THE CASSINI–HUYGENS MISSION LESSON People of the Cassini ... · Background for Lesson Discussion,...

Saturn Educator Guide • Cassini Program website — http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/educatorguide • EG-1999-12-008-JPL

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T H E C A S S I N I – H U Y G E N S M I S S I O N

P R E R E Q U I S I T E S K I L L S

Reading in the content area of science

Working in small groups

Interpreting narrative information

Taking careful notes

Writing essays

Students use a diverse collection of profiles ofpeople who work on the Cassini–Huygens mis-sion to learn about science as a human endeavorand to reflect on their own career goals and per-sonal impressions of the mission.

B A C K G R O U N D I N F O R M A T I O N

Background for Lesson Discussion, page 144

Questions, page 147

Answers in Appendix 1, page 225

56–63: The Cassini–Huygens Mission

77–80: The People of the Cassini Team

A model of the Cassini–Huygens spacecraft at JPL and a few ofthe thousands of Cassini team members.

1.5–2 hrs

MEETS NATIONAL

SCIENCE EDUCATION

STANDARDS:

History and Natureof Science

• Science as ahuman endeavor

Science in Personaland Social

Perspectives• Science andtechnology in

society

People of the Cassini Team

E Q U I P M E N T , M A T E R I A L S , A N D T O O L S

For the teacher

Photocopier (for transparencies & copies)

Overhead projector

Chart paper (18" × 22")

Color markers; clear adhesive tape

3-ring binder (notebook)

3-hole punch

For each group of 3 to 4 students

Pencils

Red and blue markers (optional)

Chart paper (optional)

Atlas or world map (optional)

Materials to reproduce

Figures 1–19 are provided at the end of

this lesson.

FIGURE TRANSPARENCY COPIES

1 1 1 per group

2 1 1 per group

3–18 1 of each

(3-hole punched)

19 1 per student

(3-hole punched)

144Saturn Educator Guide • Cassini Program website — http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/educatorguide • EG-1999-12-008-JPL

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Lesson Plan

According to the National Science Education Standards, students should be aware that:

“Women and men of various social and ethnic backgrounds — and with diverse interests, talents, qualities and motivations —

engage in activities of science. ...Some scientists work in teams and some work alone, but all communicate extensively with others.”

“Science requires different abilities, depending on such factors as the field of study and type of inquiry. Science is very much a

human endeavor, and the work of science relies on basic human qualities, such as reasoning, insight, energy, skill, and creativity —

as well as on scientific habits of mind, such as intellectual honesty, tolerance of ambiguity, skepticism, and openness to new ideas.”

Background for Lesson Discussion

In Part II (Making Connections to Cassini),Step 6, discussion questions might include:

• What was missing from the Jobs Chart that wascreated at the beginning of the lesson comparedto the Jobs Chart after hearing the reports onthe Cassini Team Member Profiles?

Here you may expect students to fill in otherqualifications besides the easy ones of educa-tion, degrees, and technical skills. These mightinclude oral and written communication skills,teamwork skills, creativity, ability to solve prob-lems, openness to new ideas, willingness to per-sist in the face of adversity, and so on.

• What do you notice about the work that isrequired for a space mission?

It is important to recognize the vast number anddiversity of talents, interests, and careers neces-sary to support and carry out a space mission.

• What have you learned about the people who areinvolved in a space mission?

Not only are the people well-educated andqualified to do their jobs, but they are also basichuman beings with families, hobbies, likes, dis-likes, and a variety of life experiences that moti-vated them to choose their career paths.

Part I: Who Makes a Space MissionPossible?

Tell the students that they are future candi-dates for positions at a Space Center. The

mission of the Space Center is to design, build,and fly an international robotic spacecraft toexplore an outer planet of the Solar System.They are meeting to learn about the differentpositions available at the Space Center. Theywill be asked to determine which of the posi-tions is the most appealing to their interestsand matches best with their abilities. They willalso be asked to select a mentor from amongpeople who are already involved in supporting aspacecraft mission.

Tape a piece of chartpaper on the wall or

chalkboard, label it JobsChart, and divide it intotwo columns, one marked“Job” and the othermarked “Qualifications.”

Ask students: What jobs would need to befilled to accomplish the mission? List their

responses in the “Job” column.

Ask students: What qualifications, workhabits, skills, and special attributes are nec-

essary for these positions? Record their responsesin the right column of the Jobs Chart.

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2

4

3

J O B SC H A R T

Job Qualifications


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Part II: Making Connections to Cassini

Display a transparency of the WorldwideParticipation Map (Figure 1). Share with

students that Cassini–Huygens is an interna-tional robotic spacecraft designed to explore Sat-urn. Cassini team members are from universi-ties, laboratories, and businesses all over theworld. Share with students that Cassini is a simi-lar mission to the one they are planning.

Note: You can extend use of the map into a geography

lesson. Put students in groups of 3–4. Give each group some

chart paper and blue and red markers. Have student groups

identify as many participating states (with red marker) and

countries (with blue marker) as they can in 3 minutes. Allow

students to use an atlas or world map. After 3 minutes,

have students post their charts. Discuss with the students

which countries and/or states were not identified.

Continue by telling students that the SpaceCenter models its selection of team mem-

bers after the Cassini–Huygens mission to Sat-urn (which is a collaboration of the NationalAeronautics and Space Administration, the Eu-ropean Space Agency, and the Italian SpaceAgency). In order to learn more about thepeople and positions available, the candidatesfor the Space Center mission (that is, the stu-dents) will review and share profiles of Cassiniteam members.

Arrange students into groups of three. Giveeach group a copy of the Profile Summary

(Figure 2) and one of the Cassini Team MemberProfiles (select from Figures 3 through 18). Thegroups are to prepare an introduction of thisCassini team member for the whole class bystudying the information on the profile andcompleting the Profile Summary. Technical termsused by the featured members of the Cassiniteam may be found in the Glossary.

1

After the student groups have had adequatetime to read their profiles and to record in-

formation about the Cassini team member ontheir Profile Summaries, continue by telling stu-dents that you want to help them prepare fortheir interview at the Space Center by hearing areport about each Cassini team member. Eachcandidate (student) should listen to the reportsfor the purpose of identifying a possible mentorfor the new mission.

As student groups share the information ontheir Profile Summaries, the teacher adds

relevant information to the Jobs Chart using adifferent color marker. Each group then poststheir Profile Summary on a bulletin board or onthe chalkboard.

After all groups have presented, and the JobsChart is complete, ask students to compare

the new list of jobs and qualifications to the listcreated at the beginning of the lesson. Guidestudents to discover that a broad diversity ofpeople with a wide variety of interests, talents,qualities, and motivations is necessary to design,develop, and fly a mission of scientific explora-tion like Cassini–Huygens. The goal is to offer asense of “science as a human endeavor.” (SeeBackground for Lesson Discussion.)

Part III: Assessment

Compile a classroom notebook with all theCassini Team Member Profiles as a reference

for students. Ask students to consider whichkind of position interests them most, and whichCassini team member they would like to have asa mentor. Allow time for students to review theclassroom notebook and the posted Profile Sum-maries prepared by each of the groups, and toask questions of each other about the differentCassini team members.

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Have each student write an essay that ad-dresses two questions: “Which Cassini

team member would you select for a mentorand why?” and “How is the Cassini mission anexample of science as a human endeavor?”

Note: If a student’s interests and goals would not lead them

to choose a mentor from the Cassini team, then the first

question of the essay can be adjusted by asking them to

describe an imaginary mentor that would meet their needs.

Have each student complete a Student Pro-file (Figure 19). Add the Student Profiles to

the classroom notebook containing the CassiniTeam Profiles. This becomes a resource thatcould be shared at parent/teacher conferences,placed in the school library, or displayed at aschool open house. Copies of individual studentprofiles can be placed in student portfolios.

Assessment Criteria

1. The student selects or describes a mentor in aposition that matches his or her interests andgoals.

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22. The student justifies the mentor selection anddescription from a personal perspective.

3. The student uses examples to explain how theCassini–Huygens mission demonstrates science asa human endeavor.

4. The student completes a Student Profile for theCassini–Huygens mission that includes a personalperspective and possible contributions to a similarspace mission.

Part IV: Questions for Reflection

• What kind of people does it take to support aspace mission like Cassini–Huygens? Whatdifferent kinds of abilities do they need? Howmany people does it take? What countries arethey from?

• What is important to you in choosing a men-tor? What is interesting or surprising about thementor you described in your essay? How isyour mentor like or unlike you?


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Questions

The Cassini–Huygens Mission

56. Why are we sending a spacecraft and notpeople to Saturn?

57. What will the Cassini robot do?

58. What spacecraft have been to Saturn? Howhave we gathered information about Saturnup until now?

59. What will Cassini learn that we do notalready know from Voyager and HubbleSpace Telescope data?

60. Why care about the Cassini mission?

61. Why is NASA’s mission to Saturn calledCassini?

62. How much does the Cassini mission cost?Who pays for it?

63. How long does it take to plan and carryout a mission like Cassini?

The People of the Cassini Team

77. How many people have worked onCassini?

78. Who manages the Cassini Project?

79. What sorts of people work on a spaceproject like Cassini?

80. How could I prepare for a career involvinga space project?

These questions and their answers can be used to provide background for teachers or to explore prior knowledgeand facilitate discussions with students. The answers are found in Appendix 1, starting on page 225.


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Materials

Figure 1 Worldwide Participation Map

Figure 2 Profile Summary

Figures 3–18 Cassini Team Member Profiles

Figure 19 Student Profile (2 pages)


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Worldwide Participation Map

Figure 1

Shaded states and countries show participation in the Cassini–Huygens mission.

