Caltech Magazine

26/08/2025

When Europa Clipper launched in October 2024, the spacecraft began one of the most ambitious planetary science missions in history. Its destination—Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons—shows evidence of liquid water under its icy shell, which makes scientists wonder if there could be conditions like the deep-ocean environments on Earth that can support life. The mission, run by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which Caltech manages for NASA, will help scientists better understand the potential for habitability beyond our world. But before Clipper could even begin its scientific quest, the engineers and scientists involved in the mission had to face down an array of technical and environmental challenges that pushed the limits of spacecraft design.

In her May 2025 Watson Lecture, Tracy Drain, Europa Clipper chief engineer in operations, shared stories from the mission’s development, launch, and its continuing journey to Jupiter. Here she describes 10 of the most formidable obstacles they navigated along the way: https://magazine.caltech.edu/post/go-big-and-go-to-jupiter-10-engineering-challenges-europa-clipper-had-to-overcome

21/08/2025

“Because I was a bit less outgoing compared to my twin sister, people always thought I would be the one to stay in Switzerland. But I found that I wanted to see more of the world and get out of the Switzerland bubble. I wanted a new challenge, so I applied to Caltech for its unique undergraduate research and learning opportunities and got accepted.

I had never been to the US before coming to Caltech. Adjusting to the language was difficult at first. The only time I talked in English was during my English lessons in high school, so switching to having every conversation and lecture in English was a big change. All my other subjects, including math and physics, had been taught in German, so it took me a few lectures to get used to all the technical terms.

Everything was new, but it didn’t take long until I felt at home again, because it’s such a welcoming community with kindhearted people here at Caltech. I found friends really fast, and I didn’t expect it to be so easy to transition. Now, when I go to Red Door to get coffee, the staff know my order. I walk in three or four times a day, and they already know what I'll ask for. It's a small thing that makes you feel very welcome, and I think it wouldn’t be like this at a larger university.”

—Hannah Ramsperger is a third-year undergraduate majoring in mechanical engineering and minoring in aerospace. This summer, she interned in the Engine Performance Department at MTU Aero Engines in Munich, Germany. During the academic year, she conducts research in the Explosion Dynamics Laboratory, which is led by Joseph Shepherd, C.L. “Kelly” Johnson Professor of Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering, Emeritus. Her go-to order at the Red Door is a large iced Americano.

13/08/2025

“I started tutoring with the Caltech Y’s Rise Program, which pairs Caltech students with local Pasadena middle and high school students, because I wanted to give back to my community. In my own academic journey, I feel like I received so much help from mentors and others, and tutoring just felt like a good way to give back. Being at Caltech—one of the greatest academic institutions in the world—why not use my privilege to help local students? Especially when many of them are from low-income backgrounds and might be the first generation in their families aspiring to go to college.

“Sometimes, we’d have sessions where it felt like I didn’t have enough time to tutor them that day. In subjects like math, if they didn’t learn a fundamental concept three years ago, and something they’re learning now builds on that, I can’t bridge that gap in a two-hour weekly session. So, it sometimes feels like I’m trying my best but not able to do enough. But even then, you can see students improve over time—even if the changes aren’t always quantifiable. For me it’s about seeing that they’ve become more confident, that they can solve problems faster, or that they’re no longer relying on their classmates’ help to do their homework. That feels very rewarding.”

—Manisha Kapasiawala is a bioengineering graduate student who has been active in Caltech Y programs including the RISE tutoring program and Student Activism Speaker Series.

is an occasional series celebrating the diverse individuals who give Caltech its spirit of excellence, ambition, and ingenuity. Know someone we should profile? Send nominations to [email protected] or comment on this post.

07/08/2025

What about you? How do you think AI will affect your job or research field?

If all we know is to pursue research productivity, or practical solutions and products that come from research, then yes, AI will do this better than us very soon. But if we also keep in mind why we do science in the first place, then AI can actually allow us to have more time for the uniquely human

04/08/2025

Computer scientist and engineer Pietro Perona, right, with graduate student Suzanne Stathetos, getting up close with the Caltech turtles. Image: Steve Babuljak

31/07/2025

Franklin Stahl, who passed away this year age 95, enjoyed a decades-long career as a researcher in molecular biology and genetics. But he will live on in the history books for an insightful project he worked on as a Caltech postdoc in the 1950s—one dubbed “the most beautiful experiment in biology.”

https://magazine.caltech.edu/post/franklin-stahl-most-beautiful-experiment-dies-at-95

29/07/2025

“I decided I wanted to be some sort of science educator when I was in fifth grade after I happened to watch a PBS documentary about string theory featuring Maria Spiropulu. Of course, I barely understood any of it, and neither of my parents were in scientific fields at all, but I got hooked on the idea of explaining how the universe worked, as if I were a science-y Elle Woods.

“Fast forward several years (and one detour into thinking I wanted to be a hairdresser), and I was a first-year in the common area of what’s now known as Venerable House when I first picked up Caltech magazine. I remember thinking, ‘How cool would it be to be a science writer.’

