Peter N. Cheimets

Peter N. Cheimets is an American mechanical engineer and telescope developer. He is a senior engineer at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. His work has focused on the design, development, testing, and deployment of astronomical instruments, particularly space-based solar and X-ray telescopes. He led the development of the X-Ray Telescope aboard the Hinode mission, the telescope for the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), and the telescopes comprising the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) aboard the NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO).

Biography

Cheimets is the son of Sheila Cheimets, a newspaper editor and Massachusetts municipal official who was elected as Canton, Massachusetts' first female selectman in 1972.

Cheimets received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1978, with a concentration in mechanical design. He subsequently earned a Master of Science in mechanical engineering from Stanford University in 1981, concentrating on mechanical dynamics and control-systems design. He later received a master's degree in engineering management from Tufts University in 2007.

Career and research

Cheimets joined the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory as a mechanical engineer in 1983, initially working on projects involving aerospace engineering, energy systems, and medical equipment. He later specialized in astronomical instrumentation, serving as project engineer for the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) and contributing to the X-Ray Telescope aboard Japan's Hinode mission. He also designed and oversaw construction of the four telescopes used in the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly aboard NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.

Cheimets contributed to the early development of MethaneSAT and oversaw the development of MethaneAir, an airborne instrument for methane-emissions research. His subsequent work has included the Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer (MaGIXS), the proposed AXIS and Lynx X-ray missions, the Black Hole Explorer, and NASA's MUSE mission.

References

  1. 1 2 Brown, David W. (2023-04-28). "A Security Camera for the Planet". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  2. 1 2 Fragola, Marian. ""The Dynamic Sun" Combines Solar Physics and Visualization". www.lib.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  3. ↑ "Boulder researchers at center of eclipse-focused studies". Boulder Daily Camera. 2017-08-11. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  4. 1 2 Golub, L.; DeLuca, E.; Austin, G.; Bookbinder, J.; Caldwell, D.; Cheimets, P.; Cirtain, J.; Cosmo, M.; Reid, P.; Sette, A.; Weber, M.; Sakao, T.; Kano, R.; Shibasaki, K.; Hara, H. (2007-09-26). "The X-Ray Telescope (XRT) for the Hinode Mission". Solar Physics. 243 (1): 63–86. doi:10.1007/s11207-007-0182-1. ISSN 0038-0938.
  5. ↑ Lemen, James R.; Title, Alan M.; Akin, David J.; Boerner, Paul F.; Chou, Catherine; Drake, Jerry F.; Duncan, Dexter W.; Edwards, Christopher G.; Friedlaender, Frank M.; Heyman, Gary F.; Hurlburt, Neal E.; Katz, Noah L.; Kushner, Gary D.; Levay, Michael; Lindgren, Russell W. (2012-01-01). "The Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)". Solar Physics. 275 (1): 17–40. doi:10.1007/s11207-011-9776-8. ISSN 1573-093X.
  6. ↑ Green, Stuart. "Sheila Cheimets, Canton's first female selectman, dies at 75". Wicked Local. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  7. ↑ Buck, Sheldon. "Mission2007 mentors: alumni". web.mit.edu. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  8. ↑ "Peter Cheimets". Mass Innovation Nights. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  9. 1 2 "Launching into Space Peter Cheimets, MSEM '07, turned his MS in Engineering Management". Gordon Institute. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  10. ↑ "Cheimets, Peter". profiles.si.edu. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  11. ↑ Carlton, Bobbie. "Mr Cheimets was also responsible for the four telescopes in this instrument know as AIA". Mass Innovation Nights. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  12. ↑ Friedlaender, Frank M.; Windt, David L.; Podgorski, William; Cheimets, Peter; Caldwell, D.; Tarbell, T. D.; Mathur, D.; Wolfson, C. J.; Chou, Cathy; Mitchell, Sarah D.; Kushner, G.; Lang, J.; Drake, J. F.; Bush, R. I.; Lindgren, R. W. (2011-01-01). "The Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)". Solar Physics. doi:10.1007/S11207-011-9776-8.
  13. ↑ Espinoza, Laura (2023-06-05). "Quantifying Methane – To the Sky and Beyond". The Salata Institute. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  14. ↑ Kobayashi, Ken; Winebarger, Amy R.; Savage, Sabrina; Champey, Patrick; Cheimets, Peter N.; Hertz, Edward; Bruccoleri, Alexander R.; Scholvin, Jorg; Golub, Leon; Ramsey, Brian; Ranganathan, Jaganathan; Marquez, Vanessa; Allured, Ryan; Parker, Theodore; Heilmann, Ralf K. (2018-06-10). "The Marshall Grazing Incidence X-Ray Spectrometer". NASA Technical Reports Server.
  15. ↑ Buckley, Christine. "Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Receives $3.2M to Transform X-ray Astronomy for the Next Generation | Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian". CFA. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  16. ↑ Barbera, Marco; D’Anca, Fabio; Todaro, Michela; Sciortino, Luisa; Cicero, Ugo Lo; Alaimo, Edoardo; Fiorentino, Federico; Varisco, Salvatore; Candia, Roberto; Di Cicca, Gaspare; Montinaro, Nicola; Reale, Fabio; Argiroffi, Costanza; Cozzo, Gabriele; Pagano, Paolo (2025-07-28). Bernard, Frédéric; Karafolas, Nikos; Kubik, Philippe; Minoglou, Kyriaki (eds.). "Metal-coated carbon nanotube ultrathin pellicles: a high-performance solution for the optical blocking filters of the NASA MIDEX solar mission MUSE". SPIE International Conference on Space Optics, 2024. SPIE: 179. doi:10.1117/12.3075219. ISBN 978-1-5106-9347-0.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)