The Deputy Project Manger has a number of responsibilities including planning ahead to ensure that the team has the resources that they need to carry them through each of the milestones leading up to launch. For instance, we must go through a readiness review for shipment of the payload from France, as well as a mission readiness review, a flight readiness review and a launch readiness review, preparing for a late-summer launch.
Another important part of my job is facilitating communications among a geographically dispersed team. We have partners and team members in France, Colorado and California, and at NASA Headquarters and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Image left: Shown here is Debbie Dajon, the deputy project manager for CALIPSO.
What attracted you to the CALIPSO mission?
I was the deputy project manager for SAGE III, another international satellite mission, and I loved the project environment. I love teamwork, and the process of taking a concept from generation, through development, into operation. When I was asked to join CALIPSO back in 1998, there was already a great team pulled together. It was a wonderful opportunity that I couldn't pass up.
What's your favorite part of your job?
I love having the opportunity to work with brilliant and talented people and to see them grow as a team. A unique aspect of CALIPSO is the family atmosphere among the team members -- I have enjoyed watching the team's children and families grow. It is wonderful that the team members' children are able to grow up in this environment and learn about what their parents do, and then even see the results of their parents work efforts in orbit, on TV or in the newspaper.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Outside of my work on CALIPSO, I love being with my family. I am also the music minister at my church. I really enjoy music, and I love being able to share it with others. My seven year old daughter is learning to play the piano and we have a great time playing the piano together.
| 
