Moogega Cooper Stricker is a planetary protection engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and was the Lead of Planetary Protection for the Mars 2020 Mission and involved with the InSight Mission. Her crucial work involves ensuring that spacecraft exploring other celestial bodies does not contaminate them with Earth-based microbes, and vice versa. Dr. Cooper also takes part in programs and speaking engagements to encourage young women and others from underrepresented communities to pursue careers in science and technology.
