LESSONS FROM THE PIONEER VENUS PROGRAM

摘要

Good evening. It is indeed a pleasure to address a group of scientists and engineers who share my enthusiasm for space exploration. When Bernie Bienstock, tonight's host from Boeing, first asked me to be a keynote speaker tonight he suggested I tell war stories about Pioneer Venus. Well, for a veteran like me, that's a tempting offer. And it's a temptation I don't intend to resist. So my remarks tonight will be more of a personal Pioneer Venus memoir then a program history. As the Hughes Program Manager for the Pioneer Venus project, I gained a perspective on what it takes to design, build, test, launch and fly planetary missions. Before beginning, let me extract a few lessons from my experience in the planetary exploration program and as program manager of the Pioneer Venus Program. I feel it is the job of experienced veterans to convey to younger members of the scientific and engineering community the problems and issues that were encountered, and how we resolved them.