Interviews
Bob Holder
What is your name, and could you give me some background information on you?
Bob Holder. I graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1991 with a BS in Geography, and again in 1996 with a BS in Geology, with a Minor in Space Studies. I was one of the first to get a minor in a new Space Studies program (only one in the world at that time) learning about Planetary Geology, Space Law, Space Systems, and Space Physiology (How the body works in space). I moved to Houston after graduating and worked as a Geologist/Environmental Scientist for about 20 years. This is my second year teaching.
What made you decide to major in geology and minor in space studies?
Well, I have always been fascinated with Space including Star Wars, Star Trek, and the like. I had always followed NASA and every launch and every satellite and was thrilled when they began the new Space Studies program at my University. At that time that was the closest thing, I could find that interested me. I started out in Geography (still not sure why) but near the end, I discovered Physical Geography (studying land features) and realized that that is where Geography ends and Geology begins. So I went.
What were you hoping to do with this degree career wise?
Years ago I wanted to go back and get my Ph.D. in Planetary Geology and work for NASA or JPL in Pasadena, CA.
How does geology link with space studies?
All planets have Geology and some of the same basic minerals and tectonic forces. Studying other planets that are different distances from the sun, different gravity, more moons (satellites), constant bombardment from meteors and display more volcanic eruption, and have a different atmosphere….all these different factors affect the geology, the surface features and characteristics of the planet. Geology on Earth seems boring when you consider that some of Jupiter’s moons have oceans made out of liquid methane and a toxic atmosphere of Sulfuric gas. Different substances react differently and also show us what our planet was once like millions of years ago.
What are some of the benefits that studying this field has given you and how has your degree or studies benefited you in your current work?
It gives me a broader view of things realizing that rain, storms, soil, erosion, volcanism and more can be on other planets under similar and sometimes VERY different conditions than we are used to here.
What are your opinions on the exploration of mars, and with the knowledge that you have acquired, do you think we will make it to Mars?
Probably a bit more conservative than when I was younger. I think it’s a great idea to explore Mars. We can do so now we have the technology and practice spending many days in space aboard The International Space Station. Now I’m more interested in safety. Every NASA space program has had its share of failures from Mercury to Apollo, to the Space Shuttle. I was part of the Emergency Response team when Columbia came apart during re-entry in Feb 2003. I worked for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in the Water Program. I also helped out with Emergency Response (usually called on for oil spills and such on the freeways to ensure drinking water doesn’t get contaminated and that they do the proper cleanup. We were called out for 4 days to help search and recover pieces of the shuttle that we dangerous and unfortunately remaining body parts and personal items of the crew. That was something I did not want to come across, and I was fortunate that I didn’t. I remember a few days after there were flowers placed along the fences outside of Johnson Space Center, in Webster/Clear Lake. I had never seen so many flowers. But there is always risk involved in the discovery. I was 16 the last time there was an accident. Challenger exploded a few minutes after liftoff. We watched in in High school. I was reminded of this driving to Nacadoches, TX not knowing what to expect. It’s not something you get over, and like with most losses you just get used to it and remember the risks involved, and try carry on.
What was the highlight of studying in your once desired career?
I have met around 8-10 different Astronauts, some from the Apollo Moon Mission and the first Space Shuttle flight. I went to many Lunar and Space Science conferences and met many famous University professors, in their field. I even met Carl Sagan once at a Conference here in 1992. I grew up watching his COSMOS TV series, based mostly on Voyager satellite footage-our first look at the outer solar system. I remember my college professor arguing with him in disagreement over some native Pygmies in Brazil.
I remember looking at my professor and thinking “What are you doing? This is CARL SAGAN!”
I also had colleagues that worked at Johnson Space Center and got a few behind the curtain tours of things. I was a kid in a candy store.
What was the most challenging part of your studies?
1) I had to work full time to support myself and pay for college so I often found myself a bit behind on the academic end of my grades.
2) When I met other students at these conferences, they were from MIT, or Columbia/Brown University or Arizona or Hawaii (the Ivy league of Planetary Geology). And these kids were smart! They were majoring in Physics or Exo-Biology, and other exotic academic majors that I never heard of. Plus, their professors were famous, published and sought after. Long story short I didn’t have the grades, the money, or the connections to attend some of these elite Universities.
Warren Buzzard
What is your name and what is the field of work that you do or study?
My name is Warren Buzzard and I am an aerospace engineer. I studied aerospace engineering in college and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
What are some of the benefits that studying this field has given you and how working in this field benefited you as a person?
Studying aerospace engineering has given me the ability to solve a wide variety of problems. The assignments in college taught me how to look at complicated problems and break them into smaller parts to solve them one step at a time. These problem-solving methods help me fix issues at work and outside of work.
What are your opinions on the exploration of mars and with the work that you have done or the knowledge that you have acquired, do you think we will make it to mars?
I believe that the next step in space exploration is to send people to Mars. Although we have already sent robots to Mars, I think it will require people to go to Mars for us to understand everything about Mars. I think that we will be able to send people to Mars within the next 5-10 years.
What are some accomplishments you would like to see achieved in your life-time?
In my lifetime, I would like to see people go to Mars and possibly farther out into our solar system. I would also like to see space travel become cheap enough for the average person to travel to space. Right now, it costs tens of millions of dollars for someone to buy a ticket to space. I am hoping that reusable rockets will significantly reduce that cost.
What has been the highlight of your career?
The highlight of my career has been getting my research published in a scientific journal. The research I did for my Master’s degree in jet engine technology is being published by the International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
The most challenging part of my job is trying to learn additional skills that I did not learn in college. My job requires me to understand aspects of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer engineering on top of aerospace engineering. I need to constantly learn new ideas from these other engineering fields so that I can perform my job better.
What was the most difficult thing you had to do in your job?
I had to write a long technical paper that was going to be seen by a lot of different people. I had to include as much information in the paper as I could without making it hard to understand. Since the paper was going to be read by a lot of different people, not just aerospace engineers, I had to explain everything as clearly as possible using words that anyone can understand.