Moments in Space: How Voyager Missions Influenced the Births of My Children and Created a Special Bond among Us as Voyager Parents

Exploring Science with Linda Spilker at NASA

As a journalist, I have had the opportunity to rewrite this article and make it unique. The Voyager missions have had a profound impact on my life in various ways. One particular aspect that stands out is how the timing of the flybys influenced the births of my children. I often joke with my daughters, Jennifer and Jessica, that their births were determined by the alignment of the planets during the Voyager missions. They were born between the Voyager Saturn flyby in 1981 and the Uranus flyby in 1986.

Interestingly, my friends Candy Hansen and Sue Linick, who were also Voyager moms, started their families during this time frame as well. As a result, our children grew up together, creating a special bond among our families.

During the Voyager missions, Candy Hansen was an experiment rep for the Imaging Science Subsystem, Sue Linick worked with the Ultraviolet Spectrometer, and Bob Nelson was responsible for the Photopolarimeter. In a memorable photo from that time, we are shown with our heads carefully positioned to represent our respective instruments on the Voyager scan platform. This photo serves as a reminder of the unique relationship we shared as mothers and scientists during that exciting period in space exploration.

In conclusion, my experiences with Voyager have had a significant impact on my life in various ways. The timing of flybys played an important role in shaping my family’s lives and creating special bonds among us as mothers and scientists working together on this exciting mission to explore space beyond our planetary boundaries.

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