Mikhail Zolotov

Mikhail Zolotov is a Research Professor at Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration, affiliated with the Water Institute. He specializes in planetary geochemistry, focusing on chemical processes in extraterrestrial environments like Venus, Europa, and other icy bodies. His work integrates mission data from NASA's Europa Clipper and DAVINCI missions to analyze atmospheric compositions, surface mineralogy, and ocean-world habitability.

Research Interests: Planetary geochemistry, mineralogy, and geoscience with emphasis on Venus' atmospheric dynamics, Europa's subsurface oceans, and icy moon chemistry. His expertise includes interpreting data from robotic missions (e.g., Cassini, Messenger) and laboratory experiments simulating extreme planetary conditions.

Current Projects: Leading Europa Clipper's MASPEX and SUDA instrument teams to map composition and assess habitability. Contributing to DAVINCI's atmospheric descent imaging and Venus weathering experiments.

Key Collaborations: Member of NASA's Europa Clipper and DAVINCI science teams. Instrument development for in-situ analysis of planetary surfaces and atmospheres.