Center for Astrophysics and Space Science
New York University, Abu Dhabi
PO Box 129188,
Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE or,
NYU Abu Dhabi, P.O. Box 903, New York, NY 10276-0903
Email: atri {at} nyu.edu
Dimitra Atri leads the Mars Research Group and is the Principal Investigator of the Space Exploration Laboratory at New York University Abu Dhabi’s Center for Astrophysics and Space Science (CASS). As Principal Investigator of the ASPIRE Award for Research Excellence, he spearheads research with the UAE’s Emirates Mars Mission (Hope probe). Atri is also a co-investigator for the UAE Space Agency’s upcoming Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA), which will explore seven main belt asteroids. Additionally, he is the PI of three experiments (MAGLUNAR, ONION, and ELECTRA) aboard the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center’s Lunar rover, which is currently in development.
Atri’s research integrates data from space missions, fieldwork, and lab experiments to address key challenges in planetary science. His team focuses on Mars’ atmospheric dynamics, water loss, the potential for life, the exploration of the Lunar South Pole, and the origins of asteroids.
Atri is also dedicated to human space exploration, particularly mitigating space radiation risks for astronauts during long-duration missions. His research aims to develop sustainable exploration strategies for the Moon, Mars, and asteroids, including In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technologies for future missions.
Before joining NYU Abu Dhabi, Atri was a Research Scientist at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science and a Lecturer at the University of Kansas, where he earned his PhD. He has held visiting positions at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany) and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (India), and frequently serves on advisory committees for NASA, the NSF, and the European Commission.