Contributors


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Responsibilities

Figure 2

Cassini Team Member’s Name

Job Title

Qualifications

Personal/Inspirational/Surprising AttributesCommitment to Space Exploration

Profile Summary


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Figure 3Cassini

Team Member

Profile

Mark Adler

Words of Wisdom

“Find something that you enjoy doing, that hassome value to society, and that you have sometalent for. Then excel at it — I mean really excel.Pick a path that means something to you, some-thing that touches you, that calls you. If youdon’t know what that is, keep looking — it’llfind you.”

Personal

Birth date: 3 April 1959Home: Pasadena, CaliforniaChildren: Joshua (b. 1992)

Favorite hobbies:• Bicycling• Flying small planes• Cooking (especially desserts)• Model rocketry• Acting and singing in theater

Education

(All in North Miami Beach, Florida)Elementary: Greynolds ParkJunior high: John F. KennedyHigh school: North Miami Beach

Highest college degree: PhD in Physics, Califor-nia Institute of Technology

Favorite subject: Mathematics

Least favorite subject: Foreign Language

Subject I wish I had studied more: “Every sub-ject, including more study of foreign languages.”

“Devilishly Handsome, Brilliant, Humble (justkidding), Curious, Quick, Funny”

Professional

What I do for the Cassini mission: I was theMission Engineer. I had to creatively marry thespacecraft’s limitations and constraints (the robotpart) with the ground system’s work force andtool limitations (the people part) in order to bestmeet the ambitious goals of the scientists (thecuriosity part).

In my work, I must know how to:• Pay attention to important detail• Find creative solutions to complex problems• Program a computer to do calculations• Learn new things quickly• Find compromises to benefit everyone

The coolest thing about my work is: Learningabout lots of other people’s jobs, and their part ofthe mission. Getting a very wide, and in places,deep understanding of the entire mission.

Mission Engineer


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6 How I describe Saturn: Big, Cold, Beautiful

How I describe Cassini: Magnificent, Auda-cious, Expensive

Why care about Cassini? If Cassini does halfthe things we planned for it to do, it will be oneof the great explorers of all time. Cassini is anextension of yourself reaching out to touch an-other world. You don’t want to sleep throughthat! Here is my favorite quote about explora-tion, from T.S. Eliot:

We shall not cease from exploration,And the end of all our exploringWill be to arrive where we startedAnd know the place for the first time.

Human Interest

My First Looks at the SkyI noticed the moon and stars right from thestart. I guessed that the stars were suns, but Ithought that the moon was an impaired reflec-tion of the Earth. Planets I had to read aboutbefore I noticed that some of the stars wan-dered. That was in about the third grade — itwas then that I started doing a lot of sciencereading.

How I Came to CassiniI’ve pretty much always wanted to be involvedin the exploration of space, since watching theApollo missions when I was a kid. Exactly how

Mark Adler, continued

I would be involved wasn’t clear. In fact it prob-ably still isn’t, but I’m happy—I’m making sig-nificant contributions to a great adventure.

My parents had little money for my education,so I did computer consulting on the side to payfor my bachelor’s and master’s degrees. I got afellowship from an aerospace company that paidfor my PhD. Typically a PhD degree is in thesame subject as the master’s and bachelor’s, butall of mine were different. In addition to myPhD in Physics from Caltech, I earned an MS inElectrical Engineering and BA in Mathematics,both from the University of Florida. This diver-sity turns out to be a strength for my work andlets me do jobs in which I have to understand awide range of subjects.

My Work EnvironmentI work in a “cubicle,” kind of like a bathroomstall, but a little bigger and without the door.I’ve worked with probably a sixth of the peopleon the Cassini project at one point or another,which is a lot. This was because my job involvedunderstanding nitty gritty details of many as-pects of the spacecraft hardware, the operationsof the spacecraft, the path the spacecraft will fol-low on the way to Saturn, and the science obser-vations to be done.

Ten Years from Now?I'd like to be preparing a human mission toMars.


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Words of Wisdom

“I think the most important aspect of humanlife, regardless of age, is continual learning.Missions such as Cassini allow for learningof the new, but most importantly, they inspirenew minds to reach farther than before, allow-ing for even more learning. Regardless of whatthe budget situation looks like on Earth, moneyshould be made available to further our knowl-edge and the exploration of the unknown.”

Personal

Birth date: 20 January 1970Home: North Hollywood, CaliforniaChildren: not yet

Favorite Hobbies:• Theater• Opera

Education

I started my schooling in the former SovietUnion, but I went to junior and senior highschools in Los Angeles, California.

Highest degree: MS in Aerospace Engineering,University of Southern California

Favorite subject in school: Math

Least favorite subject in school: I can’t think ofone.

Subject I wish I had studied more: Non-engineering classes; to learn more diversesubjects.

Rozita Belenky Flight Systems Engineer

“Dedicated, Resourceful, I laugh a lot”

Professional

What I do for the Cassini mission: I work inflight systems operations. In particular, I am in-volved in writing and testing computer proce-dures that control the attitude and orientation ofthe Cassini spacecraft. I develop sequences thatwill be sent to the spacecraft, and I analyze dataCassini sends back to Earth. My immediate teamis 9 members strong, but I have to interface withmany people from different areas on a daily basis.

In my work, I must know how to:• Apply basic math skills• Analyze data• Use and program a computer• Manage my time efficiently• Work well with others• Laugh a lot

Figure 4Cassini

Team Member

Profile


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6 The coolest thing about my work is: Being apart of the Cassini team. It’s still unbelievable tome that this spacecraft will travel so far awayfrom “home” and let us in on some secrets ofthe Universe.

How I describe Saturn: Mysterious, Compli-cated, Fascinating

How I describe Cassini: Exciting, Interna-tional, Understaffed

Why care about Cassini? Everyone should careabout such important projects. The desire tolearn and better oneself is a human characteris-tic that can flourish only when there is some-thing worthy, exciting, and intellectually stimu-lating to discover. Discovery arouses curiosity,and the more we learn, the more we realizethere is still more to be learned. Space explora-tion (such as the Cassini mission) is key to in-telligent human life forms of the future.

Rozita Belenky, continued

Human Interest

Friends and Relatives in the Soviet UnionMy family and I immigrated to the UnitedStates from the Soviet Union when I was 10years old. At that time, no one would imaginethat I would end up where I am now. Some ofthem still can’t imagine it! “Space” was some-thing that most people just read about orwatched on TV specials. To them, it seemed likean unrealistic goal to work on a “space” project.Of course, my family was incredibly supportiveof my goals and very proud of my accomplish-ments. I first became interested in engineeringwhen I entered junior high, and now here I am!Whenever a spacecraft story makes the news, Iget many phone calls and questions from myfriends and family members. I think that know-ing someone like me who works at the Jet Pro-pulsion Laboratory (JPL) makes people moreaware of the space program and makes them paya little more attention to the news.

Ten Years from Now?I will hopefully still be involved with flightprojects at JPL (that’s most exciting to me).


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Words of Wisdom

“Whatever you do in life depends on your ownefforts. Trust yourself and be yourself. Strive toachieve all you can, but remember that whatkind of a person you are is what ultimatelycounts. Say little and do much, and learn fromall men and women.”

Bonnie J. Buratti

Personal

Birth date: 24 March 1953Home: Altadena, CaliforniaChildren: Nathan (b. 1983), Reuben (b. 1986),and Aaron (b. 1988)

Favorite hobbies:• Skiing and ice skating• Hiking with family• Growing organic foods• Reading and studying languages• Cooking, sewing, decorating

Education

Elementary: Coopersburg Elementary School,PennsylvaniaJunior high: Southern Lehigh Jr. HighHigh school: Southern Lehigh High School,Pennsylvania

Highest college degree: PhD in Astronomy andSpace Sciences, Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)

Favorite subject: Science

Least favorite subject: Driver’s Education

Subjects I wish I had studied more: More for-eign languages like French and German.

“Inquisitive, Energetic, Interested in everything”

Professional

What I do for the Cassini mission: I am the In-vestigation Scientist for one of the 12 instru-ments on Cassini — the Visible and InfraredMapping Spectrometer. It will tell us moreabout what Saturn and its rings are made of.

In my work, I must know how to:• Observe with large telescopes• Apply mathematics and physical science• Use computers and the Internet• Write papers and proposals• Work with teams of 3 to 20 people

The coolest thing about my work is: There isnothing routine about it. It involves the joy andwonder of discovery.

Right: Bonnie

(in dark glasses)

with her

three sons

and mother on a

sailboat in

Pennsylvania.

Investigation Scientist

Figure 5Cassini

Team Member

Profile


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6 How I describe Saturn: Mysterious, Beautiful,Big

How I describe Cassini: Exciting, Worthwhile,Challenging

Why care about Cassini? The Cassini missionrepresents the tradition of discovery that hasmade the human species great. It will answerquestions about the origin of the Solar Systemand life on Earth (Titan, a satellite that will beclosely studied by Cassini, is sort of an “Earthin deep freeze”). We hope the success of Cassiniwill inspire students to excel in their own stud-ies so they can perform even greater feats. Fi-nally, discoveries from the Cassini mission andother NASA missions have been useful righthere on Earth — in medicine, computers, ro-botics, and materials.

Human Interest

How I Became Interested in SpaceI was hooked in third grade when I read a bookcalled A Child’s Book of the Stars. I was homesick that day. I was particularly fascinated by apicture that showed a steaming rain forest onVenus. (Now we know that’s wrong; Venus isway too hot for life to exist there!)

