Margot Wasz, PhD

Margot Wasz is a senior scientist at the Aerospace Corporation, a federally funded research and development center that supports U.S. national security space programs. Wasz earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Rice University, completing her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and materials science there, with her fellowship beginning in 1989. Her research has focused on materials behavior in the space environment, including the effects of radiation, thermal cycling, and atomic oxygen on spacecraft materials—critical knowledge for ensuring the long-term reliability of satellites.