The Cosmic Connection: How Voyager Changed Our Lives

The plot of Voyager had a significant impact on my life, both professionally and personally. As an experiment representative for Voyager instruments on a scan platform, I was part of a team that worked tirelessly to uncover the mysteries of the outer planets. My friends Candy Hansen and Sue Linick were also part of this team, with Candy working on the Imaging Science Subsystem and Sue on the Ultraviolet Spectrometer.

Our shared experience of working on Voyager created a bond among us that continues to this day. We often joke about how the planets aligned for our children’s births during a five-year window between the Voyager flybys of Saturn in 1981 and Uranus in 1986. Jennifer and Jessica, my daughters, were born during this time, as were other Voyager moms like Candy’s children and Sue’s children.

The timing applied to our families as well, creating a unique bond among us as we navigated parenthood together. Our children grew up alongside each other, forming strong bonds that continue to this day. As we look back on our time as experiment reps for Voyager, we can see how it shaped not only our careers but also our personal milestones that defined our lives.