For the fifth interview in our series of Motivational Journeys, we talk to Dr Athena Coustenis, Director of Research with the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) of France, working at Paris Observatory in Meudon, specialising in Planetology.

Athena’s research focuses on planetary atmospheres and surfaces, with an emphasis on outer Solar System bodies – in particular icy moons like Titan, Enceladus, Ganymede and Europa that have a high astrobiological potential. She is Co-Investigator of three of the instruments (CIRS, HASI, DISR) aboard the Cassini/Huygens space mission to Saturn and Titan and is a member of the Science Working Team and Co-I of the JANUS camera for the JUICE mission to Jupiter’s icy moons.

In this interview, Athena tells us about how she managed to study two degrees at a time – in English literature and astronomy – and excel in both. 

Watch all the interviews in our series of Motivational Journeys.