Michael’s work is primarily theoretical in nature, but he serves on several near-Earth and deep space mission science teams in the role of science planning, design, education and public outreach activities, and in the interpretation of spacecraft observations.  He has made scientific contributions to over a dozen NASA space missions that study the Earth from space shuttle and orbiting satellites and that observe other planets in our solar system using deep space robotic missions. His research concerns how planets and their atmospheres develop – although driven by common physical, chemical, and sometimes biological processes – into the diverse types of planets we find in our solar system and beyond, including planets orbiting other stars that are so different from Earth that they challenge our imaginations. Over his career, his discoveries have helped to shape the goals of NASA space missions, from space shuttle missions studying the upper atmosphere of the Earth, to deep space robotic exploration of Mars, Pluto, the moons of Jupiter, and other objects the outer solar system.

As a few examples, Michael was a co-investigator and science team leader on the NASA Langley Mars Airplane proposal for the first Mars Scout Mission. He was a co-investigator and science team leader of the AIM (Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere) Small Explorer mission that was launched in April 2007 as the first dedicated mission to study the role of these high-altitude clouds as indicators of global climate change.  He was a member of the Science Team of the New Horizons mission to Pluto/Charon and the Kuiper Belt that was launched in January 2006 and performed a flyby of Jupiter in February 2007, and of the Pluto system in 2015.  His research on the Pluto-Charon system focused on understanding Pluto’s atmospheric structure and its rapid loss to space.  His current research on the atmosphere of Mars has addressed some of the questions posed by the possible existence of subsurface life and the release of metabolic by-products that would serve as biomarkers, and relatedly he has developed theoretical models of the early evolution of the Martian atmosphere.  He is also researching the factors that impact the habitability of several solar system planets and their moons, as well as terrestrial-type exoplanets.

Michael has won numerous awards for his research and related activities.  For examples, he won NASA’s Group Achievement Award five times, NRL’s Alan Berman Publication Award four times, and Mason’s Celebration of Science Award for his work in space exploration in 2006. In addition, NASA has recognized Prof. Summers as an exceptional communicator and advocate for science.  In addition, as part of the leadership team on the NASA New Horizons Pluto mission he has won over a dozen and national awards, for example, the AAS Neil Armstrong Space Flight Achievement Award in 2016, the Science News “Science Story of the Year” for 2015, the Science Magazine “Reader Choice Award” for 2015, the 2016 John L. "Jack" Swigert Award for Space Exploration, the Aviation and Space Technology 2016 Space Laureate Award, the 2016 Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy, the 2016 GNC Technology Tenacity Award, the Time Magazine “Photo of the Year” for 2015 (the photo above), the CNN One of the Top 15 Stories of the Year 2015, the Wired Story of the Year 2015, the PBS Big Idea of 2015: Pluto’s Unmatched Magnificence, the National Air and Space Museum, 2015 Explorers Award, the The Edison Award 2015, the 2015 Carl Sagan “Cosmos Award” for Science Communication, the 2016 NASA award for Exceptional Scientific Achievement, and the US Postal Service produced a stamp commemorating the New Horizons exploration of Pluto in 2015.