Award-Winning NASA Engineer and Arkansas Alumnus to Present Lecture

Photo Submitted

An image of Saturn obtained by the Cassini spacecraft. (Image courtesy of NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)

Bob Mitchell, a NASA engineer, will present a lecture on Friday, April 15, at 1:30 p.m. in BELL 2286. Mitchell, who received master’s degrees in mathematics and electrical engineering from the University of Arkansas, will be speaking about his experience with the Cassini-Huygens program.

In 1998, Mitchell was named program manager for the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn that was undertaken by NASA and the European Space Agency. In this role, he directed the mission objectives and the engineering responses to the mission requirement of one of the most ambitious planetary explorations to date. Bob coordinated the work of more than 260 scientists from 17 countries.

The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft traveled to Saturn to explore Titan, one of the planet’s moons. It arrived at the moon in 2005, and the Huygens probe collected and sent back data about Titan, Saturn’s rings, the planet’s magnetosphere and its other moons. In 2008, this successful mission was extended for two years, and it has recently been extended again, until 2017. "This is a mission that never stops providing us surprising scientific results and showing us eye popping new vistas," said Jim Green, at NASA headquarters in Washington. "The historic traveler's stunning discoveries and images have revolutionized our knowledge of Saturn and its moons."

Mitchell has been awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Award for his work on Viking navigation, and again for his work on Galileo mission design. He was awarded the NASA Outstanding Leadership Award twice as well, for his work on the Galileo Project, and his leadership on the Cassini Program. He is a Fellow of the American Astronautical Society.

On April 16, Mitchell will be receiving the College of Engineering’s Hall of Fame award, the highest honor bestowed by the college.