What My Work Environment Is LikeI’m usually in my office, hooked into my com-puter. I use it to do calculations, run models,

Bonnie J. Buratti, continued

and analyze data from telescopes and previousspace missions (especially Voyager). I communi-cate with other scientists by e-mail, and I do agreat deal of writing, mainly papers and propos-als. For my work on Cassini, I often work withteams of people, usually 3 to 20 other scientistsand engineers. We have meetings or work inlaboratories where the instrument is in an envi-ronment similar to that in space. I sometimestake data at telescopes on mountain tops, suchas the large one on Palomar Mountain. My jobinvolves a lot of travel, often to Europe where Imeet with our Cassini European colleagues. Iattend scientific conferences all over the world.

Can a Scientist Raise a Family?I am very proud of the fact that I have raised afamily while continuing in a successful career asa scientist. In 1983, I was the first graduate stu-dent in the Astronomy Department at Cornellto have a baby, and many faculty membersfound it hard to accept that I was the same sci-entist after the birth. I defended my PhD thesiswhen my first son was only 4 months old. In1985, I think I was the first pregnant astrono-mer to observe at Palomar Mountain.

Ten Years from Now?I will be analyzing data from Cassini!


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Karen M. Chan (Karenator)

Words of Wisdom

“Go to school, study hard, extend yourselfbeyond what’s easy for you. Don’t be afraid tofail; make yourself try again. Listen to yourparents. Love and spend time with your family;they will be the biggest supporters in your life.Take time to play and make friends becausefriends will add to the adult you become. Learnthe difference between right and wrong, andalways do right.”

Personal

Birth date: 27 April 1963Home: Monrovia, CaliforniaNephews: Christopher (b.1990) and Andrew (b.1994)

Favorite hobbies:• Dodgers baseball• Softball• Jazzercise• Crafts• Reading

Education

(All in Los Angeles, California)Elementary: Arlington HeightsJunior high: Louis PasteurHigh school: Los Angeles

Highest college degree: BA in English fromCalifornia State University Northridge (1984),emphasis in poetry

Favorite subject: Art, acting, and creative writing

Least favorite subject: Math

Subject I wish I had studied more: More physi-cal sciences and geosciences that would help meunderstand more about planetary exploration.

Professional

What I do for the Cassini mission: I am a sec-retary in the Cassini Program Office at the JetPropulsion Laboratory (JPL). I support some ofthe senior engineering managers who run theprogram. I handle a lot of the day-to-day opera-tions like scheduling, ordering supplies, and fix-ing jammed copiers and printers. I also spendtime training others how to use different typesof computer software or how to handle the “redtape” of complex administrative procedures.Having majored in English, I can make sureother people understand better what my manag-ers (engineers) are trying to say! Sometimeswhen people ask me what I do in my job, I tellthem “Waitress, maid, and mother” becauseoften that’s what it feels like.

In my work, I must know how to:• Use computers and office-related software• Use electronic mail, fax, and phone systems• Diagnose and correct computer problems• Smile, even when things are rough• Communicate with a diversity of people• Learn new things all the time• Think ahead and anticipate people’s needs

Secretary

“Flirty, Cute-but-Intelligent, Bossy”

Figure 6Cassini

Team Member

Profile


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6 The coolest thing about my work is: Workingdirectly in the Cassini Program Office, I get tobe where all the action is, and that’s very excit-ing. I’ve actually learned quite a bit about Sat-urn and Cassini.

How I describe Saturn: Big, Beautiful,Wondrous

How I describe Cassini: Amazing, Beautiful,Expensive

Why care about Cassini? Every endeavor whichis begun today will affect how you may be ableto live your life in the future. How can we knowif humans can live in space if we don’t knowwhat’s out there? Space exploration is importantfor learning how planets developed and whatmight be done to extend life into the Solar Sys-tem. Cassini will return lots of great data andbeautiful pictures, and we’ll learn so much moreabout the Saturn system and Titan.

Human Interest

My First Looks at the SkyI first learned about stars and planets in school,but didn’t really pay that much attention until abotany class camping trip. My science teachergot us kids together and pointed out a bunchof planets and constellations and told us somestories about what we were seeing. After that, itwas “Wow...stars!”

My Work EnvironmentI work in the Cassini Program Office alongsideseveral other secretaries. My “office” is an open-landscaped cubicle which I share with anothersecretary and a student-intern. There’s no way

Karen M. Chan, continued

to hide in here! At my desk I have both aMacintosh and PC computer, and I do use bothof them at the same time. I have a motto:“Whatever Happens, Smile.” I use this a lotwhenever I’m dealing with people who are moredifficult to deal with. In my job I also get tomeet and deal with a lot of people from manyareas of life, and I really enjoy that a lot. Some-times you get me talking with folks and I can’tstop!

How I Came to Work on CassiniWhen I was little, I remember wanting to be aballerina, nurse, fireman, or race car driver.When I got older, I added the possibilities ofbecoming President of the United States, an ac-tress, or a newspaper reporter. When I graduatedfrom college, I wanted to write children’s books.

My first job was in a student work-study pro-gram at Cal State Northridge. I worked in theGeology department office, and this was my firsttaste working with computers and office organi-zation. After graduating, I worked for an insur-ance company for a while. I left that job tospend a summer in Taiwan, and upon returninga friend suggested that I check into JPL becauseher father worked there (and, she said “there aretons of cute guys!). As it turned out, her fatherhired me because his secretary quit unexpect-edly, and I’ve been working for him ever since.

Ten Years from Now?I’d like to move to higher levels of work in ad-ministration and office management. I’ve alsothought about training to be a computer con-sultant and maybe starting my own business.Maybe somehow I’ll still be helping Cassini sci-entists do their work.


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Carrie P. Duits Teacher and Education Specialist

Words of Wisdom

“We should strive to be responsible citizens, car-ing for others, offering a helping hand, and shar-ing our talents. When we give gifts of kindnessand friendly smiles to others, they are encour-aged to do the same. The greatest gift we cangive ourselves is to learn. There is no end towhat we can learn, and learning is the path thatleads to our dreams.”

Personal

Birth date: 21 April 1957Home: Thornton, ColoradoChildren: Jake (b. 1982), Nicole (b. 1983),Zach (b. 1987), and Barb (b. 1988)

Favorite hobbies:• Camping and boating• Watching my kids play soccer• Writing and learning

Education

Elementary: Northeastern ElementaryJunior high: Hastings Jr. HighHigh school: Hastings High

Highest college degree: Masters of EducationInstruction, Colorado State UniversityPhD in progress, University of Denver

Favorite subject: Chemistry

Least favorite subject: Physical Education(However, my husband Tom is a P.E. teacher,so I make an enthusiastic fan!)

Subject I wish I had studied more: Math

“Caring, Creative, Organized”

Professional

What I do for the Cassini mission: I work witha scientist at the Space Science Institute in Boul-der, Colorado, and a team of teachers to writelesson plans that will help students learn aboutSaturn and the Cassini mission. The scientistI work with communicates with many scientistsand engineers at JPL where Cassini was as-sembled. I also teach teachers about Saturn andthe Cassini mission so they are inspired to teachtheir students about the mission and associatedscience concepts.

In my work, I must know how to:• Connect Cassini to students’ needs in science• Write effective lesson plans• Make learning focused, challenging, and fun• Work with teachers and scientists• Clearly explain my ideas and listen carefully to

other people’s ideas

The coolest thing about my work is: Watchingstudents question, explore, and test their ideas.I can always tell when they finally understandsomething they have worked hard to learn.

Right: Carrie

is the “Mom”

in the middle.

Figure 7Cassini

Team Member

Profile


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Carrie P. Duits, continued

How I describe Saturn: Huge, Magnificent,Alluring

How I describe Cassini: Fast, International,Remarkable

Why care about Cassini? Cassini is proof of theincredible learning that takes place in schools allover the world. The people who have madeCassini possible have valued their education.Their work inspires others to reach for the stars.As an international effort, Cassini is a robot thatbrings many people together. Cassini will helpus discover what we want to learn next!

Human Interest

How I First Became Interested in SpaceEvery year of my life, my family and I havespent our summers at a cottage in northernMichigan. When I was a little girl, I alwaysthought we were at the top of the world. Thestars seemed to multiply in the clear, dark nightsky. The full Moon stretched a ribbon of movinglight across the lake. The wonders of the auroraborealis sparked my summertime thoughts. Be-cause of these childhood memories, I used tothink about space as a way to teach poetry andstory telling. But when I attended a workshopfor teachers called Marsville, I discovered a newway to teach about space. Marsville’s ideas forteaching the science of Mars were creative, excit-ing, and fun. My students were challenged tothink creatively and critically as they designedsystems for human survival on Mars. I grew tolove the planet and the enthusiasm that itsparked within my students. As a result, ideasfor teaching about space started to snowball in

my mind. I’ve been hooked on space ever since.Its my mission to inspire other teachers to teachspace education.

How I Came to CassiniI serve on a committee in Colorado whose goalis to find ways that will encourage teachers toteach space education to all students in the stateof Colorado. Randy Sachter is a teacher atNederland Elementary School who serves on thestate committee with me. She gave my name toDr. Cheri Morrow, a scientist at the Space Sci-ence Institute in Boulder, Colorado. The JetPropulsion Laboratory (JPL) had granted Cherithe opportunity to work with educators and JPLscientists to develop materials for teachers thatwould help students all across the United Stateslearn about the exciting Cassini mission. Since Ilove inspiring teachers to teach about space Ijumped at the chance to work with a dynamiteteam (including Cheri, Randy, Melody Randall,and others).

