Dr. Philip Metzger is a planetary physicist who recently retired from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where he co-founded the KSC Swamp Works. He now is now at the University of Central Florida — but still a part of the Swamp Works team — performing research related to solar system exploration: predicting how rocket exhaust interacts with extraterrestrial soil, investigating the mechanics of soil, characterizing lunar and martian soil simulants, modeling the migration of volatiles on airless bodies, etc. While at NASA he led the Agency’s work in rocket blast effects for human-class missions. He participated in architecture studies for the Lunar Architecture Team, the Mars Architecture Team and the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group, and he helped develop NASA’s technology roadmap for planetary surface technologies. He has also led projects to develop extraterrestrial excavators, regolith conveyance technologies, dust-tolerant quick disconnects, lunar/martian landing pads, and other surface systems technology. He co-founded NASA’s biannual Workshop on Granular Materials in Lunar and Martian Exploration and is a founding member of the ASCE Technical Committee for Regolith Operations, Mobility and Robotics. He received the astronaut’s Silver Snoopy award in 2010 and was selected as the Kennedy Space Center’s NASA Scientist/Engineer of the Year for 2011.
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Publications are available at LinkedIn.
Note: this is Phil Metzger’s personal blog. All posts are his personal communication and may not represent the policies of his employer.
Latest posts by Philip Metzger (see all)
- Debunking an Urban Legend of Asteroidal Proportions - March 16, 2018
- How Big Is a Planet? - June 25, 2015
- Icy Worlds and Stars with Long Hair - June 4, 2015
Hi Phil, I am a UK business journalist working on a feature about the potential for mining in space. Would you be able to do a quick interview at all? If so, please email me at dave@lyonsdown.co.uk.
Thanks!
Hey there Phil,
I am writing a research paper on the necessity and viability of space exploration and colonization. Can you set me up with a link to your article entitled “Affordable, Rapid Bootstrapping of the Space Industry and Solar System Civilization”. Also, would you be willing to set up a phone interview as part of my primary research for this paper?
Thanks!
Shawn Clark Williams
Hello Dr.Metzger,
I am working on a design report on asteroid mining for a contest. My report requires a S-type, Near-earth asteroid that contains Platinum-Group metals and is feasible to mine on site. I am having difficulty with finding a specific asteroid that meets my needs. So would you please refer a few appropriate asteroids that could be mined on? Also if you have any other useful resources of asteroid mining could you please send me the links? Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Anuradha Rajkumar
My nomination would be asteroid 4503 Cleobulus. It is an Amor-class asteroid with an Sq taxonomy. No probes have visited it yet, so I am not sure of platinum metals. However, it is a NEO once every 3 years, and may be suitable.
-doug nelson
Dr. Metzger, thanks for the tweet about the New Yorker article about Raleigh and space commerce. I studied under space chronicler John Logsdon at Geo Wash U before entering venture capital biz. I was pleased to see my space and business finance history interests intersect in this Sir Walter/Sir Richard analogy.
Watching the comet landing attempt carries the analogy further – attempts to colonize distracted by appeal of capturing “prizes”. For Raleigh it was seizing Spanish treasurer ships. Tomorrow maybe it is asteroids.
Brent Lane
Director, UNC Center for Competitive Economies
UNC Kenan Flagler Business School
Brent, I greatly enjoyed reading that piece! I like historical analogies to space colonization and have just started keeping a list. There are certain ones that we always hear mentioned at space mining conferences. I have my favorites 🙂 Maybe a meta-analysis of the analogies would make a good project someday.
Hello Dr. Metzger. I really enjoyed reading your blog on the six steps for bootstrapping solar system colonization. Please send me a copy of the unformatted paper. Thanks.
Jerry Goldsmith
I think the idea of a seed factory to jumpstart an extraterristrial economy is very appealing. I am trying to read some rather divergent descriptions of such a thing but I would be interested in hearing how you think this sort of idea might apply to asteroid mining. IMO it seems a necessary requirement for successful expansion.
Hi, my name is Jay, I am in 6th grade and I am doing a project about Robert Goddard. Part of the project is looking at the future and how Goddard benifiets the future. I heard you have some knowledge in the field of future missions, so I was wondering if I could interview you. Please email me if you are able to do this. Thank You
Hi Mike! When we wrote the paper about bootstrapping solar system civilization we were focused on the Moon as it was during NASA’s Constellation program. However, this could be based on the Moon, asteroids, or both. I vote for both. The eventual goal is to move the industry to the main asteroid belt where vast resources are available.
Hi Dr. Metzger. I have a small team working on a near future (50-75 years) simulation that initially puts the player in the position of establishing research colonies and outposts on the lunar and martian surfaces as well as developing technologies for mining within the asteroid belt. Although this could be labelled as “science fiction”, we are approaching this project with as much scientific fidelity as possible towards what technologies will likely be developed and utilized in the coming years as we colonize the solar system. I would love to have the chance to chat with you regarding our project and how we are approaching things, as one of our goals is to motivate and interest people towards the shared goal of reaching out beyond our terrestrial home. Again, this is not “space opera” and our guiding design mantra is to develop visions of future technologies based on what we are seeing now and then extrapolating out as best as possible.
My team and I have been devouring all of the material on your website (the series on asteroid mining is amazing!) and would love to have a few minutes of your time if possible to talk about our approach.
Thanks for sharing all of this wonderful information, it is greatly appreciated.
