- B.S., Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN
- M.S., Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO.
- Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO.
- GNSS-based positioning applications and modeling, including terrestrial site positioning and precise orbit determination of GNSS constellations and low Earth orbiters.
- Ocean tides and their effects on loading of the solid Earth, the Earth’s gravitational potential, and Earth rotation.
- Non-tidal atmospheric and ocean loading of the solid Earth and their effects on the Earth’s gravitational potential.
- Calibration and validation of satellite altimeter sea surface height measurement systems including the Topex/Poseidon, Jason-1 and Ocean Surface Topography Missions.
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory (1996-present)
- Principal Research Technologist, Orbiter and Radio Metric Systems Group (2006-2012), Near Earth Tracking Applications Group (2012-2018), Tracking Systems and Applications Section (2018-present)
- Group Supervisor, Orbiter and Radio Metric Systems Group (2007-2012)
- Senior Engineer, Orbiter and Radio Metric Systems Group (1998-2006)
- Engineer, Orbiter and Radio Metric Systems Group (1998)
- NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal (2017)
- NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal (2003)
- 11 NASA Group Achievement Awards, GPS Precise Orbit Determination Team (2010), OSTM (2010), Cosmic (2007), Jason-1 (2003 and 2004), GRACE (2003), and Deep Space-1 Missions (1999)
From a total of 45 refereed publications:
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Desai, S. D., and A. Sibois, Evaluating predicted diurnal and semi-diurnal tidal variations in polar motion with GPS-based observations, J. Geophysical Research, 121, 2016, doi:10.1002/2016JB013125
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Desai, S. D., J. Wahr, and B. Beckley, Revisiting the pole tide for and from satellite altimetry, J. Geodesy, 89 (12), 1233-1243, 2015, doi:10.1007/s00190-015-0848-7, 2015.
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Desai, S. D., and R. D. Ray, Consideration of tidal variations in the geocenter on satellite altimeter observations of ocean tides, Geophys. Res. Lett., 41, 2454-2459, 2014.
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Desai, S. D., W. Bertiger, B. J. Haines, Self-consistent treatment of tidal variations in the geocenter for precise orbit determination, J. of Geodesy, 88, 735-747, 2014.
- Bertiger,W., S. Desai, B. Haines, N. Harvey, A. Moore, S. Owen, and J. Weiss, Single receiver phase ambiguity resolution with GPS data, J. Geodesy, 84, 327-337, 2010, doi:10.1007/s00190-010-0371-9
- Bertiger, W., S. Desai, A. Dorsey, B. Haines, N. Harvey, D. Kuang, A. Sibthorpe, and J. P. Weis, Sub-centimeter precision orbit determination with GPS for ocean altimetry, Marine Geodesy, 33 (S1), 363-378, 2010
- Desai, S. D., and B. J. Haines, Precise near-real-time sea surface height measurements from the Jason-1 and Jason-2/OSTM missions, Marine Geodesy, 33 (S1), 419-434, 2010.
- Brown, S., S. Desai, W. Lu, and A. Tanner, On the long term stability of noise diodes for microwave radiometer calibration, submitted, in press, IEEE Trans. Geosci. Rem. Sens., 2007.
- Desai, S. D., and D.-N. Yuan, Application of the convolution formalism to the ocean tide potential: Results from GRACE, J. Geophys. Res., 111, C06023, doi:10.1029/2005JC003361, 2006.
- Desai, S. D., and B. J. Haines, Monitoring measurements from the Jason-1 microwave radiometer and independent validation with GPS, J. Marine Geodesy, 27 (1-2), 221-240, 2004.
- Haines, B. J., Y. E. Bar-Sever, W. I. Bertiger, S. D. Desai, and P. Willis, One centimeter orbit determination for Jason-1: New GPS-based strategies, J. Marine Geodesy, 27 (1-2), 299-318, 2004.
- Desai, S. D., and B. J. Haines, Near-real-time GPS-based orbit determination and sea surface height observations from the Jason-1 mission, J. Marine Geodesy, 26 (3-4), 383-397, 2003.
- Desai, S. D., and P. Vincent, Statistical evaluation of the Jason-1 operational sensor data record, J. Marine Geodesy, 26 (3-4), 187-199, 2003.
- Desai, S. D., Observing the pole tide with satellite altimetry,, J. Geophys. Res., 107 (C11), 2002.
- Desai, S. D., J. M. Wahr, Monthly and fortnightly tidal variations of the Earth's rotation rate predicted by a TOPEX/POSEIDON empirical ocean tide model, Geophys. Res. Lett., 26 (8), 1035-1038, 1999.
- Desai, S. D., J. M. Wahr, and Y. Chao, Error analysis of empirical ocean tide models estimated from TOPEX/POSEIDON altimetry, J. Geophys. Res., 102 (C11), 25,157-25,172, 1997.
- Desai, S. D., and J. M. Wahr, Empirical ocean tide models estimated from TOPEX/POSEIDON altimetry, J. Geophys. Res., 100 (C12), 25,205-25,228, 1995.