I would think everyone would want to drive a Mars rover if given the chance, but that’s not entirely the case. One of the questions I often get from colleagues outside of operations is along the lines of, “Don’t you get bored basically doing the same thing all the time?” I get where they’re coming from. It’s the same rover, the same computer tools, and just more rocks to drive around every day. On the other hand, I find every day on shift to be unique and exciting. It’s different people with different strengths and weaknesses, different terrain, different problems and solutions, a constant opportunity to learn and hone my skills. So no, I don’t get bored at all. I find it all to be quite exhilarating and really enjoy being part of the boots-on-the-ground of Mars exploration.

I often think of it like playing baseball. It’s the same rules every day, similar fields, the same equipment, yet infinite variation in what can happen on any given day. Boring perhaps to some, but exhilarating to many others.