Florence Tan, Deputy Chief Technologist, Science Mission Directorate
For most of my career at NASA, I built electronics and wrote software for mass spectrometers for space flight operations. This included instruments for the MAVEN orbiter and the Curiosity Rover on and around Mars. I also designed electronics and wrote software for the mass spectrometers flown on the Cassini Orbiter to Saturn and Huygens Probe into Titan, the biggest moon of Saturn. Essentially, mass spectrometers are like "noses" that sniff out components of soil or gaseous samples from other planets or moons.
The challenge of the Huygens Probe was it had only 60 minutes to operate and to survive the seven years it took to reach Titan. It had to do all its work during that one-hour descent, sampling the atmosphere as it fell. No second chances. But it worked and told us a lot of what we know about Titan. When I first saw the first photos of Titan after the probe had landed I instantly understood why the effort was so worth it. These were the first pictures of a moon other than ours. The first pictures gave me goosebumps. And I understood why I loved working at NASA. The very idea that we humans have the smarts and the sophistication and the cooperation to build such complex hardware that can operate flawlessly after almost eight years through the inhospitable environment of space is a testament to man's ingenuity and perseverance. It is a privilege to be part of this group.
I began working on Cassini and Huygens mass spectrometers when I was in my 20s. We launched the Huygens probe and Cassini orbiter when I was in my early 30s. I am now in my 50s and the Cassini mission just ended in 2017 after orbiting Saturn and its moon and accomplishing great science for another 12 years. This has been one of the most satisfying experiences in my career. It has been some ride.
Last Updated: April 2, 2018
Editor: Rachael Blodgett
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