My Work EnvironmentWhen we discuss Cassini lesson plans, I workwith teachers, a scientist, and a graphic artist(Steve Mercer) at the Space Science Institute inBoulder, Colorado. We work in a conferenceroom that has walls of glass. We are inspiredwhen we look at the mountains to the west, thevast sky to the south, and the rocket that hangsfrom the ceiling in the lobby. When I draftCassini lesson plans, I work very late at nightwhen my kids are all in bed and the house isquiet! My dog, Buddy, sits by my green rockingchair watching me work on my laptop computerand waiting for me to turn off the lights.


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Sharon Elaine Grant Mission Planner

Words of Wisdom

“In my opinion, the most important thing toremember is to be happy with yourself. I try toaccomplish this by following these simpleguidelines: Enjoy what you do, be observant,never stop learning, don’t waste time, maintaina positive attitude, and give of yourself in anyway you can without expecting anything morein return than the warm satisfaction of knowingyou’ve made someone’s day a little brighter.”

Personal

Birth date: 6 July 1973Home: Tujunga, CaliforniaChildren: None (a dog: Wolfgang)

Favorite hobbies:• Singing and playing the guitar• Theater• Swimming and scuba diving• Camping and skiing• Reading• Playing with my dog• Skydiving

Education

(all in San Antonio, Texas)Elementary: Coker, Thousand Oaks, andHarmony HillsJunior high: Eisenhower MiddleHigh school: Churchill High

Highest college degree: BS in Aerospace Engi-neering, University of Texas at Austin

Favorite subjects: Math, English

Least favorite subject: History

Subject I wish I had studied more: Spanish

“Outspoken, Enthusiastic, Persevering”

Professional

What I do for the Cassini mission: As a Mis-sion Planner, I assist in coordinating variousspacecraft activities. There are many things tokeep track of on the spacecraft. Is there enoughpower? Is there space on the recorder to store theinformation? Is there time to send the informa-tion back to Earth? If an activity takes propel-lant, is there enough to spare? Will the space-craft be pointed in the right direction? Are anyrules of the mission being violated? I ask all ofthese questions and many more, in order to helpschedule mission activities.

In my work, I must know how to:• Apply math and science principles• Handle the unexpected• Program a computer• Be eager to know and learn• Communicate effectively• Be responsible for deadlines• Keep a positive attitude

The coolest thing about my work is: Knowingthat I am an integral part in such an important,ground-breaking task.

Figure 8Cassini

Team Member

Profile


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6 How I describe Saturn: Intriguing, Beautiful,Enigmatic

How I describe Cassini: Resourceful, Intricate,Powerful

Why care about Cassini? I believe the Cassinimission will be a positive influence on human-ity through all of the knowledge gained andbecause it will spark desire for knowledge andaccomplishment in many potential leadersof tomorrow. Space missions, Cassini especially,serve as excellent means for internationalcooperation.

Human Interest

My First Look at the StarsAs a kid, I went to a summer camp in the Texashill country. It was so clear, and there were nolights for miles, so I could see more stars withmy naked eye than I’ve ever been able to seeanywhere else.

How I Came to CassiniMy career preference was not always in thespaceflight industry. I wanted to sing, and Iwanted to teach others to sing. At one point Ialso wanted to be a social worker. Finally, Ichose to be an aerospace engineer. Before work-ing at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, I hadmany different types of jobs. I’ve been a campcounselor, a teaching assistant, a waitress, andI’ve worked in an experimental lab to test sonarsignals. Each of these jobs has taught me skillsthat I still use in work and in life today. I really

Sharon Elaine Grant, continued

love my job at JPL as a Mission Planner. Sure,everything doesn’t always happen exactly theway I plan, and sometimes work can becomedemanding, but as long as I keep a good attitudeabout my job, I have fun and I look forward toaccomplishing more every day.

My Work EnvironmentI work in an office. My shelves are filled withreferences including college textbooks, technicalmagazines, computer manuals, Cassini projectdocuments, etc. I must wear a badge with mypicture on it (ick!) around my neck at all times.I work with many different people every day.Most work at JPL, but some work at other loca-tions around the country and even around theworld.

My Most Challenging Experience at WorkIn my second year at the University of Texas (atage 19), I started working at JPL as a “Coopera-tive Engineering Education” employee. I wasusing physics principles from college to analyzethe Cassini spacecraft’s ability to keep from tum-bling when it flies by Titan, Saturn’s largestmoon. I sometimes wondered how I was giventhe opportunity to work on such a task with theeducation I had. This experience gave me moreconfidence in my abilities as a student and as aprofessional engineer.

Ten Years from Now?I hope to have earned a Master’s Degree, and Ihope to be working on innovative space missionideas and technologies.


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Michael Quinley Hooks (Mike) Archivist and Historian

Words of Wisdom

“I would like to think that I have succeeded inmy life because I care about others and they careabout me. I believe that it is important to treatpeople, regardless of age or cultural differences,with respect, honor, and caring. If you do this,they will treat you in the same way. Work hard,dream your dreams, and make them happen. Setgoals and achieve them, never give up, and neversay die. And, do not blame others all the timefor the problems facing all of us. Strive to makethe world a better place for everyone.”

Personal

Birth date: 2 October 1947Home: Los Angeles, CaliforniaChildren: None (a dog: B.J.)

Favorite hobbies:• Traveling• Collecting baseball cards• Collecting model cars• Swimming in my own pool• Visiting the beach or mountains

Education

(All in Henderson, Texas)Elementary: Central Elementary SchoolJunior high: Henderson Jr. HighHigh school: Henderson High

Highest college degree: PhD in History, witha minor in Urban Geography, Texas TechUniversity

Favorite subjects: History, Government/Civics

Least favorite subject: Geometry; I just couldnot get it.

Subjects I wish I had studied more: Geologyand Geography

“Optimistic, Organized, Hardworking”

Professional

What I do for the Cassini mission: I am theChief Archivist for the Jet Propulsion Labora-tory. This means that I am responsible for iden-tifying, collecting, preserving, and making avail-able the historical records pertaining to theLaboratory and its various projects, tasks, andactivities. This includes the historical records ofthe Cassini mission. The records can come invarious forms, such as paper, photographs, com-pact disks, tapes, videos, and oral history inter-views with people involved in the mission.

In my work, I must know how to:• Be familiar with the history of JPL• Work with people• Use a computer• Research and discuss historical records• Persevere when it seems overwhelming

Figure 9Cassini

Team Member

Profile


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How I describe Saturn: Beautiful, Fascinating,Mysterious

How I describe Cassini: Ambitious, Well-planned, Beneficial to the American people

Why care about Cassini? We should care aboutthe Cassini mission because it represents thatcontinuing need of the American people to ex-plore, to expand their interests, and to learnmore about the unknown. We should careabout the mission because it represents the endof an era of great missions, an era of much suc-cess in expanding our knowledge of the Uni-verse and beyond. So many people have put somuch time and energy into the mission, andwill continue to do so after Cassini is launched,so I want to see it succeed. I also want Cassinito succeed for the benefit of the Americanpeople, who continue to support the space pro-gram and understand its value to the nation andthe world.

Human Interest

How I First Became Interested in SpaceI am not sure when I first noticed the sky, but Iremember helping my older brother and hisfriends launch small rockets in the field nearour house, and wondering what it would be liketo be launched into space. This was in the late1950s and early 1960s, at the time NASA wasformed and working on the Apollo program to

Michael Quinley Hooks, continued

The coolest thing about my work is: Being atJPL itself. Working with interesting people.Knowing that I am preserving informationabout space missions that will be of value to re-searchers in the future who wish to know moreabout the “whys” and “hows” of things at theLaboratory.

send astronauts to the Moon. Later, when Imoved to West Texas, where the land is flat andthe sky is so clear at night, I would look at thestars and wonder what it would be like to actu-ally see them up close.

How I Came to CassiniWhen I was younger, I guess I really wanted tobe a baseball player when I grew up. Baseballwas so much more popular when I was a kidthan was football or basketball. Unfortunately, Iwas not a good athlete, so I had to channel mybaseball interest into collecting baseball cards. AsI grew older, I became very much interested inhistory and decided that I wanted to teach his-tory at the college level and to write books onhistorical events and people. This interest in his-tory then turned toward collecting the historicalinformation that others would use to write theirbooks and teach their classes. Before coming toJPL, I was the Archivist for the Texas GeneralLand Office in Austin, Texas, for 5 years. Beforethat I was the Associate Archivist at Texas TechUniversity for a little over 7 years.

Overcoming Adversity in My CareerI owe much of my success to my parents and tomy mentors. Although neither my father nor mymother has a college degree, they instilled in mybrother and I the value of education, hard work,and commitment. My brother also has his PhD(in Economics), and he teaches at the Universityof Alabama. So, the influence of my parents is alarge part of my professional success. In additionto my parents, the influence of people whom Isee as mentors in my profession has been impor-tant. They have helped me in achieving successwith their training, guidance, knowledge, andsupport.


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Christopher A. Kelly (Banish)

Words of Wisdom

“Never quit wondering, and never, ever quitasking. Ask until you get an answer.”

Personal

Birth date: 24 September 1963Home: Fontana, CaliforniaChildren: Michael (b. 1989)

Favorite hobbies:• Computer games• Surfing the Internet• Jogging• Racquetball• Weightlifting

Education

Elementary and junior high: (Grades 1–8):St. Rita’s Catholic School, Sierra Madre,CaliforniaHigh school: St. Vincent’s Seminary,Montebello, California

Highest college degree: Associate of Arts degreeat Pasadena City College (pending)

Favorite subject: History. I find it fascinating tostudy the events and people that have affectedand continue to affect our everyday lives; every-one from world leaders to the people who carryout their decisions.

