Dr. Eric Pilles is the Research Coordinator and Project Manager at the Institute for Earth and Space Exploration. Eric is currently the manager for four major projects: the Institute’s scientific contribution to Axiom’s Ax-1 Mission which will launch in February 2022; the development of An Integrated Vision System (IVS) for Lunar Surface Operations funded through the CSA’s Lunar Surface Autonomous Science Payload (LSASP) program; a Flights for the Advancement of Science and Technology (FAST) program for the development and testing of a Miniaturized In Situ XRD (ISXRD) for Mineralogical Characterization of Planetary Surfaces and; Space STEM Activities for Lunar Robotics and AI as part of the CSA’s Class Grant and Contribution Program.

Eric was also the manager for the initial ISXRD Concept Study which successfully concluded in 2020 and led to the current FAST opportunity and was a Co-Investigator for a CSA-funded Science Maturation Study on the Precursor to Human and Scientific Rover (PHASR) Lunar Demonstrator Mission. Eric is also an associate working with the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) camera onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and has led imaging campaigns from Western for the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Dr. Pilles’ research interests are on the formation of impact craters on Earth and Mars and has 15 papers in refereed journals and a total of 36 conference abstracts.