In this episode:
 
We meet Shawn Cochran, a senior manager for Civil and Environmental Space in Raytheon’s Space Systems, a mission area within Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems. Prior to joining Space Systems, Shawn was the chief scientist for the Joint Polar Satellite System Common Ground System and the head of the Mission Data Services program for Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services. 
 
Shawn tells us about Raytheon's role in the Apollo missions 50 years ago and about Earth observation systems, in particular, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). VIIRS data supports a broad and diverse range of applications, some of which are still being discovered. In addition to providing highly detailed information on emerging global storm patterns, VIIRS generates high-fidelity sea, land and atmospheric data for a variety of other applied products, including monitoring of wildfires, drought, flooding, vegetation health, algal blooms and nighttime phenomena.
 
Shawn provides the following advice to our listeners, "Ask, for help. Never be afraid." He explains how mentorship is a key to growing and developing in your skillset.
 
Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged