The possibility that someone could make a living on scientific research grants outside of an academic or government lab seems almost unthinkable. But Robert Gaskell, a retired planet-mapping expert formerly of NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, has managed to make it happen. As explained in today's New York Times, Dr. Gaskell works from home making digital topographic maps of Mercury, Saturn's moons, the asteroid Eros, and more. Gaskell might even be in need of an assistant.
He freely acknowledges he has more work than he can handle, and, far from jealously guarding his secrets, he is eager to teach others his technique. At this point Dr. Gaskell’s software can integrate all kinds of information and make it look easy. It can use images at high resolution, images at low resolution, laser readings and even radar ranges from radio telescopes (for Itokawa).
Alas, on further reading it turns out that he's not completely independent. Dr. Gaskell has a Senior Scientist appointment at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, which (surprise!) appears to be made up of freelancers spread out around the U.S., Europe, Australia, and even Russia. This might make Dr. Gaskell more of a long-distance worker than a freelancer. But if you've always wanted to study the stars from your government-funded, home-based lab, maybe you too can join their ranks. PSI is taking applications! (Neat fact: We counted eighteen members of the PSI staff who have asteroids named after them.)