“When I started this job as an editorial assistant in 2015, freshly rejected from multiple grad school programs, I really did not expect to stay more than a few years. But this is a very special place: Can you believe I get paid to learn and write about how our cells work, how our planet evolves, how we got to be here? I find so much joy in science writing, and my friends actually tease me about liking my job so much.”

—Lori Dajose (BS ’15) is a content and media strategist in the Office of Communications and External Relations whose stories about science can be found both on Caltech.edu and in Caltech magazine.

24/07/2025

"Victoria Orphan was 16,000 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean when the power went out."

By Omar Shamout Victoria Orphan was 16,000 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean when the power went out. Orphan, along with a member of her research team and a pilot, were riding in a tiny spherical submersible, known as Alvin, measuring about 7 feet in diameter. They had ventured to Alask

22/07/2025

Caltech researchers navigate AI’s shifting landscape and complex future, charting a course for its ethical development and application.

Caltech researchers navigate AI’s shifting landscape and complex future, charting a course for its ethical development and application. By Julia Ehlert Nair As researchers at Caltech and beyond have worked to develop artificial intelligence technologies to perform ever-more data-intensive and c

14/07/2025

“My undergraduate degree was in landscape architecture, and I worked in an architecture firm for many years. So, I'm a licensed architect. I transferred to The Huntington, working on the planning team over there. I soon found out that having a Geographic Information System—GIS—is very important. For example, each tree on Caltech’s campus isn’t just a plant in the ground—it’s a data point in the GIS system. You can look it up on a digital map and learn its whole story: where it came from, what species it is, when it was planted, how tall it is now, and so on.

“If you're walking around campus, you can even use mobile GIS tools to locate a tree in real time and instantly pull up its background.

“Here at Caltech, every space, every building has its own story. The campus is so beautiful—some buildings are modern, some are historical. I wanted to know the stories—like, which building might have Nobel Prize winners working inside? Where did they write their research papers? What does that laboratory look like? Is there some huge surprise in there? I just wanted to know what's happening behind it all.

“That’s why I started the GIS StoryMap Competition. If we can put this all together—the culture, the people, the landscape—it would certainly be an amazing way to tell the story of Caltech. We could even tell the stories of the wild animals, where they’re showing up, what their favorite spots on campus are. In a story map, there is video, audio, maps, a little bit of research background. All this information tied together can be easily accessed by the general audience. Everybody can participate, even if you are not a Caltech employee. As long as you are interested in Caltech culture and history, everybody can participate.”

—Katie Chiu is Caltech’s space information manager. In addition to her geospatially related technical, support, and planning responsibilities, she recently spearheaded the Caltech StoryMap Competition, engaging students, staff, alumni, researchers, and members of the general public to tell compelling stories about Caltech’s unique architecture, landscape, and research using geospatial technology.

02/07/2025

Caltech has a long history of success in out-of-the-ordinary car races. In the Great Electric Car Race of 1968, Caltech’s battery-powered Volkswagen bus beat MIT’s plug-in Chevy Corvair in a cross-country contest. In 1987, Caltech’s Sunraycer won the World Solar Challenge, the first-ever race featuring solar-powered cars.

Now, the Institute can add another achievement to its list. In January 2025, the Caltech Racer made its debut by competing in the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

The racer—an IAC AV-24 IndyCar retrofitted with autonomy hardware and Caltech’s control algorithms that allow for autonomous engine/brake control, steering, and navigation—reached a top speed of 155 miles per hour and an average lap speed of more than 144 miles per hour. The roughly 10-person team comprised faculty members, students, postdocs, and staff from Caltech’s CAST (Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies) who notched the impressive high-speed record even though they only formed the full team and started testing in October 2024.

Discover more: https://magazine.caltech.edu/post/computer-start-your-engine

30/06/2025

“As an assistant athletic trainer in the sports medicine department, I am a medical professional who provides health care services for our student-athletes. Our office works to assist with their orthopedic and other medical needs so that they are able to participate in athletics to their full potential while in school. We're often the first to witness an injury and can serve as a supportive health care partner throughout the entire recovery process.

“Until recently, California was the only state that did not recognize or regulate athletic training as a medical profession. As the governmental affairs chairperson for our state organization, the California Athletic Trainers’ Association, I helped pass a bill that starts to establish regulatory standards that mimic the rest of the nation.

“When you see a physician, for example, they are licensed by the state—this is what athletic trainers want as well. We want the oversight and standards of education put in place. It is a public protection issue, but it can really be a problem in youth athletics and high school sports. There was no guarantee that the athletic trainer on the sideline was qualified to handle injuries or possible emergency situations like concussions and heat illness. This new law starts to fix that.

“I have a great passion for athletic training and what I do, and I love being able to work with my patients through their injuries to see them reach their best potential in athletics and life. The student athletes here at Caltech are amazing, and I am thankful I can be a resource for them. I’m there when the injury happens, and I strive to do what I can to help them return to playing the sport that brings them joy or success in their Caltech career—whatever that means to them.”

—Nick Harvey has served as an athletic trainer for Caltech since 2021. In April, he received the Special Recognition Award from the Far West Athletic Trainers’ Association for his successful efforts to lobby for regulatory standards for athletic trainers in California.