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By Space Force
Developed to drive continuous improvement, the Civilian Human Capital Evaluation and Accountability Program leverages data to assess and enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and compliance of human capital programs across the force.
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By NASA
6 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
With Voyager 2 in the background, John Casani holds a small U.S. flag that was sewn into the spacecraft’s thermal blankets before its 1977 launch. Then Voyager’s project manager, Casani was first to envision the mission’s Golden Record, which lies before him with its cover at right. NASA/JPL-Caltech During his work on several historic missions, Casani rose through a series of technical and management positions, making an indelible mark on the nation’s space program.
John R. Casani, a visionary engineer who served a central role in many of NASA’s historic deep space missions, died on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at the age of 92. He was preceded in death by his wife of 39 years, Lynn Casani, in 2008 and is survived by five sons and their families.
Casani started at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in 1956 and went on to work as an electronics engineer on some of the nation’s earliest spacecraft after NASA’s formation in 1958. Along with leading the design teams for both the Ranger and Mariner series of spacecraft, he held senior project positions on many of the Mariner missions to Mars and Venus, and was project manager for three trailblazing space missions: Voyager, Galileo, and Cassini.
His work helped advance NASA spacecraft in areas including mechanical technology, system design and integration, software, and deep space communications. No less demanding were the management challenges of these multifaceted missions, which led to innovations still in use today.
JPL’s John Casani receives the National Air & Space Museum’s Lifetime Achievement Award.Carolyn Russo/NASM, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution “John had a major influence on the development of spacecraft that visited almost every planet in our solar system, as well as the people who helped build them,” said JPL director Dave Gallagher. “He played an essential role in America’s first attempts to reach space and then the Moon, and he was just as crucial to the Voyager spacecraft that marked humanity’s first foray into interplanetary — and later, interstellar — space. That Voyager is still exploring after nearly 50 years is a testament to John’s remarkable engineering talent and his leadership that enabled others to push the boundaries of possibility.”
Born in Philadelphia in 1932, Casani studied electrical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. After a short stint at an Air Force research lab, he moved to California in 1956 and was hired to work at JPL, a division of Caltech, on the guidance system for the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency’s Jupiter-C and Sergeant missile programs.
In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first human-made Earth satellite, alarming America and changing the trajectory of both JPL and Casani’s career. With the 1958 launch of Explorer 1, America’s first satellite, the lab transitioned to concentrating on robotic space explorers, and Casani segued from missiles to spacecraft.
One of his jobs as payload engineer on Pioneer 3 and 4, NASA’s first missions to the Moon, was to carry each of the 20-inch-long (51-cm-long) probes in a suitcase from JPL to the launch site at Cape Canaveral, Florida, where he installed them in the rocket’s nose cone.
At the dawn of the 1960s, Casani served as spacecraft systems engineer for the agency’s first two Ranger missions to the Moon, then joined the Mariner project in 1965, earning a reputation for being meticulous. Four years later, he was Mariner project manager.
Asked to share some of his wisdom in a 2009 NASA presentation, Casani said, “The thing that makes any of this work … is toughness. Toughness because this is a tough business, and it’s a very unforgiving business. You can do 1,000 things right, but if you don’t do everything right, it’ll come back and bite you.”
Casani’s next role: project manager for NASA’s high-profile flagship mission to the outer planets and beyond — Voyager. He not only led the mission from clean room to space, he was first to envision attaching a message representing humanity to any alien civilization that might encounter humanity’s first interstellar emissaries.
“I approached Carl Sagan,” he said in a 2007 radio interview, “and asked him if he could come up with something that would be appropriate that we could put on our spacecraft in a way of sending a message to whoever might receive it.” Sagan took up the challenge, and what resulted was the Golden Record, a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth.
