Oct. 16 & 17
Building on the success of the two rover geologists that arrived at Mars in January, 2004, NASA's next rover mission will depart for the Red Planet in 2009. Twice as long and five times as heavy as the Mars Exploration Rovers, the Mars Science Laboratory will collect Martian soil and rock samples and analyze them for organic compounds and minerals which demonstrate that Mars can or did support life. This sophisticated science laboratory will be delivered to the Martian surface using an innovative new landing system. The spacecraft will start by steering itself through the Martian atmosphere in a fashion similar to the way the Apollo entry capsule controlled its entry through Earth's upper atmosphere. This approach will allow the spacecraft to fly to a desired location above the surface of Mars before deploying its parachute for the final landing. Then, in the final minutes before touchdown, the spacecraft will activate its parachute and retro rockets before lowering the rover package to the surface on a tether.
Speaker: |
Richard Cook |
Location: |
Thursday, October 16, 2008, 7p.m. |
Webcast: |
Archived webcast
with captions |
JPL & The Beginnings of the Space Age
Jan. 24 & 25
The premier of a new historical video produced by JPL Office of Communications and Education Division Manager, Blaine Baggett.
Where in the World Will Our Energy Come From?
Feb. 28 & 29
What would it take to get the world to rely on renewable energy sources and get away from the damaging effects of fossil fuels?
Enceladus: The Newest Wrinkle from Saturn's Tiger-Striped Moon
Mar. 20 & 21
The Cassini spacecraft reveals a dynamic world of icy jets and towering plumes on Saturn's Moon Enceladus.
The Importance of Sample Return
Apr. 24 & 25
The Genesis Mission collected solar-wind samples outside of the Earth's Magnetosphere and returned them to Earth for Analysis.
Landing a Backhoe on Mars
May. 15 & 16
The Phoenix Lander will study the history of water and search for complex organic molecules in the ice-rich soil of the martian arctic.
The Heliospheric Magnetic Field, the Solar Wind & the Interstellar Medium
Jun. 19 & 20
The interaction of the heliospheric magnetic field, the solar wind and the interstellar medium are vitally important.
Cassini Mission to Saturn Highlights
Jul. 24 & 25
Near the completion of its four-year primary mission, the Cassini Spacecraft has revealed Saturn and its dynamic moons in unprecedented ways.
Keeping an Eye on Earth's Changing Climate: The Ocean Surface Topography Mission
Aug. 21 & 22
Measuring global sea level changes continually chronicles how Earth's climate fluctuates and changes over time.
The Great Southern California Shake Out
Sep. 25 & 26
California's future includes preparation for a great earthquake that could hit southern California on the southern San Andreas Fault.
New Wheels on Mars: The Mars Science Laboratory
Oct. 16 & 17
NASA's next rover mission to Mars will be twice as long and five times as heavy as the Mars Exploration Rovers.
New Worlds: Exoplanet Discoveries from the Spitzer Space Telescope
Nov. 13 & 14
Infrared Astronomy is responsible for some of the most revealing and interesting views of the Universe to date.
The Mystery of Dark Energy
Dec. 11 & 12
Evidence that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating points to "Dark Energy" as the cause of this rapid expansion.
