Natalie Starkey is a geologist and cosmochemist. Following a PhD at Edinburgh University studying the geochemistry of Arctic volcanoes, Natalie's post-doctoral work at The Open University shifted her research focus to comet and asteroid samples. It was at this time she got the chance to analyse samples returned by the NASA Stardust and JAXA Hayabusa space missions. Natalie's passion for her research makes her a keen science communicator. She received a British Science Association Media Fellowship in 2013, and regularly appears on television and radio internationally, as well as being a science host on Neil deGrasse Tyson's popular StarTalk Radio. Her writing includes numerous articles for the Guardian, and she is a regular contributor to The Conversation website. @starkeystardust / nataliestarkey.com
Natalie Starkey has packed this book full of information on the minor bodies of our solar system, which are key to understanding how things got the way they are today - a must-have for anyone interested in where we came from. -- Matt Taylor, ESA Rosetta Project Scientist Catching Stardust builds a strong case for why continuing to explore comets and asteroids is so important to understanding our past and in shaping our future. -- Jessica Sunshine, Professor of Astronomy, University of Maryland An action-packed narrative that really draws in the reader to the thrills and challenged of exploring the true nature of our Solar System. -- Lucy McFadden, Emerita at NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre A fast-paced journey through time and space under the enthusiastic guidance of space geologist Natalie Starkey. Highly recommended. -- Monica Grady, Professor of Planetary Sciences at The Open University