Least favorite subject: Speech. I don’t like speak-ing in front of crowds.

Subject I wish I had studied more: Speech. Ithink more of this class might have helped meovercome my dislike of speaking in front ofcrowds.

“Curious, Understanding, Sensitive”

Professional

What I do for the Cassini mission: I work inthe Emergency Operations Center dispatch. Imaintain a secure environment/work area forthe people who work on the Cassini spacecraft.From the dispatch center, we can view andmonitor many of the areas of the Jet PropulsionLaboratory using closed-circuit TV. In addition,we have an alarm computer, which gives us re-ports from different areas of the Lab. If someonewere to enter the Cassini area without properauthorization, I would receive an alarm, and dis-patch or send officers to that area.

In my work, I must know how to:• Use many types of computers• Communicate effectively with others• Be resourceful• Pay close attention

The coolest thing about my work is: Seeingsome of the things that have been and continueto be built here at JPL. The Galileo spacecraft isa good example. I’ve seen it, and I’ve talked with

Security and Fire Dispatcher

Figure 10Cassini

Team Member

Profile


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Christopher A. Kelly, continued

the people who designed and built it. Now Iread about it in the newspapers and see it onTV. The Cassini mission will be the same way.This is history, and I have a front-row seat!

How I describe Saturn: Wondrous, Breathtak-ing, Inspiring

How I describe Cassini: Capable, Ambitious,Noble

Why care about Cassini? This spacecraft is farand away one of the most well-designed everassembled. It has been designed and built bysome of the finest minds and people in theworld. Thousands of people have spent yearscreating it. This spacecraft will answer questionspeople have had about Saturn for a long time.This is a noble venture! I think lots of things weknow about we tend to take for granted, such asthe Moon. What we know about the Moon to-day was the result of thousands of people, and20 years worth of work. And there are still ques-tions that need to be answered. People shouldnever quit wondering and asking.

Human Interest

How I First Noticed the StarsFunny story here. I come from a large family,and my mom would occasionally sit outside onthe porch and just look at the stars. This washer quiet time. So, I’d sit out there with her,and look. I asked her what they were, and she

told me that they were “angels washing dishes.”Never forget that one! Well, I learned later thatshe was not totally truthful with me, but I’d stillsit out there with her. She would show me thedifferent constellations — the Big Dipper andso on.

How I Came to Work at JPLI started out wanting to be a priest. I attendedthe major Seminary in Perryville, Missouri, anddiscovered there that it was not meant to be. Ireturned to the Southern California area to at-tend school, and obtained part-time work withJPL. I applied for a full-time position and wasaccepted. The Lab is a great place to work. It isquite satisfying to see some of my own ideas re-garding my job taken and made part of the job.The best “perk” that comes with my job is the“front-row seat” I have in watching the history-making events of deep space exploration.

My Most Challenging Experience at WorkWithout a doubt, one of the most trying timesduring my employment with JPL was the day ofthe Northridge earthquake. It happened atabout 4:30 in the morning, which is my regularwork shift. It went from a quiet shift to totalchaos. I must have answered about 1,000 phonecalls, dispatched people to countless areas re-quiring a check, contacted many of the peopleresponsible for the Laboratory, reporting tothem the condition of the Lab. It was a very dif-ficult time, and I believe I handled it well.


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Charles E. Kohlhase (Charley) Science and Mission Design Manager

Words of Wisdom

“Rise early and seize each day, learn much anduse this knowledge well, spend time with thoseyou love, never abuse your pets, use logic tofight the irrational (for it is everywhere), defendthe environment and its wildlife as a knightwould protect King Arthur, meld mind andheart for greatest creativity, follow your dreams,and become all that you can be.”

Personal

Birth date: 15 August 1935Home: Pasadena, CaliforniaChildren: Wendy (b. 1961), Alison (b. 1960)

Favorite hobbies:• Taking photographs• Hiking and exploring the wilderness• Playing golf• Reading• Developing computer adventure games• Creating images using Photoshop and 3-D

modeling programs

Education

(Both in Chattanooga, Tennessee)Elementary and junior high:Missionary RidgeHigh school: The McCallie School

Highest college degree: Master of Engineering,UCLA

Favorite subject: Calculus

Least favorite subject: History

Subjects I wish I had studied more: ComputerGraphics, Multimedia, Art, and Architecture.

“Alive, Honest, Bright, Multidimensional”

Professional

What I do for the Cassini mission: Rather thanbeing an architect who builds a large house, I amlike an architect who designs a complex missionto another world. I have half a dozen talentedpeople leading the work in different areas, andeach of them has many engineers and scientistshelping them. It is our job to decide how to gofrom Earth to Saturn, what demands to place onthe robotic spacecraft to accomplish the scientificmission, and how to best orchestrate the totaladventure.

In my work, I must know how to:• Manage people• Anticipate problems• Apply math, physics, and astronomy• Simplify a complex problem without

overlooking anything important• Have self-confidence• Have strong intuition and a sense of humor

The coolest thing about my work is: Pulling themission together like a large jigsaw puzzle, andnot having a single piece out of place.

Figure 11Cassini

Team Member

Profile


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6 How I describe Saturn: Vast, Beautiful, Remote

How I describe Cassini: Complex, Interna-tional, Exciting

Why care about Cassini? I care about Cassinibecause it shows that there are ways to accom-plish any task, no matter how difficult it mightseem. It proves that nothing is beyond a personor a team of people who have the knowledgeand the imagination. It shows that educationcounts for a lot. Time invested in exploring andlearning is always returned many times over aslife passes.

Human Interest

How I First Became Interested in SpaceI first turned on to space (age 10–12) in readingstories by Isaac Asimov and other science-fictionwriters. Amazingly, at a 40th high school re-union, an old friend said he used to rememberme (when I was 12 or 13) lying in the grass atnight looking up at the stars. He was not sur-prised to learn of my space career.

How I Came to CassiniWhen I was 12, I wanted to be either a jetfighter pilot, a matador, or an architect. I wouldhave chosen architecture, but my father couldnot afford to send me to the 5-year program, soI went for a 4-year physics degree, as it was theonly area in which my father could not intimi-date me. He said that it was the greatest mistakeof my life, but I did it anyway. I do not knowhow I resisted his will. He even stopped paying

Charley Kohlhase, continued

my tuition and board, so I got a student-teach-ing job, as well as running a large dormitory, tomake ends meet. Before starting work at JPL, Ihad done such jobs as working in a large candycompany, “goosing” golf greens to remove thecrabgrass, and even serving as the electrical of-ficer of a nuclear weapons team aboard an air-craft carrier (not because I like nuclear weapons,but because I wanted an assignment related tophysics on a ship large enough that I would notget seasick very much).

My Work EnvironmentI work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in anoffice with a nice view of the mountains andsome nearby trees. Once, many years ago, I sawseven California condors circling overhead.

My Most Challenging Experience at WorkI had been at JPL for 10 years when I had tookay the science platform pointing angles for abrief flyby of Mars. The values output by thecomputer did not seem quite right, and I ad-justed them by a mental calculation. The hourthat followed was the longest in my life, waitingto see whether we had pictures of the Martiansurface . . . or of deep space!

Ten Years from Now?I expect to be working to save our natural envi-ronment, hiking to the last of the beautiful re-gions on Earth, writing a fictional adventurenovel set around the turn of the next century,and trying to create some really first-class digitalfine art.


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William S. Kurth (Bill) Scientist and Principal Investigator

Words of Wisdom

“Plan to do what you like to do with your life.While choosing a career based on how muchmoney you can make sounds important, all thatmoney is of little value if you aren’t enjoyingwhat you have to do to earn it. Prepare yourselffor any career by staying in school as long as youcan and by taking all of your classes seriously. Itis less important what you major in in collegethan that you actually complete a course ofstudy and learn to learn. Use part-time jobs oncampus to explore different areas you might beinterested in; these will give you an insight intowhat that type of work is really like.”

Personal

Birth date: 7 February 1951Home: Coralville, IowaChildren: Steven (b. 1975), Brandi (b. 1978),Marisa (b.1981), Jeremy (b. 1993)

Favorite hobbies:• Photography• Astronomy• Radio-controlled airplanes

Education

Elementary: Oakwood Elementary, Charleston,West VirginiaJunior high: Taft Jr. High School*High school: Jefferson High School**Both in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Highest college degree: PhD in Physics, Univer-sity of Iowa

Favorite subject: Astronomy

Least favorite subject: Math methods

Subjects I wish I had studied more: Math

“Busy, Curious, Adventuresome”

Professional

What I do for the Cassini mission: I am theDeputy Principal Investigator for one of the sci-ence instrument packages on the Cassini orbitercalled Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS).RPWS will receive and measure the radio signalscoming from Saturn, and will also measureproperties of magnetic waves and electrons. As ascientist in Physics and Astronomy at the Uni-versity of Iowa, I work in a group of about 45people. I analyze scientific data, write papers andresearch proposals, interact with colleagues allover the world, and think about what space-based hardware can and cannot do.

In my work, I must know how to:• Apply the physics of plasmas• Use and program computers• Write well• Interact successfully with others• Analyze science data from spacecraft• Apply my understanding of electronics

Figure 12Cassini

Team Member

Profile


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How I describe Saturn: Wonderful, Alien,Beautiful

How I describe Cassini: Ambitious, Required,Exciting

Why care about Cassini ? The Cassini missionwill define virtually all that we know about theSaturn system. All of this new knowledge willtell us more about the way our solar systemworks and the way the planets formed. It willtell us whether it is likely or not that other plan-etary systems formed and that we should notconsider ourselves alone in the Universe. Itshould give us a better understanding abouthow we came to be. If Cassini arrives at Saturnin good working order, we are guaranteed to beastounded and surprised by what we find!

