Professor Elschot's research at Stanford University explores the effects of space weather on spacecraft and the role of electromagnetic waves in satellite communications. Her work supports
space situational awareness by advancing
remote sensing techniques using both satellite-based sensors and ground-based
radar. She investigates
plasma interactions relevant to signal transmission, as well as hypervelocity impacts on spacecraft using experimental methods such as dust accelerators and light-gas guns, complemented by
Particle-In-Cell simulations. Additionally, she utilizes radar observations to study space debris and meteoroid populations and examines
hypersonic plasma phenomena associated with atmospheric re-entry. Prior to joining Stanford, she was a technical staff member at
MIT Lincoln Laboratory and a project leader at
Los Alamos National Laboratory. She was a member of two
National Research Council panels, in 2010 examining options for detecting and countering near-Earth objects, and in 2011 assessing
NASA's meteoroid and orbital debris programs. She also has contributed to the
Hoover Institution through involvement in panels on national security and as a subject matter expert in space for their Stanford Emerging Technology Review. In 2018 she was selected as a NIAC fellow for her research titled "Meteoroid Impact Detection for Exploration of Asteroids (MIDEA)", and in 2021 she was selected as a NIAC fellow for her research titled "Exploring Uranus through Sustained CubeSat Activity Through Transmitted Electromagnetic Radiation (SCATTER)". These studies explore mission concepts for potential exploration of asteroid composition and ice giant magnetospheres using swarms of small satellites coordinated around a mothership. ==Awards and honors==