Once Voyager 1 and 2 and their Golden Records launched in 1977, JPL wasted no time in pointing their “engineer’s engineer” toward Galileo, which would become the first mission to orbit a gas giant planet. As the mission’s initial project manager, Casani led the effort from inception to assembly. Along the way, he had to navigate several congressional attempts to end the project, necessitating multiple visits to Washington. The 1986 loss of Space Shuttle Challenger, from which Galileo was to launch atop a Centaur upper-stage booster, led to mission redesign efforts before its 1989 launch.
After 11 years leading Galileo, Casani became deputy assistant laboratory director for flight projects in 1988, received a promotion just over a year later and then, from 1990 to 1991, served as project manager of Cassini, NASA’s first flagship mission to orbit Saturn.
Casani became JPL’s first chief engineer in 1994, retiring in 1999 and serving on several nationally prominent committees, including leading the investigation boards of both the Mars Climate Orbiter and the Mars Polar Lander failures, and also leading the James Webb Space Telescope Independent Comprehensive Review Panel.
In early 2003, Casani returned to JPL to serve as project manager for NASA’s Project Prometheus, which would have been the nation’s first nuclear-powered, electric-propulsion spacecraft. In 2005, he became manager of the Institutional Special Projects Office at JPL, a position he held until retiring again in 2012.
“Throughout his career, John reflected the true spirit of JPL: bold, innovative, visionary, and welcoming,” said Charles Elachi, JPL’s director from 2001 to 2016. “He was an undisputed leader with an upbeat, fun attitude and left an indelible mark on the laboratory and NASA. I am proud to have called him a friend.”
Casani received many awards over his lifetime, including NASA’s Exceptional Achievement Medal, the Management Improvement Award from the President of the United States for the Mariner Venus Mercury mission, and the Air and Space Museum Trophy for Lifetime Achievement.
News Media Contacts
Matthew Segal / Veronica McGregor
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-8307 / 818-354-9452
matthew.j.segal@jpl.nasa.gov / veronica.c.mcgregor@jpl.nasa.gov
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Last Updated Jun 25, 2025 Related Terms
Jet Propulsion Laboratory Explore More
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By NASA
Photo of Matt Anderson Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro issued the following statement regarding the nomination by President Donald Trump of Matt Anderson Wednesday to serve as the agency’s deputy administrator:
“As a retired United States Air Force colonel and executive of the Space Force Association, Matt Anderson brings extensive knowledge of space operations, aeronautics expertise, and industry experience. If confirmed, he would join NASA’s leadership team at a time when partnerships and a sharpened focus on mission are essential to our continued success. Along with President Trump’s nominee to lead NASA, Jared Isaacman, he will strengthen collaboration across sectors and help NASA advance exploration, serve the American people, and deliver results for the benefit of all.”
Throughout his over 24-year tenure in the U.S. Air Force, Anderson culminated his career as the U.S. Transportation Command’s senior liaison officer to North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), and U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM). He retired as a colonel Oct. 1, 2021. Anderson is currently a vice president and Space Force & Air Force client executive at CACI. He also serves as the chief growth officer at the Space Force Association.
An alum of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Anderson holds degrees in biology, aeronautical science, and leadership & counseling. In 2024, Anderson was named by the Washington Exec as one of their “Top Space Execs to Watch.”
For more about NASA’s mission, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov
-end-
Bethany Stevens / Amber Jacobson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
bethany.c.stevens@nasa.gov / amber.c.jacobson@nasa.gov
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Last Updated May 07, 2025 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Leadership
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By NASA
Credit: NASA NASA is marking progress in strengthening the agency’s small business partnerships, supply chain resiliency, and domestic space manufacturing capabilities.
Under the agency’s enhanced Mentor-Protégé Program, NASA has announced the first Mentor-Protégé Agreement between L3Harris Technologies, a NASA large prime contractor, and Parametric Machining, Inc., a veteran-owned small business.
This agreement will help advance NASA’s mission by fostering innovation and reinforcing the agency’s supply chain. As NASA continues to advance the Artemis campaign, deep space exploration, and aeronautics research, partnerships like this are essential in securing a resilient and efficient supplier base.