Human Interest

How I Became Interested in ScienceWhen I was in high school, I noticed and pho-tographed the aurora from my home in Iowa. Iwent to the public library to find out how theaurora are formed, but found very little. When Iwas an undergraduate student at the Universityof Iowa, I discovered that the space physiciststhere spent their entire careers studying the ba-sic physics underlying the aurora. To be able tohave a job pursuing my childhood curiositieshas made me unbelievably fortunate.

William S. Kurth, continued

The coolest thing about my work is: I often getto be the very first human being to see specifictypes of observations returned from planetaryspacecraft. On Voyager, everything we observedwith the plasma-wave instrument was a newdiscovery since an instrument of that kind hadnever flown to Jupiter and beyond.

My Most Exciting Experience at WorkAs Voyager approached Uranus in early 1986, Iplotted up some recent data from our plasmainstrument and immediately noticed indicationsof the first radio emissions from Uranus. Thisprovided the first evidence that the planet wouldhave an extensive magnetosphere. Several dayslater, another instrument team agreed that wehad seen Uranus, and we were all totally im-mersed in exploring yet another new world!

My Most Challenging Experience at WorkWhen the Galileo high-gain antenna failed todeploy, all of us were afraid that the missionwould be a failure because the spacecraft wouldnot be able to send back as much data. Instead,hundreds of people worked long hours, day inand day out, for nearly three years to find waysof making do with what we had. Instead of be-ing able to send back 100,000 bits of informa-tion per second, Galileo could only send backabout 10 bits per second. With some ingeniousimprovements they were able to increase this toabout 100 bits of information per second. Therest of the job was up to the scientists to figureout how to make each bit count for more infor-mation. The results for our plasma instrumentwere remarkably good! With some clever pro-gramming, we were able to get the same qualityof data using 5 bits of information per secondinstead of the 240 bits per second we had origi-nally planned.

Ten Years from Now?I hope that 10 years from now I will be analyz-ing Cassini data from Saturn and discoveringwhy Saturn’s moon Dione apparently controlsthe intensity of radio emissions generated inSaturn’s magnetic field. I also hope to be con-tinuing to monitor data from the two Voyagerspacecraft, which will then be 100 times furtherfrom the Sun than is Earth.


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Mechanical Designer

Words of Wisdom

“Keep a child’s eye. Wonder at this marvelousUniverse and take an active part in its explora-tion. Embrace the world, travel forth and explorewith every God-given sense and talent, and withevery good tool you can wield. Learn, and learnhow to learn, and then experience every interest-ing and noble thing. Teach when your life’sexperiences have become worthy of a child’s eye.”

Personal

Birth date: 7 September 1956Home: Broomfield, ColoradoChildren: Zachary (b. 1992), Madeline (b. 1997)

Favorite hobbies:• Fishing• Fixing things• Photography• Skywatching

Education

(All in Dallas, Texas)Elementary: Holy CrossJunior high: St. JamesHigh school: Bishop Dunne

Highest college degree: BS in Architecture andEnvironmental Design, University of Texas atArlington

Favorite subject: Science — I LOVE to explore.

Least favorite subject: I liked everything; I likedschool.

Subject I wish I had studied more: Morescience!

Professional

What I do for the Cassini mission: I work at alaboratory in Colorado where we designed andbuilt Cassini’s Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph(UVIS). UVIS can make images of the ultravioletlight reflected off Saturn’s rings and the atmo-spheres of Saturn and Titan. From this, we canlearn more about their structure and composi-tion. I laid out the initial mechanical design forthe spectrograph. I also designed and imple-mented tests of how well (mechanically) theUVIS instrument would survive and performduring the stressful Cassini mission. I am justone member of a large team of engineers, scien-tists, machinists, and many others.

In my work, I must know how to:• Do detailed technical drawings• Apply engineering and math basics• Listen carefully and communicate with

scientists and machinists• Use my imagination to solve problems

Stephen Charles Lane (Steve)

“Loyal, Curious, Persistent”

Figure 13Cassini

Team Member

Profile


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6 The coolest thing about my work is: Being in-volved in the whole process of creating a newtool to be flown on a spacecraft to make newdiscoveries.

How I describe Saturn: Distant, Mysterious,Wondrous

How I describe Cassini: Ambitious, Hopeful,Difficult

Why care about Cassini? Cassini is a mission ofdiscovery. Discovery educates, inspires, and up-lifts. It separates us from the “dog-eat-dog”drudgery of survival. It’s our nature to wonder,discover, and find out about the Universe. Inevery form (art, literature, science), the explora-tion of the Universe has always been the noblestof endeavors.

Human Interest

How I First Noticed the StarsNoticing the stars was one my earliest memories.My family has a lake in East Texas (Pinedale).It’s about 100 miles from the big-city lights ofDallas and 20 miles from the town of Tyler,Texas. I was probably 2 or 3 years old, but I “al-ways” knew I’d see the whole Milky Way at thelake. We went several times each summer and Ialso saw bullfrogs, foxes, deer, snakes, turtles,wild turkeys, donkeys, cattle, and of course, fish(catfish, brim, bass). These days I take my ownchildren there every year. My wife loves it too —pine trees, rolling hills, fresh air, and starry skies!

Stephen Charles Lane, continued

How I Came to Work on CassiniWhen I was younger I wanted to be an astro-naut, a space explorer, the first person on Mars! Istarted college in Aerospace Engineering, butswitched to Environmental Design and Archi-tecture. I’ve had some boring, everyday jobs inengineering and architecture. Thirteen years ago,I turned down two jobs in architecture to take ariskier job in aerospace. I’ve never regretted it!The job I have now has been challenging andmysterious every day. When it comes to design-ing an instrument like the UVIS for Cassini, myknowledge of the architectural design processsometimes serves me more than my engineeringexpertise. Often the solution is not so muchabout the numbers but more about the seeing allthe possibilities (and then you crunch numbers).

Overcoming Adversity in My CareerNo one achieves success without overcomingsome adversity. At the time, we see our adversity(a problem, a person, a handicap) as the enemy.But when we persevere and succeed, we can seethat the “enemy” was the teacher, and that weare stronger for the contest. The sixth and sev-enth operations on my right hand were success-ful, and I finally won my battle with repetitivestress injuries.

Ten Years from Now?I expect to be doing much the same, only better,more fascinating and more fun!


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Patricia duFossé Lock

Right:

“Paddy” Lock

visiting the

Star Trek

exhibit at the

National Air and

Space Museum in

Washington, D.C.,

during the fall

of 1992.

Systems Engineer

Words of Wisdom

“There is nothing you cannot do. Don’t letpeople tell you that you can’t do something youdream of doing. Go for it; if one way doesn’twork, try another. And you can have a careerand a family. It’s hard, but it’s worth it, and wecan help each other.”

Personal

Birth date: 11 January 1961Home: La Crescenta, CaliforniaChildren: Graeme (b. 1992) and Connor(b. 1993)

Favorite hobbies:• Reading, especially science fiction, history,

and mythology• Camping• Cooking experiments• Riding trains with my sons

Education

Elementary: Cranford, New Jersey and Beverly,MassachusettsJunior high: Loyalsock, PennsylvaniaHigh school: Loyalsock, Pennsylvania, andSunnyvale, California

Highest college degree: BS in Aerospace Engi-neering and Minor in Classics, San Diego StateUniversity, California

Favorite subject: English

Least favorite subject: Social Studies; “It amusesme that a subject I hated most in school is reallythe history I now love.”

Subject I wish I had studied more: Foreignlanguage

“Busy, Funny, Adventurous”

Professional

What I do for the Cassini mission: I engineerthe system for distributing computers and all theproper software to Cassini scientists all over theworld. I also assist scientists in the operation of4 of Cassini’s 12 instruments.

In my work, I must know how to:• Think broadly• Anticipate problems• Use computers and the Internet• Learn new things• Negotiate with others

The coolest thing about my work is: Cassini isgoing to Saturn and will send back images we’veonly dreamed of. And I have a high-speed con-nection to the Internet on my desk to look atthem!

Figure 14Cassini

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How I describe Cassini: Ambitious, Challeng-ing, Hopeful

Why care about Cassini? The Cassini missionwill be a benefit to all of us. The huge amountof new information we get back from it willhelp us develop a better understanding of theSolar System, Earth, and ourselves too! Theremay be solutions to problems we have here onEarth that will be discovered as a result of newinformation sent back by Cassini. Also, Cassinikeeps our sense of wonder alive. If we don'tstretch our limits and explore, if we don't learnnew things, how can we grow?

Human Interest

My First Look at the SkyI remember watching the Moon out my windowat night. I always wanted to go there. My fatherhad a puppet he would pretend was a visitorfrom the Moon. We didn't figure it out until wewere 12 or older! After I saw the Moon landing(I was 8 at the time), I knew I would always bein some way associated with space.

How I Came to CassiniSince I began high school, I knew I wanted todo something technical. For a while I hadwanted to be a physical therapist, but a coupleweeks volunteering at my local hospital changedmy mind. I always knew I would go to college

Patricia duFossé Lock, continued

and have a career. My grades and test scores weremuch higher in English than math, but still OKin both when I began to think about engineer-ing. It was an early idea, but it fit with my child-hood dream of going to the Moon, so I dis-cussed it with my advisor. Well, this advisor toldme that I couldn't go to engineering school be-cause I was a girl! Obviously this advisor didn'tknow me very well, because right then I madeup my mind to do it. I've never regretted thatdecision.

