critical technical issues in primary battery anomalies, and develop effective solutions,” said Marilee Wheaton, executive director of The Aerospace Institute at The Aerospace Corporation, and a 26-year member of SWE. “She combines technical expertise with an excellent understanding of programmatic issues to provide solutions that minimize launch schedule impact and maximize asset availability.”

Since joining Aerospace in 1996, Wasz has been involved with initiating and coordinating investigations to find the root causes of battery failures, and developing recovery plans for dysfunctional batteries. Wasz first became interested in batteries when she was selected as a Director’s Postdoctoral Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Wasz began her career at TRW, where she worked on simulating heat transients in an internal guidance unit for an Air Force program.

Over her career, Wasz has been recognized many times for her commitment to technical excellence, including in 2002 when she received one of Aerospace’s most distinguished honors, the President’s Achievement Award. She is also the author of 27 technical articles and publications. Wasz received a B.S. in mechanical engineering, an M.S. in materials science, and a Ph.D. in materials science from Rice University.

The Resnik Challenger Medal was established in 1986 to honor the memory and accomplishments of Dr. Judith A. Resnik, a NASA mission specialist who perished in the Challenger space shuttle incident on Jan. 26, 1986.

The medal is given only as merited for visionary contributions to space exploration that have been verified by flight experience. Candidates are selected based on the impact their engineering achievements have had on space capabilities and on their personal technical contributions to the advancement of space technology or exploration. The impact a candidate’s contributions are likely to have on the future of space exploration also factors into the selection criteria.

The medal has been awarded seven times since 1991. Including Wasz, three Aerospace employees have been received the medal.

The Aerospace Corporation, based in El Segundo, Calif., is a nonprofit organization that provides technical guidance and advice on all aspects of space missions to military and civilian customers in order to assure space mission success.

Contact: Lindsay Chaney
Phone: 310-336-0961
lindsay.d.chaney@aero.org