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“We’ve been observing Didymos for five years to understand its condition before it changes the system forever. [the difference between] What we do with DART versus what will happen naturally,” says Rivkin. “Once we receive and interpret the results, we can apply them as needed. Or hopefully not necessary.”
Rivkin examines how this life might have arisen when he was not working on a potentially life-saving mission on Earth.
“There is a lot of ongoing debate that the water and organic matter we have on Earth was brought in through collisions with asteroids and comets,” he says. “So research into where the water is in asteroids is very relevant to that.”
Rivkin uses astronomical spectroscopy and spectrophotometry to determine the composition of asteroids in our solar system. This means it measures spectra of electromagnetic radiation emitted from asteroids and comets to determine where such material can be found.
This celestial search can help human life expand further into the cosmos. To that end, Rivkin conducted a study with the Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute asking questions such as: Can we use asteroid water as rocket propellant in deep space missions? If so, which asteroids are good pit stop candidates?
But with great knowledge comes great responsibility, and Rivkin feels compelled to address a range of ethical considerations that come with space travel.
“What does that mean if we’re going to expand our economy into space? What is the moral of it? How do we bring the best of humanity and not the worst of us?” He asks.
It can get heavy to think about the evolution and destiny of human life in the universe, so when Rivkin needs a break, he turns to music. Playing drums in elementary school led him to form a band with some of his friends during his time at MIT. Thirty years later, he still enjoys writing and playing music under the name “Andy Rivkin and Gedankenband” and his songs are available on popular streaming platforms.
“It’s a good mental health break just to pick up a guitar,” he says. “Whenever I give advice to someone going to college, I always say keep doing your hobbies. Maybe in third grade you say, ‘I don’t have time for this. But if you do, you’ll be a lot happier 10 or 15 to 20 years from now.”
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