“We are excited to facilitate the first agreement under the newly enhanced NASA Mentor-Protégé Program,” said Dwight Deneal, assistant administrator for NASA’s Office of Small Business Programs. “This agreement, and the many that will follow, promote domestic ingenuity and manufacturing and provide opportunities for small businesses to grow and thrive within NASA’s industrial base.”
Through Mentor-Protégé Agreements, large prime contractors serve as mentors, offering technical and business development assistance to small business protégés. This collaboration not only enhances protégés’ capabilities but also provides mentors with a stronger, more reliable subcontracting base, enabling them to fill their supply chain gaps. Additionally, protégés gain potential prime and subcontract opportunities, enhanced technical capabilities, technical training, and long-term business growth.
Relaunched in November 2024, the merit-based NASA Mentor-Protégé Program is designed to bolster small business development while strengthening NASA’s supply chain and industry base. By focusing on a targeted set of North American Industry Classification System codes, including research and development and aerospace manufacturing, NASA ensures that participating small businesses are well-positioned to contribute to long-term mission objectives.
The agreement between L3Harris Technologies and Parametric Machining, Inc. demonstrates the value of NASA’s revamped Mentor-Protégé Program. NASA is actively accepting new Mentor-Protégé Agreements and encourages large prime contractors and small businesses to explore the benefits of forming partnerships under the program. Participating in the Mentor-Protégé Program provides:
Enhanced manufacturing capabilities and subcontracting opportunities. Mentorship from experienced NASA prime contractors. Opportunities to advance competitiveness in government contracts. Access to technical assistance and business development support. A pathway for small businesses to integrate into NASA’s supply chain. L3Harris Technologies is a prime contractor at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, supporting the Geostationary Extended Observations Imager Instrument Implementation contract. NASA Goddard also will serve as the administering center for this agreement.
For more information on NASA’s Mentor-Protégé Program and how to participate, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/osbp/mentor-protege-program
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Last Updated Apr 17, 2025 ContactTiernan P. Doyletiernan.doyle@nasa.govLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) View the full article
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By NASA
This summer, NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is offering a free summer STEM program for high school students in their junior and senior years.Credit: NASA NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is launching the NASA Glenn High School Engineering Institute this summer. The free, work-based learning experience is designed to help high school students prepare for a future in the aerospace workforce.
Rising high school juniors and seniors in Northeast Ohio can submit applications for this new, in-person summer program from Friday, April 11, through Friday, May 9.
The NASA Glenn High School Engineering Institute will immerse students in NASA’s work while providing essential career readiness tools to help them in future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-focused academic and professional pursuits.
Throughout the five-day institute, students will use authentic NASA mission content and work alongside Glenn’s technical experts to gain a deeper understanding of the engineering design process, develop practical engineering solutions to real-world challenges, and test prototypes to answer questions in key mission areas:
Acoustic dampening – How can we reduce noise pollution from jet engines? Power management and distribution – How can we develop a smart power system for future space stations? Simulated lunar operations – Can we invent tires that don’t use air? Program Dates
Selected students will participate in one of the following week-long sessions.
Session 1: July 7 – 11, 2025 Session 2: July 14 – 18, 2025 Session 3: July 21 – 25, 2025 Eligibility and Application Requirements
To be eligible for this program, students must:
Be entering 11th or 12th grade for the 2025-2026 academic year Have a minimum 3.2 GPA, verified by their school counselor Submit a letter of recommendation from a teacher Additional application requirements are outlined in the Supplemental Application.
How to Apply:
To be considered for this opportunity, complete and submit the NASA Gateway application and the Supplemental Application by Friday May 9.
Questions pertaining to the NASA Glenn High School Engineering Institute should be directed to Gerald Voltz at GRC-Ed-Opportunities@mail.nasa.gov.
For information about NASA Glenn, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/glenn
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Debbie Welch
Glenn Research Center, Cleveland
216-433-8655
debbie.welch@nasa.gov
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