Life as a space engineer at NASA JPL

Having previously worked at SpaceX and now with NASA JPL, Heather shares insights on how space is done differently at a research lab and in the industry. She talks about her work on the Perseverance rover and her life at JPL as a systems engineer. Given its location in Los Angeles, JPL apparently attracts talent from Hollywood! No wonder they have such amazing visuals for all missions and excellent outreach programs.
Heather Ann Bottom is a systems engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She has a background in astrophysics and space engineering. She is currently based in Hawaii. Most recently, Heather has been a part of the Perseverance rover team of the Mars 2020 mission.

Unlike most space folk, Heather was once a professional dance performer and had dreams of being on Broadway before she caught the space bug. She draws interesting parallels between space missions and the performing arts. Having worked on the launch and cruise phases of the super cool Perseverance rover, she shares insights on the finer aspects of the Mars 2020 and other NASA missions. Having formerly worked with SpaceX, she talks about the differences in working on space missions at a research lab compared to an agile private company like SpaceX.