P2K: You said you solve one problem so you can get to the next problem... That does not sound much of a way to make a living!?! What's fun about solving one problem to get to the next one?

(She laughs)

Jennifer Harris Trosper: Well, I think we all like a challenge. You know, one of my favorite jobs on Pathfinder was going through the problem log and trying to figure out why those things went wrong and fixing them. And I think that everybody here is the type of person who likes to fix stuff... make it work. And if it does not work, fix it. I mean right now we are in the process of making it work and as soon as we get into test, if it doesn't work, we're gonna fix it. And that's the thing, I think, that makes me believe we are going to make the schedule and the overall launch date, because people, they say, "Oh you have all these big problems up ahead of you. Look at all these bad things that can happen." But, I mean, that's... that's why we're here. If bad things didn't happen, you could... you don't need a bunch of problem-solvers to make the mission work. So, I mean, I think, that's what we do.

We know that the mass is going to be a problem, and the schedule is going to be a problem, and we're gonna fix it, we're gonna swap things around. We're going to do something really innovative to make it work, and so I think that's what kinda is, to a certain extent, inspiring about the job: that's what it's all about. You get there, and you solve the next day's problems, and I think because of that it's going to work.

For more on Jennifer and her love of sports, and winning, see the MIT News release at:
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/nr/2001/volleyball.html