During college I worked two internships. Oneof them was working on the Apache Helicopter.That was loads of fun! After college, I was hiredby Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin) inDenver, where I was an engineer. Five years latermy husband was offered a job at the Jet Propul-sion Laboratory and we decided he should takeit. I set up an interview, then never stopped call-ing JPL until someone hired me! The job theyhired me for was on Galileo (NASA's mission toJupiter). I changed jobs three more times, all onGalileo, before moving to Cassini in 1994.

My Most Challenging Experience at WorkWhen the high-gain antenna on Galileo failed todeploy, and only a limited amount of sciencedata could be sent back, I was very involved inrethinking how all the science observationswould be done with the new setup. All the pro-cesses our team had worked out before launchwere thrown out and we started over. It wasquite a big job, requiring much perseverance.


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Ellis Devere Miner, Jr. Science Manager

Words of Wisdom

“Many people struggle to be recognized as great,as better than the rest, often by climbing overother people. Most only succeed in makingenemies. The best and most successful, in myopinion, are those who unselfishly serve othersin any way they can. There is no limit to whatpeople can accomplish if they don’t care whogets the credit.”

Personal

Birth date: 16 April 1937Home: Lake View Terrace, CaliforniaChildren: (with wife Beverly) Steve (b. 1962),Marjorie (b. 1963), David (b. 1967), Jeffrey(b. 1970), Christin (b. 1972), Becky (b. 1976),Laura (b. 1980)

Favorite hobbies:• Tennis, hiking, and mountain biking• Studying family history• Singing bass in a church choir• Talking about astronomy and space science• Tutoring students in math and science

Education

Elementary: Andrew Jackson Elementary inSan Francisco and McKinley Elementary inRedwood City, CaliforniaJunior high: Logan Jr. High*High school: Logan High**Both in Northern Utah

Highest college degree: PhD in Astrophysics,Brigham Young University

Favorite subjects: Physics and Algebra

Least favorite subject: Economics

Subjects I wish I had studied more: Geologyand Meteorology

“Happy, Excited about space, Quick to under-stand new things”

Professional

What I do for the Cassini mission: I am the Sci-ence Manager for Cassini. I fund the U.S. scien-tists who are members of our Cassini science in-vestigation teams. I also help set scientific priori-ties for the Cassini mission, direct some of thedetailed planning for collection of science data,and serve as a science “expert” and spokespersonto broadcast media personnel and to other inter-ested individuals and groups. I interact directlywith about fifty people on the Cassini Projectstaff and with a similar number of scientists inthe United States and Europe.

In my work, I must know how to:• Apply basics of science• Listen well• Get along with others• Use computers and e-mail• Speak in public• Express complex ideas in easy terms

Figure 15Cassini

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How I describe Saturn: Beautiful, Intricate,Mystifying.

How I describe the Cassini mission: Well-designed, Unprecedented, Thrilling

Why care about Cassini? Spacecraft missions tothe planets are a rare but very important way tolearn about our neighborhood of the Universe.Keeping track of Cassini is a little like beingthere when the Declaration of Independencewas signed, when Galileo first pointed a tele-scope at the skies, when William Herschel dis-covered the first new planet not known to theancients, or when astronauts first stepped onthe Moon!

Human Interest

How I First Noticed the SkyMy interest in astronomy and the Solar Systembegan in Redwood City, California, when I wasstill in grade school. I used to love to lie on myback at night and contemplate the stars andMoon. However, it wasn’t until I was a physicsgraduate student that I decided to major in as-trophysics and that I had my first glimpses ofthe heavens through a telescope.

How I Came to CassiniI was a fan of Bing Crosby when I was veryyoung, and thought it would be great to growup to be a professional singer and actor. Unfor-tunately, my talents didn’t quite match my am-bition. Then I thought about being an astro-

Ellis Devere Miner, continued

The coolest thing about my work is: Gettingto be close to and a part of such an exciting ad-venture as the Cassini mission, and to be one ofthe first to see the data (pictures and other in-formation) coming back from the spacecraft.

naut, but I was an inch too tall. I also thoughtabout being a religion teacher, but I have settledfor teaching religion as a volunteer each morn-ing during the school year (now in my 12thyear). I sort of stumbled into my job at Jet Pro-pulsion Laboratory when I needed employmentfor the 4 months between the time I got myPhD and when I had to report for active duty inthe Army. The Army then assigned me to workat JPL for my 2 years of active duty, and I’vebeen here ever since.

A Major Challenge in My CareerOne of the more challenging problems was howto use the limited time and limited computermemory of the two Voyager spacecraft to ac-complish the maximum amount of science,while at the same time avoiding heated argu-ments between scientists about whose data wasmost important. We managed to be able to sat-isfy almost every scientist who worked on Voy-ager. Sometime a few years before I joined theVoyager Project as Assistant Project Scientist, Iwas asked to serve for 5 years as a Bishop in mychurch (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). I learned valuable counseling skillsand how to recognize and appreciate the effortsof individuals. These attributes have been veryhelpful to my success in the space program.

Ten Years from Now?Ten years from now the Cassini spacecraft willstill be collecting data in orbit around the planetSaturn. I plan to stick around until the Cassinimission is complete and then retire. I will be 71by then, and perhaps my wife and I will serve an18-month mission for our church somewhere inthe world.


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Fernando Peralta Mission Design and Navigation

Words of Wisdom

“Education is a must and should be pursued as anever ending endeavor. Education brings greatpersonal pride, satisfaction, A great sense ofaccomplishment, and it opens one’s horizons tounlimited and unimagined possibilities. I standfor honesty, integrity, and commitment toexcellence.”

Personal

Birth date: 8 January 1957Home: La Cañada, CaliforniaChildren: Catalina (b. 1979) and David (b.1983)

Favorite hobbies:• Photography• Filmmaking• Jogging• Reading on diverse topics• Contributing to my community

Education

Elementary and junior high: San Bartolome LaMerced in Bogota, Colombia, South AmericaHigh school: Bogota, Colombia

Highest college degree: MS in Aerospace Engi-neering, University of Texas at Austin

Favorite subject: Humanities (history, literature)

Least favorite subject: English Composition

Subject I wish I had studied more: I wish Iwould have taken more and paid more attentionto English since I came to realize how much Ineeded it when I started writing publicationsand memos to my colleagues at work.

“Positive, Enthusiastic, Participative”

Professional

What I do for the Cassini mission: I have par-ticipated in the design and analysis of the inter-planetary trajectory of the Cassini mission. Pres-ently, I’m more involved in the navigation aspectof the mission. I run computer simulations ofthe trajectory to be flown to Saturn. With agroup of about 10 people, I ran tests and train-ing exercises associated with the launch phase ofthe mission.

In my work, I must know how to:• Use orbital mechanics• Apply mathematics and physics• Program computers• Learn new things• Get along with others

The coolest thing about my work is: The JetPropulsion Laboratory stands for excellence inspace exploration throughout the world and

Figure 16Cassini

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How I describe Saturn: Fascinating, Mysterious,Magnificent

How I describe Cassini: Revealing, Engaging,Unique

Why care about Cassini? As with any JPL mis-sion, Cassini will return new knowledge (bothexpected and unexpected) for the benefit of hu-mankind, and if we’re lucky, it will keep bring-ing information back to Earth beyond the pre-dicted life-span of the mission. Cassini’s devel-opment has also brought technical innovationsthus creating possibilities for spin-off technolo-gies which in turn can generate new jobs. Also,Cassini will undoubtedly create an immensesense of pride and accomplishment, not only atthe local level but also throughout the world.

Human Interest

How I Feel about My JobMy job is very challenging and rewarding. I be-lieve that if a person likes what he/she does thenthat person gives more than what the written jobassignments ask for, thus making use of all pos-sible skills one can offer. In my case, I providenot only my technical skills and knowledge toJPL, but I also see myself as a public servant.Therefore, I promote science and space explora-tion at different outreach events. I give publictalks and tours at JPL (even on Sundays). I vol-unteer at fair expos and I serve as liaison be-tween JPL and different organizations, such as

Fernando Peralta, continued

being part of it is really cool. It’s the coolestwhen you can make use of all the different in-terests and skills you possess, allowing you tokeep growing at a professional and personallevel.

schools. To me, even one person is worth ap-proaching, especially if the person comes from arelatively poor or risk-filled living environment.

How I Came to CassiniI loved flying since I can remember and thoughtof being a commercial pilot, but I was also veryintrigued as to why the airplane was able to fly.Later, I was fascinated not only with air venturesbut also with space. Once I decided that Iwanted to do interplanetary mission design, Ihad two questions: 1) What were the bestschools to provide me with the knowledge to domission design? and 2) Was there a market inmission design at JPL? I didn’t want to spendsuch an amount of resources and find out that atthe end of the road there was no market for myskills. I got the name of a person to contact atJPL to see if I could work there once I had com-pleted my Master’s degree. I selected Bill O’Neil(at the time, Galileo project manager), whichwas the name with the highest rank listed in ona conference paper I found. I would confess thatmaking that phone call was very intimidating tome. Bill very nicely referred me to Roger Diehl(at the time, Mission Design Manager for theCassini program) who invited me over to JPLand very kindly offered me advice in regard tomy questions. I have come to realize that thereare always people willing to assist you and guideyou if you ask for it.

