--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a scientist in charge of space sensors…" description: "\"As a scientist in charge of space sensors and entire space missions before I was at NASA, I myself was involved in projects that overran. But that's no..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/724/alan-stern-5283_champion_as-a-scientist-in-charge-of-space-sensor_2352473.jpg" --- # As a scientist in charge of space sensors and entire space… ![“As a scientist in charge of space sensors and entire space missions before I was at NASA, I myself was involved in projects that overran. But that's no excuse for remaining silent about this growing problem or failing to champion reform.” quote by Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/724/alan-stern-5283_champion_as-a-scientist-in-charge-of-space-sensor_2352473.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/724/alan-stern-5283_champion_as-a-scientist-in-charge-of-space-sensor_2352473.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/724/alan-stern-5283_champion_as-a-scientist-in-charge-of-space-sensor_2352473.jpg) > “As a scientist in charge of space sensors and entire space missions before I was at NASA, I myself was involved in projects that overran. But that's no excuse for remaining silent about this growing problem or failing to champion reform.” [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Silence on systemic issues perpetuates risk; speaking up drives reform. **In simple terms:** Speak up about problems to create change. Key Takeaway Advocate for safety reforms. Themes safety accountability leadership Mood concerned determined Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - space missions - engineering projects - corporate governance Key Concepts organizational culture risk management Questions to Reflect On - What barriers prevent you from speaking out? - How can organizations protect whistleblowers? A Different Perspective Fear of retaliation may silence voices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Champion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/champion/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [NASA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nasa/) [Remaining silent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remaining-silent/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) ## Related quotes > [I've been on 26 space missions; they range from suborbital to orbital to shuttle experiments to planetary missions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/i-ve-been-on-26-space-missions-they-range-from-suborbital-to-orbital/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [I do a lot of work with NASA and am involved in research projects studying planetary evolution, Earth-like planets, and potential conditions for life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grinspoon/i-do-a-lot-of-work-with-nasa-and-am-involved-in-research-projects/) [David Grinspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grinspoon/) > [A lot of missions for NASA or experiments on accelerators happen through a whole process of scientific retreats, long-range planning, forming collaborations to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-barish/a-lot-of-missions-for-nasa-or-experiments-on-accelerators-happen/) [Barry Barish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-barish/) > [For long-duration exploration missions, NASA is looking for folks with a lot of operational, hands-on experience, people who have been in field-type situations such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-rubins/for-long-duration-exploration-missions-nasa-is-looking-for-folks-with/) [Kathleen Rubins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-rubins/) > [Since Yuri Gagarin and Al Shepard's epoch flights in 1961, all space missions have been flown only under large, expensive government efforts. By contrast,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-rutan/since-yuri-gagarin-and-al-shepard-s-epoch-flights-in-1961-all-space/) [Burt Rutan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-rutan/) > [The reason space missions need artificial gravity is clear: humans simply did not evolve to live in zero gravity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-weir/the-reason-space-missions-need-artificial-gravity-is-clear-humans/) [Andy Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-weir/) > [“Silence does not mean remaining silent both in speech and on paper. You can keep your mouth shut while communicating thousands of words to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/silence-does-not-mean-remaining-silent-both-in-speech-and-on-paper/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [“Only the person who is essentially capable of remaining silent is capable of speaking essentially.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kierkegaard/only-the-person-who-is-essentially-capable-of-remaining-silent-is/) [Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kierkegaard/) > [Sadly, the same leaders who call on Palestinians to abandon violence have been silent in the face of Israeli repression. By condemning violent Palestinian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yousef-munayyer/sadly-the-same-leaders-who-call-on-palestinians-to-abandon-violence/) [Yousef Munayyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yousef-munayyer/) > [The epitaph that I would write for history would say: I conceal nothing. It is not enough not to lie. One should strive not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-epitaph-that-i-would-write-for-history-would-say-i-conceal/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“It's odd," the Warrior of the Light says to himself. "I have met so many people who, at the first opportunity, try to show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-s-odd-the-warrior-of-the-light-says-to-himself-i-have-met-so-many/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Then one day I realized that a false picture of the German camps had been created and that the problem of the concentration camps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rassinier/then-one-day-i-realized-that-a-false-picture-of-the-german-camps-had/) Paul Rassinier > [Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremiah/even-a-fool-when-he-holdeth-his-peace-is-counted-wise/) [Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremiah/) > [silence is the language of god, all else is poor translation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/silence-is-the-language-of-god-all-else-is-poor-translation/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“Take responsibility. Just as you can't deny that you can feel love and hate, happiness and sadness, anger and ease of mind, or tiredness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/najwa-zebian/take-responsibility-just-as-you-can-t-deny-that-you-can-feel-love-and/) [Najwa Zebian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/najwa-zebian/) ## More by Alan Stern > [Competition-driven innovation and price pressure that commercial practices foster can only make human spaceflight ever more common and U.S. leadership in this domain ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/competition-driven-innovation-and-price-pressure-that-commercial/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [Of course Pluto is a planet: It's massive enough to have its shape controlled by gravity rather than material strength, which is the hallmark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/of-course-pluto-is-a-planet-it-s-massive-enough-to-have-its-shape/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [It