Voyager and Family: How a Space Exploration Project Influenced My Life and the Timing of My Children’s Births

Growing up, the plot of Voyager had a significant impact on my life. Not only did it influence my career path, but it also played a role in the timing of my children’s births. 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.

As experiment representatives for Voyager instruments on a scan platform, Candy Hansen, Sue Linick, and I shared a unique bond. Candy worked on the Imaging Science Subsystem, Sue on the Ultraviolet Spectrometer, and I on the Photopolarimeter. In a photograph captured during our time as experiment reps, our heads are carefully positioned to mimic the placement of our respective instruments on the Voyager scan platform.

The shared experience of working on Voyager and starting families during this time created a strong bond among us that continues to this day. 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.