Dr. Reta Beebe is an accomplished astrophysicist with a rich background in astronomy and computer science. Born to a father who was a cowboy turned private contractor, Beebe grew up in the countryside and attended a small three-room school. Beebe's journey into the world of astrophysics began when she and her husband, Herbert A. Beebe, decided to pursue graduate studies. They attended the University of Idaho, where they took makeup classes in math and physics to supplement their backgrounds in chemical engineering and chemistry. During her time at the University of Idaho, Beebe took a class in computer science and worked at the computer center, which significantly improved her computer skills. Beebe's dissertation focused on a red giant, a star that has evolved to the point that its atmosphere has greatly extended. Her work involved identifying molecules in the atmosphere of these stars, which have gone through a process of generating heavy metals internally and transporting them to the atmosphere. In addition to her academic pursuits, Beebe also worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory during the summers as a graduate student. Her experience in coding molecular formation and dissociation made her a valuable asset in interpreting atmospheric phenomena.

Scope and Content Note
April 25, 2017: This interview with Dr. Reta Beebe, conducted by Jennifer Ross-Nazzal for the Science Mission Directorate Oral History Project, provides a detailed account of Beebe's life, academic journey, and professional accomplishments. The interview begins with a discussion of Beebe's childhood and early interest in astronomy. It then delves into her decision to pursue graduate studies with her husband at the University of Idaho, where she developed her computer skills [2]. Beebe discusses her dissertation on red giants and her work at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The interview also touches on Beebe's experiences as a woman in a field dominated by men. She recounts a story about a Black female colleague at Pasadena City College who was the first human to see the Red Spot at a particular spatial resolution. The interview concludes with a discussion of Beebe's work on the Voyager mission, where she studied Jupiter and Saturn. She discusses the challenges of ground-based telescopes and the advantages of the Voyager mission in providing high-resolution images. 

April 26, 2017:  This interview covers a range of topics related to NASA's Science Mission Directorate and the Cassini mission. Dr. Beebe discusses the planning and execution of the Cassini mission, including the use of the Cassini Information Management System (CIMS) for data storage and retrieval. Dr. Beebe also delves into the history and challenges of data preservation at NASA. She mentions that in the past, data was not properly archived, leading to the loss of valuable information from missions like Pioneer. She explains that the Planetary Data System (PDS) was established to address this issue, but its scope is limited, and it faces budget constraints compared to other data archiving systems at NASA. The interview also touches on the transition from the Object Description Language (ODL) system to an XML-based system for data management. Dr. Beebe explains that while younger scientists are comfortable with the new system, older scientists may resist the change. Furthermore, Dr. Beebe discusses the process of retrieving and preserving data, which involved transferring data from various NASA locations to New Mexico State University and setting up a system for documentation and distribution. She also mentions the need for preliminary costing for proposed missions to ensure they fit within budget constraints. Throughout the interview, Dr. Beebe mentions several colleagues who were instrumental in the development of the PDS, suggesting that they could provide further insights into its history and operation.