Mark A. Stephen

Mark Stephen received the B.S. degree in physics from the University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA, in 1992, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in applied physics from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA, in 2003 and 2008, respectively. He has worked at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA, since 1991, developing laser and electro-optics technologies for space-based applications. His research activities have included lasers, optical components, and laser instruments. He developed diode-pumped solid-state laser systems with an emphasis on laser diode array pumps and space qualification of these components, use of fiber amplifier technology for gas detection, and remote sensing using laser spectroscopy and new laser architectures. He worked on several satellite programs including the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS), the Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA), and the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA). He was the Product Development Lead for the Advanced Technology Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) Laser, which is currently flying aboard ICESat-2. He is currently working on photonic integrated circuits and mapping LiDARs for space applications.