Mars Exploration: Zip Code Mars


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Zip Code Mars Contribution

Photo of Charles (Chuck) Acton

   Charles (Chuck) Acton

   NAIF Manager
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, California
United States Of America


Education



High School: Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH



B. of Engineering (Electrical) 1968, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY



M. of Engineering (Electrical) 1971, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Background Information

I have liked science from as far back as I can remember. I always watched the “Tomorrow Land” episodes of the early Walt Disney TV series. I was fortunate to be picked to work on a NASA-sponsored project during my last year in college. The sponsor of that project was from JPL, and he hired me upon my graduation. I’ve been at JPL ever since then.

Contributions to Mars Exploration

I organize and lead the activities of five engineers. Our team, known as the Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility (NAIF) Team, is responsible for designing, building and helping to deploy and operate a software system used by scientists to help plan scientific observations, and then to analyze the data that comes back from their instruments. [more contributions ...] Personal Reflections

content image for personal reflections section I’m single and have no children. Working on my job consumes much of what might otherwise be “free time.” But I occasionally find time to do some bike riding, and one day I’ll get back to restoring my antique 1955 T-bird car. [more personal reflections ...]