Voyager’s Lasting Impact: A Personal Story of Adventure and Discovery

The Voyager mission had a profound impact on my life, both professionally and personally. As an experiment representative for the Imaging Science Subsystem, I was part of a team that played a crucial role in the success of the mission. Working alongside my colleagues Candy Hansen and Sue Linick, who were also experiment representatives for the Ultraviolet Spectrometer and Photopolarimeter respectively, we formed a strong bond as we navigated the challenges of our roles on the mission.

Our shared experience of working on Voyager and starting families during this time created a unique bond among us that continues to this day. Interestingly, our children grew up together, forming strong bonds as they navigated childhood alongside each other. I often joke with my daughters Jennifer and Jessica that the planets aligned for their arrival in our family during a five-year window between the Voyager flybys of Saturn in 1981 and Uranus in 1986.

Looking back, I realize that fully embracing the adventures and discoveries of Voyager not only shaped my professional journey but also played a role in the personal milestones that defined my life. The lessons learned from this mission have stayed with me throughout my career and have been instrumental in shaping who I am today as a scientist and as a person.