Hello Dr. Metzger. I am with the Custer Observatory on LI, NY. Once a month we arrange lectures and programs for the public and once a year we have an Astronomy Jamboree and hold two days of Astronomy lectures. I would like to know if you ever lecture or do public programs about your fascinating work? There are three Amateur Astronomy groups near by and also the scientists and physicists of the Brookhaven National Lab working on the new Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). I feel they would love to attend one of your lectures! If you would be interested in a program or lecture at Custer Observatory or if you ever come to NY to lecture please contact me to let me know: graphicartist04@gmail.com. Thank you very much! Clear Skies to you! Annette
Hi Phil, You and I are definitely on the same page — the Moon is the key to our (spectacular) spacefaring future. Have you seen the book that I co-authored with Bonnie Cooper, Burt Sharpe, and Madhu Thangavelu? THE MOON: Resources, Future Development and Settlement, Springer-Praxis, 2nd edition, 2007. If not, I would be pleased to send you a copy — and continue the dialogue. Thanks! David Schrunk
Dr. Metzger,
I have been following your blog for a while (and we follow each other on Twitter), and I sincerely appreciate everything you do to educate and inspire others. Thank you very much for your hard work and dedication to science.
I write science fiction, and I have been trying to ascertain if an Earth-like planet with a rocky planetary ring system could support human life. I read Fawcett and Boslough’s paper entitled “Climate Effects of an Impact Induced Equatorial Debris Ring” (in Appendix A here: https://cfwebprod.sandia.gov/cfdocs/CompResearch/docs/02-1925_MPG_Climate_Model4.pdf). However, I am still unsure how a satellite(s) would affect the ring system. For example, if the planet had an Earth-like moon, would the gravitational influence of the moon throw off the rings?
If you have any insight or resources you could point me to, I would be most appreciative. I would like to get my planetary science as accurate as possible. Thank you, again!
Dr. Metzer, I need your help to solve a problem…..I have some ufo footage that I KNOW is a ufo, from years ago. This thing changed my life. it’s amazing story, I’d like to discuss it with you. I have two days footage, in a row of the same object, both filmed, in the exact spot, same timeframe, some how, I KNEW it would be back there the next day. I was waiting for it and filmed the sky to prove it wasn’t there and while filming it showed up. This was in Colorado between two mountain peaks shaped like pyramids out there called Melissa & Elvira apparently…by the locals, not sure if they are really called that. I turned this footage over to MUFON, who had the nerve after being amazed by it, to suddenly telling me and expecting me to believe it was the planet in the sky, when there was not one single star out at all. What I also witnessed and FELT, on the 2nd day, was just before the ufo disappeared behind the peak of the 2nd pyramid *as it came in between them* just like the first day, myself along with 2 other witnesses, FELT a huge blast of hot air from this craft, and it was determined by MUFON thru google earth that from the point of filming in between the peaks was about 5 miles, it was below 50 degrees after 5pm at least that evening, and it felt like someone opened an oven door in our faces. MUFON cannot explain nor wants to HOW we felt that, they have back pedaled off their OH WERE AMAZED at your video story, to OH IT”S JUST A PLANET… such a ludicrous statement. I wanted someone who could properly see the video to prove otherwise. I have all but the last minute of it uploaded to youtube. for some reason the last minute separated into another file and will not upload properly….I would like you to look at the video and give me your thoughts. I’ve shown this video to Tim Edwards the first day and second day it happened *before he passed away*, you might know his name in the ufo field, he’s reported many ufo’s out in Salida Colorado, and this was right outside it, just miles away in Howard Colorado. I’ve sent this video years ago to Bill Byrnes from UFO HUNTERS as well, he was amazed and then suddenly dropped off the map as well. I feel like this video is intentionally being suppressed on purpose….we all know what we have seen. Please take me seriously on this, I’d really like your input. Please contact me.
Dear Doctor; You encapsulate the ultimate feasibility of one day building something from nothing; and I understand most of it. However, you quickly departed from (“what I thought”) was the objective– 3D modeling of a protective construct for long term Lunar occupancy, in the next 10 years, ie, additive construction of a regolith based FACS that builds autonomously. I’m looking for a KISS solution, and so I ask why not PROVIDE along with the 3D modeler hardware some of the fibers and binders to modify the regolith to a structural level. I am reminded of the WWII concept of a battle platform cast from water and sawdust; indestructible even at today’s standards. So WHY NOT USE WATER AS A BINDER? It would ultimately degrade, but at the rate of years to decades. Also, magnetic binders could be super-electro-charged to make a balance between the cohesive properties. I can see a “glopita glopita” machine mixture being extruded into a behive cone, freezing nearly instantly as the 3D modeler advances, and covered over with additional regolith. Any comment? I believe I may have seen you at NIAC 2015. I winter here in Cocoa, at least until Mayday when the grass in Packerville needs mowing with my subtractive 2D modeler. Would love to meet with you before then. Call 321-BLAST-00
Just want to share an experience I had in 1999 off I79 between the border of South Virginia and north Carolina I forget the name of the meteor shower but it was fantastic so much so we had to take an exit.We were traveling north on I 79 in the wee hours. It looked like a war of ballistics coming from the south so many fireballs at the same time and for at least a half an hour. I wish I had video of the crashes the way they exploded on the ground but if I had I’m sure I couldn’t have caught the basket ball size cold moon sailing over my head low enough I could have hit it with a rock.I wish I had known the significance of that event at that time because I would still be there looking for it till I found it. I recently saw you on NASA unexplained files with the Norwegian skydivers close encounter with a price of gravel and sparked my memory.
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