In this third year of our Summer Fun podcast series, we again talk with industry leaders and some of space and satellite’s most interesting people to find out something about them you may not know. This year’s question is: “What did you learn about the commercial space & satellite industry that you didn’t learn in school?” For the second episode of Summer Fun – School’s Out, SSPI’s Lou Zacharilla speaks with Bob Collom, Integration Lead on the Mars Reconnaissance Team in the Planetary Science Division at NASA HQ.

Bob Collom is currently an integration lead on the Mars Reconnaissance Team in the Planetary Science Division at NASA HQ. In this capacity he helps identify and answer questions we need to resolve to safely put humans in the Martian system. Bob is also the Deputy Executive Secretary for the International Mars Exploration Working Group (IMEWG), a collaborative effort by 28 participating space agencies to advance Martian exploration through international cooperation. Additionally, Bob supports NASA’s contributions to the International Mars Ice Mapper mission concept and ongoing Mars Exploration Program strategic planning.

Bob joined NASA as an intern in the NASA history office while completing his master’s degree in political science with a focus in space flight policy. Bob is a lifelong space advocate and science fiction nerd who enjoys gardening, Dungeons & Dragons, and the company of his cats.

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