used to be said that Pluto is a misfit. But now we know Earth is the misfit. This is the most populous class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/it-used-to-be-said-that-pluto-is-a-misfit-but-now-we-know-earth-is/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [The Kuiper belt region, which I call the third zone because it lies beyond the rocky terrestrial planets and beyond the giant planets, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/the-kuiper-belt-region-which-i-call-the-third-zone-because-it-lies/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [I think if you were between maybe 6 and 16, there was nothing like Apollo, and I wonder if there can be something like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/i-think-if-you-were-between-maybe-6-and-16-there-was-nothing-like/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [If you put Earth out beyond Neptune, you wouldn't be able to call it a planet because it couldn't clear its zone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/if-you-put-earth-out-beyond-neptune-you-wouldn-t-be-able-to-call-it-a/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [Why would you listen to an astronomer about a planet?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/why-would-you-listen-to-an-astronomer-about-a-planet/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [When we first sent missions to Jupiter, no one expected to find moons that would have active volcanoes. And I could go down a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/when-we-first-sent-missions-to-jupiter-no-one-expected-to-find-moons/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [Pluto is still active four and a half billion years into its history. It was expected that small planets like Pluto would cool off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/pluto-is-still-active-four-and-a-half-billion-years-into-its-history/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [The Kuiper Belt is the largest mapped structure in our planetary system, three times as big as all the territory from the sun out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/the-kuiper-belt-is-the-largest-mapped-structure-in-our-planetary/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [If two billion people wanted to watch a robot fly by Pluto, imagine what it will be like when the first humans step on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/if-two-billion-people-wanted-to-watch-a-robot-fly-by-pluto-imagine/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [To keep everyone invested in your vision, you have to back up a little bit and really analyze who the different stakeholders are and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/to-keep-everyone-invested-in-your-vision-you-have-to-back-up-a-little/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [We're going to find Marses and maybe Earths out in the solar system's attic of the Oort Cloud and the Kuiper Belt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/we-re-going-to-find-marses-and-maybe-earths-out-in-the-solar-system-s/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [One of the implications of the discovery of the Kuiper Belt and its many small planets is that many scientists now think of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/one-of-the-implications-of-the-discovery-of-the-kuiper-belt-and-its/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [CASIS has to succeed because for it not to succeed would be a huge setback for the International Space Station program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/casis-has-to-succeed-because-for-it-not-to-succeed-would-be-a-huge/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) [Explore all 102 Alan Stern quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) ## More Champion quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self belief - everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/grit-determination-the-right-amount-of-crazy-self-belief-everything/) [Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/) > [I have to be No. 1 pound-for-pound champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/islam-makhachev/i-have-to-be-no-1-pound-for-pound-champion/) [Islam Makhachev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/islam-makhachev/) > [If I can beat a proven champion like Canelo, that will take my career to a different level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennady-golovkin/if-i-can-beat-a-proven-champion-like-canelo-that-will-take-my-career/) [Gennady Golovkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennady-golovkin/) > [I still have to unify my division and basically become the undefeated welterweight champion of the world. I can't lose. It is more added…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-spence-jr/i-still-have-to-unify-my-division-and-basically-become-the-undefeated/) [Errol Spence Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-spence-jr/) > [Palindrome as well. My sister's name is Hannah. Father liked word games. He was fourteen times World Scrabble Champion. When he died, we buried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/palindrome-as-well-my-sister-s-name-is-hannah-father-liked-word-games/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [ Bernie \[Ecclestone\] is the commercial rights holder so the more outgoing the champion is, the better. Of course. I also do think about our… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-ecclestone/bernie-ecclestone-is-the-commercial-rights-holder-so-the-more/) [Bernie Ecclestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-ecclestone/) > [The truth is the Vintage Vitor never left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vitor-belfort/the-truth-is-the-vintage-vitor-never-left/) [Vitor Belfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vitor-belfort/) > [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/) [Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/) > [Winners are born, Champions are made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-falcon-scott/winners-are-born-champions-are-made/) [Robert Falcon Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-falcon-scott/) > [It's interesting that the greatest minds of computer science, the founding fathers, like Alan Turing and Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, they all looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/it-s-interesting-that-the-greatest-minds-of-computer-science-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [To be a champion long-distance runner you have to run on the edge of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toshihiko-seko/to-be-a-champion-long-distance-runner-you-have-to-run-on-the-edge-of/) Toshihiko Seko > [“There is a scene in one of the Rocky movies where after the match Apollo Creed and Rocky are waiting for the scoring of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/there-is-a-scene-in-one-of-the-rocky-movies-where-after-the-match/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [Champions are made from something they have deep inside of them-a desire, a dream, a vison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/champions-are-made-from-something-they-have-deep-inside-of-them-a/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) [Browse all 2,649 Champion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/champion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a scientist in charge of space sensors and entire space missions before I was at NASA, I myself was involved in projects that overran. 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