Bryant Cramer is the CALIPSO program manager. He is responsible for the design, assembly, integration and test of the CALIPSO flight and ground support hardware and for the launch activity and on-orbit checkout of the spacecraft. "I am challenged with the task of overcoming scheduling delays to lead this team to launch and then to a successful mission," said Cramer. "CALIPSO is a very challenging mission -- it has an active sensor which sends out pulses of light that are reflected back and measured as signals. These active sensors, rather than passive sensors, often make the mission harder and it is more difficult to manage their reliability."
Image left: Shown here is Bryant Cramer, the program manager for CALIPSO.
What attracted you to the CALIPSO mission?
About three years ago I was asked to join the mission. I have been with NASA for more than 25 years and in the aerospace field for more than 40 years. I appreciate CALIPSO's scientific goals as well as the challenges the mission poses.
What's your favorite part of your job?
Seeing the mission carry on through completion with some confidence that we will realize scientific objectives. I also like the fact that CALIPSO is part of a broader mission: the Aura-train, or the A-train. The A-train, a constellation of 5 satellites taking near-simultaneous and complimentary data, is studying the role that clouds and aerosols play in climate change. Flying Earth observation satellites in formation is a unique and difficult feat, but one that will have great rewards in helping us to understand our planet.
What hobbies or interests make you a a unique member of the CALIPSO team?
After work, I enjoy reading historical books -- from all historical periods. I am always regaling the CALIPSO team with fun facts and anecdotes from my reading.
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