Goutam of NASA-Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

Space exploration captivates us because it speaks to one of humanity’s deepest instincts—the desire to understand our origins and our place in the cosmos. By venturing beyond Earth, we uncover the mysteries of distant planets, stars, and galaxies, gaining profound insights into our own world. Whether searching for signs of life, studying the birth of stars, or tracing the evolution of galaxies, each discovery reshapes our understanding of the universe—and ourselves. Space exploration inspires innovation, demands global collaboration, and pushes us to dream beyond the limits of the possible. Ultimately, it reminds us that while we occupy a tiny corner of the cosmos, we are a curious and resilient species capable of reaching for the stars.

The rapid advancement of technologies championed by the MHz-to-THz community of the IEEE MTT-S has revolutionized space exploration, opening new frontiers for scientific discovery. These technologies enable more efficient communication systems, high-resolution imaging, and enhanced remote sensing—tools that are critical for probing distant worlds and cosmic phenomena. As space agencies and private ventures continue to harness these capabilities, they deepen our understanding of planetary environments, astrophysical processes, and the very fabric of space-time. In doing so, MTT-S technologies not only transform how we explore the cosmos but also challenge our perspective on humanity’s place within it, inviting us to revisit fundamental questions about our existence, the possibility of life beyond Earth, and our role in the universe.

This lecture will explore these questions and the ways we, as a global community, strive to answer them.

Biography:

Goutam Chattopadhyay is a Senior Scientist at the NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, a Visiting Professor at the Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA, a BEL Distinguished Visiting Chair Professor at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, and an Adjunct Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. He received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, in 2000. He is a Fellow of IEEE (USA) and IETE (India), Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, and an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer.

His research interests include microwave, millimeter-wave, and terahertz receiver systems and radars, and development of space instruments for the search for life beyond Earth.

He has more than 350 publications in international journals and conferences and holds more than twenty patents. He also received more than 35 NASA technical achievement and new technology invention awards. He received the IEEE Region-6 Engineer of the Year Award in 2018, Distinguished Alumni Award from the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST), India in 2017. He was the recipient of the best journal paper award in 2020 and 2013 by IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, best paper award for antenna design and applications at the European Antennas and Propagation conference (EuCAP) in 2017, and IETE Prof. S. N. Mitra Memorial Award in 2014.