Eliza Montgomery
Scientist battles corrosion for America’s space program
Standing in one of the most corrosive environments in the United States, Dr. Eliza Montgomery partners with a team at NASA’s Corrosion Technology Laboratory as part of the agency’s postdoctoral program, which is administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities. At NASA, Dr. Montgomery develops new coatings and technologies to protect metal from the effects of salt water and other acidic materials. Click image to enlarge. Photo courtesy of NASA.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that the corrosive marine environment of the Florida coast can wreak havoc on metals and machinery. But when that machinery just happens to be rockets and the facilities designed to launch them, NASA turns to highly specialized researchers like Dr. Eliza Montgomery who understands the causes of corrosion and how to manage the problem in complex space vehicles.
Currently a part of the NASA Postdoctoral Program—a program administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities—where she conducts research in the Corrosion Technology Laboratory at the Kennedy Space Center, Montgomery holds a Ph.D. in materials engineering from Pennsylvania State University and is a life-long fan of the space program.
“I spent a lot of time peering into the night sky as a child, and still do,” said Montgomery. “I thought about being an astrophysicist but was also interested in applied materials research, so I started to explore how I could contribute to the space program in that area.”
As an undergraduate, Montgomery worked on developing materials for spacesuits that “self-heal” in the event of a micro-meteorite puncture. She then went on to work on a prototype water recovery system for the International Space Station and helped procure Nomex® material—fire and extreme weather resistant—for gaskets used in the Mars Lander robots.
But, it is in the area of corrosion prevention that she may make her greatest impact. “Even without the launch facilities, Kennedy Space Center is located in the most corrosive place in the U.S.,” Montgomery said. “Add a rocket launch, such as a solid rocket booster on the space shuttle that emits 70 tons of hydrochloric acid, and corrosion prevention becomes a huge undertaking.”
Working at NASA’s beachside atmospheric exposure laboratory, Montgomery uses electrochemical analysis to correlate accelerated corrosion test methods to long-term atmospheric testing of corrosion-resistant materials. As part of her research, she works to develop new, environmentally friendly smart coatings that go a step beyond simple protection to actually indicate when corrosion is beginning to take hold—a development that is drawing interest from the automobile industry as well.
Looking forward to a future career with NASA, Montgomery is concerned that the media often don’t tell the full story about the space agency. “With the shuttle program ending, there is a belief that the U.S. space program doesn’t have a clear direction, and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Montgomery said. “NASA is now focused on research and development—something that has been missing in many areas of study over the past decade.
“The idea is to transfer the responsibility for low Earth orbit launches to the commercial sector where that known technology can really bloom, while NASA works on new advanced propulsion systems and a heavy-lift launch vehicle to push humans even deeper into space with greater safety and speed,” she said.
And, knowing that the future NASA will need the sharpest scientific minds, Montgomery is an active volunteer for Florida’s Take Stock in Children program, giving her time each week to mentor two tenth graders who are intent on following a career in math or science.
“As mentors, we’re there to help provide guidance in their studies or their lives and encourage them to pursue their dreams,” she said.