The DLR Asteroid Researcher Dr Alan Harris
The DLR Asteroid Researcher Dr Alan Harris
There are about 1000 asteroid and comet researchers around the world. Dr Alan Harris from the DLR Institute of Planetary Research in Berlin is one of them. With a Doctorate in Physics, this 'Senior Scientist' at the German Aerospace Center's (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) Berlin-based Institute of Planetary Research (Institut für Planetenforschung) works in the 'Asteroids and Comets' department. As a scientist, he knows that his research will always lead him to surprises and questions. "I'll find that out at a later date – right now it's still unknown to me," he says with a grin. Even after 30 years of professional experience, Dr Harris believes that the ability to remain inquisitive and to be positively motivated about things is as important to a researcher as luck and good fortune.