Ten Years from Now?I plan to go back to school and obtain an MBAonce I finish the certificate I’m pursuing in film-making. Most importantly, I envision myselfworking on another exciting planetary mission.


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David Allen Seal (Shaggy)

Words of Wisdom

“Work hard, play hard, and spend part of yourlife doing something that improves the humanrace and not just maintains it. Don’t be botheredby anything that won’t matter in 6 months.”

Personal

Birth date: 27 August 1968Home: La Crescenta, CaliforniaChildren: None

Favorite hobbies:• Volleyball• Playing in the ocean• Playing the guitar• Going to baseball games• Playing race cars and Star Wars with my

brother

Education

(All in Beverly, Massachusetts)Elementary: Hardie and Cove schoolsJunior high: Briscoe Middle SchoolHigh school: St. John’s Prep, a Catholic Boy’sSchool

Highest college degree: MS in Aerospace Engi-neering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Favorite subject: Creative Writing

Least favorite subject: A class called “multivari-able control” that was all hairy math with no in-teresting examples.

Subject I wish I had studied more: Economics;I’m awful with money, and don’t have the firstclue how to buy a house...compound interestand all that.

“Rich, Famous, and Popular, of course!”

Professional

What I do for the Cassini mission: I’m onlyworking odd jobs for Cassini now, but my rolewas the lead mission engineer. Essentially, mytasks fell into four categories: find out what thescientists want to do at Saturn; find out whatthe engineers can design; do trade-off studies toget science needs and engineering designs tomatch; and communicate the results of thosestudies effectively. I worked on everything fromfiguring out what Earth antenna to use to com-municate, to developing a strategy to use the re-corders to save as much data as possible. I alsomake computer artwork and animations forCassini that can be found on the Cassiniwebsite.

In my work, I must know how to:• Apply engineering and math principles• Use and program a computer• Work well with people• Write clearly• Use my imagination

Mission Engineer and Computer Artist

Figure 17Cassini

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How I describe Saturn: Elegant, Majestic, andreally really Big

How I describe Cassini: Ambitious, Illuminat-ing and Expensive — but worth it!

Why care about Cassini? First, space is cool.Some day we’ll be flying around the Solar Sys-tem without any problem, and learning about itnow is necessary if we are going to do that. Sec-ond, the space program is a great source of newtechnology. There are a lot of new inventionsthat come out of developing a spacecraft likeCassini. I really hope it discovers something to-tally incredible!

Human Interest

How I Became Interested in SpaceI was interested in space ever since I saw StarWars and my Dad and I started looking throughhis telescopes. He’s a really good amateur as-tronomer. I didn’t live with him, but got to visithim during the summers (he was usually in aforeign country) so it was always a treat to getout the telescope and check out objects in thesky.

The Nature of My Work EnvironmentI work in one of the famous Dilbert-like “cu-bicles.” But at least I have a window with a tree.I alternate between “tooling” on my own toworking with teams of 4–8 people to get thingsdone. I really recommend that people make

David Seal, continued

The coolest thing about my work is: I get tomake artwork for Cassini and other projects,and they pay me to do it.

high school and college a social experience aswell as an academic experience. I’ve seen plentyof people with good technical skills who weren’treally accomplishing anything because theydidn’t know how do communicate with people.In my work environment, technical and peopleskills are equally important!

A Fun Challenge at WorkOne of the more fun challenges was fittingpeople’s signatures on a CD-ROM that willtravel to Saturn with the spacecraft. After signa-tures are scanned in, I had to think of a way tofit as many as possible on a CD-ROM withoutmaking them impossible to read.

How I Came to Do Space ArtIn 1993, I had been playing with some softwarethat was used to make computer images duringthe Voyager flybys of Jupiter and Saturn. I wasthe only person who seemed interested in keep-ing the software working. Strangely, I had firstheard of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory when Iwas 8 years old and saw images created by thissoftware on TV. It was an amazing twist of fatethat I would wind up being the person in chargeof it. Anyway, I offered to use the software to doa color picture of a comet called Shoemaker–Levy 9 crashing into Jupiter. The image woundup in Time and Sky & Telescope and lots of othermagazines, and also on TV, in videos, and inbooks. I couldn’t believe how much press theimage got, and decided that not only was it fun(the main reason I still do it), but it’s somethingpeople get excited about. So I’ve continued todo space art when I can. It really is part of myjob here, too, spreading the word about spaceto the public (which pays for NASA). Lots ofmy Saturn work can be found on the Cassiniwebsite.


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Marcus Angelo Watkins (Marc) Spacecraft Engineer

Words of Wisdom

“Life is about learning, whether it is how to tieyour shoe or how to fly an airplane. You learnfrom listening, observing, and questioning. Takechances!! Try almost anything as long as it willnot hurt you! You are a unique individual andthere is only one of you! Develop yourself intowhatever you want. We live in America, whereyou have the best chance at becoming whateveryou want to become. Most of the world doesnot have the opportunities that you have. Donot squander them. Embrace them!”

Personal

Birth date: 11 November 1960Home: Santa Monica, CaliforniaChildren: I am helping to raise my cousinMichael (b. 1987)

Favorite hobbies:• Flag football• Tennis• Basketball• Skiing• Music (all kinds)

Education

(All in Lanham, Maryland)Elementary: Lincoln and SeabrookJunior high: Thomas JohnsonHigh school: Duvall

Highest college degree: MS in Engineering,George Washington University in Washington,D.C.

Favorite subject: Mathematics

Least favorite subject: English

“Easygoing, Personable, Playful ”

Professional

What I do for the Cassini mission: I workedwith the spacecraft manager and program man-ager on the antenna system and also the powerand propulsion systems. Antennas are used tocommunicate with the spacecraft from theground stations and to receive scientific datafrom the spacecraft. Power runs the radios, com-puters, and instruments. Propulsion moves thespacecraft from Earth into space and then on toSaturn.

In my work, I must know how to:• Communicate with different people• Apply technical skills in engineering, science,

and math• Be willing to try new things• Have fun doing hard things

Subjects I wish I had studied more: Spanish,Art, and Music

Figure 18Cassini

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How I describe Saturn: Cold, Stunning, andMysterious

How I describe Cassini: Complex, Scientific,Awesome!

Why care about Cassini? We should care aboutCassini because knowledge is power, and learn-ing anything new helps you and your civiliza-tion to grow and develop. If Cassini is success-ful, we will learn a lot more about Saturn, itsrings, and its largest moon, Titan. Titan is theonly moon in the Solar System that has a sub-stantive atmosphere, and it is larger than theplanet Mercury!

Human Interest

My First Looks at the SkyWhen I was in school, I heard about the Apollomissions landing on the Moon. I thought it waspretty cool that people were actually on theMoon when I looked up at it. I have alwaysliked looking up at the stars and constellations.When I was younger I thought it would be niceto live on the Moon. Maybe I will still get mychance!

My Work EnvironmentWhen I worked on Cassini, there were about20 people who worked within the project officeand were responsible for managing the project.

Marcus Angelo Watkins, continued

The coolest thing about my work is: Workingon a spacecraft that travels billions of miles toinvestigate the Saturn system; working on oneof the last of the huge spacecraft to be built;traveling to Germany and Italy to work with theItalians and Germans.

There were also several hundred other peopleworking on Cassini’s design. Eventually, thou-sands of people would help build and launchCassini. My job was hard because we were doingthings that had never been done before, whichmakes it even more rewarding when it all works!!Most of the people who work for NASA do sobecause it’s fun!

What I Wanted to Be When I Grew UpFirst I wanted to be a policeman, then a fire-man, and finally I decided to become a doctor.But then while in college, I changed my mindabout becoming a doctor, and instead becamean engineer. Neither of my parents had gone tocollege, but both were well-educated. They be-lieved one should learn about many differentthings. I was the first one in my family to attendand graduate from college. My mom would helptype my papers and my dad helped with some ofmy college expenses. I was a B to C student inhigh school and could get by without studyingtoo much. But this made it very difficult for mewhen I went to college because I had poor studyskills. I had to learn to study in order to getgood grades. In my career I have changed jobs atleast every 4 to 5 years. Yes, it’s a little scary totry new things, but it pays off, and each time itgets a little bit easier.

Ten Years from Now?Ten years is a long time! Hmmm, well, I hopethat in ten years I will be working on the SpaceStation... or maybe working on the next Moonlanding, or getting ready for the first missionthat sends people to Mars!! I hope I will beworking with some of you who become scien-tists, engineers, technicians, programmers, andteachers, helping to explain the mysteries of theuniverse and solving problems of the future!


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Student Profile (1 of 2)

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Figure 19

Education

Your current grade level:

Your favorite subject:

Least favorite subject:

What subjects do you want to study more?

A Picture of You (Draw a picture or attach aphoto, then write a brief description of your picture.)

Write three words that describe you:

Personal Information

Age (in Earth years):

Your address:

Brothers/sisters:

Your favorite hobbies:

Your Words of Wisdom


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Student Profile (2 of 2)

Career Plans

What do you want to be or do?

What will you need to study and know inorder to do this job?

What would be the coolest thing aboutthis job?

Saturn and YouWhat three words would you use todescribe Saturn?

What three words would you use todescribe the Cassini mission?

If you had a chance to work on a project likethe Cassini mission, what would you wantto do?

If you could write a 50- to 100-word mes-sage on a plaque and send it into space on aspacecraft, what would the message say?

When the Cassini spacecraft arrives atSaturn in the year 2004, what do you thinkyou will be doing?

THE CASSINI–HUYGENS MISSION LESSON People of the Cassini ... · Background for Lesson Discussion,...

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