Jennifer Harris Trosper Explained

Jennifer Harris Trosper
Education:	MIT (BS – aerospace engineering) USC (MS – aerospace engineering)^[1]
Known For:	NASA Project Manager Mars 2020 Perseverance rover
Spouse:	Air Force Lt. Col. (Ret.) Randy Trosper
Children:	3
Workplaces:	NASA JPL

Jennifer Harris Trosper is an American aerospace engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. During her 30-year career at JPL, Trosper has occupied crucial positions in engineering management pertaining to every spacecraft that has traversed the Martian surface. Because of her leadership and engineering expertise, Trosper has appeared on broadcast media outlets as an authority in development and execution of missions to Mars.

Early years and education

Jennifer Trosper grew up in Fostoria, Ohio and graduated from Elmwood High School in Bloomdale, Ohio.^[2] She received degrees in aerospace engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS) and the University of Southern California (MS).^[3]

Career

Positions held at JPL have included:^[4]

• Cassini mission – Attitude control operations engineer
• Mars Pathfinder mission – Testbed and operations engineer and flight director
• 2001 Mars Odyssey missions – Operations development manager
• Mars Exploration Rovers – Project system engineer and mission manager
• Mars Science Laboratory and Curiosity rover – Deputy project manager and mission manager
• Mars 2020 Perseverance (rover) – Mission system development manager, project systems engineering lead, integrated systems engineering lead, and project manager

Scientific presentations and media

Conferences

• Plenary Event – Mars 2020: First Step Towards Mars Sample Return . Trosper . Jennifer . October 25–29, 2021 . . . 72nd International Aeronautical Conference .

Podcasts

• Driven to Mars (December 20, 2021)^[5]

Radio and television

• Jennifer Trosper from Jet Propulsion Lab (October 22, 2014), KHTS (AM), Santa Clarita, CA^[6]
• LA Influential: Still Reaching For The Stars – Jennifer Trosper (November 14, 2017), KCAL-TV, Los Angeles, CA^[7]
• NASA project lead talks success of Perseverance landing on Mars and what's next (February 19, 2021), Good Morning America^[8]
• Roving with Perseverance: Findings from one year on Mars (February 17, 2022), Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series^[9]

Select appearances on C-SPAN have included:

• Mars Spirit Rover Landing Status (January 3, 2004)^[10]
• Mars Rover Missions: Crew Experiences (January 3, 2005)^[11]
• Mars Curiosity Rover Mission Update (August 8, 2012)^[12]
• End of Mission for Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity (February 13, 2019)^[13]
• NASA News Conference on Landing of Mars Rover Perseverance (February 18, 2021)^[14]

Videos

• Curiosity Rover Report: A Taste of Mount Sharp (September 25, 2014). NASA Science – Mars Exploration^[15]

Feature film

• Good Night Oppy – On-screen participant in the 2022 feature-length documentary that tells the story of Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, and their respective 6- and 14-year exploration of the Martian surface.^{[2] [16]}

Awards and recognition

• 12485 jenniferharris (1997 GO1) – An asteroid in the main asteroid belt that was discovered on April 7, 1997, by the NEAT program at the Haleakalā Observatory. It was named for Jennifer Harris Trosper who was flight director for Mars Pathfinder when it landed on July 4, 1997.^[17]
• Verizon Academic All-America Hall of Fame (2001), Massachusetts Institute of Technology.^[18]
• NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Fellow (2013) – "For exceptional leadership and technical expertise in mission operations development and execution for missions to the Martian surface".^[19]

Notes and References

1. Web site: IAF : Jennifer TROSPER. International Astronautical. Federation. www.iafastro.org.
2. Web site: Where is Jennifer Trosper From Good Night Oppy Now?. Kumari. Shreya. November 22, 2022.
3. Web site: Jennifer Harris Trosper - Mars 2020 Project Manager | People Profile - NASA. mars.nasa.gov.
4. Web site: Jennifer Harris Trosper - Mars 2020 Project Manager | People Profile - NASA. mars.nasa.gov. June 23, 2023.
5. Web site: Driven to Mars . 2023-06-23 . NASA Mars Exploration . en.
6. Web site: Jennifer Trosper From Jet Propulsion Lab - October 22, 2014 - KHTS - Santa Clarita . 2023-06-23 . www.youtube.com.
7. Web site: LA Influential: Still Reaching For The Stars . 2023-06-23 . www.youtube.com.
8. Web site: NASA project lead talks success of Perseverance landing on Mars and what’s next l GMA . 2023-06-23 . www.youtube.com.
9. Web site: Roving with Perseverance: Findings from One Year on Mars (Live Public Talk) . 2023-06-23 . www.youtube.com.
10. Web site: Mars Rover Landing Status | C-SPAN.org . 2023-06-23 . www.c-span.org.
11. Web site: Mars Rover Missions: Crew Experiences C-SPAN.org . 2023-06-23 . www.c-span.org.
12. Web site: Mars Curiosity Rover Mission Update | August 8, 2012 | C-SPAN.org . 2023-06-23 . www.c-span.org.
13. Web site: NASA Mars Rover . 2023-06-23 . www.c-span.org.
14. Web site: NASA News Conference on Mars Rover Landing C-SPAN.org . 2023-06-23 . www.c-span.org.
15. Web site: Curiosity Rover Report: A Taste of Mount Sharp . 2023-06-23 . NASA Mars Exploration . en.
16. Web site: Mondello . Bob . November 4, 2022 . A loving salute to NASA's Mars rover program in 'Good Night Oppy' . 2023-06-23 . npr.org.
17. Web site: Small-Body Database Lookup. ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. June 24, 2023.
18. Web site: 2001-06-24 . 1989 volleyball captain is first MIT student-athlete to enter Academic All-America Hall of Fame . 2023-06-23 . MIT News Massachusetts Institute of Technology . en.
19. Web site: JPL Fellows | Science and Technology . 2023-06-23 . scienceandtechnology.jpl.nasa.gov.