Kenneth Cesarone

Recognized under Tier 7 — Interplanetary Communications, Kenneth Cesarone has built an extensive career at JPL working on the architecture and operations of deep space communication infrastructure. Cesarone's contributions to the design and evolution of the Deep Space Network — the global antenna infrastructure that has been the backbone of interplanetary communication for decades — and to the planning of relay architectures for future Mars missions reflect a career dedicated to the operational reality of keeping spacecraft in contact with Earth. The infrastructure that will eventually support a Mars colony's communications with Earth builds directly on the architectural planning and lessons Cesarone has accumulated.