Come learn how supersonic parachutes behave on Mars and the story behind the supersonic parachute qualification for MSL.
For information on the JPL Stories series, contact Teresa Bailey at 4-9233.
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View Flyer for this StoryMSL Getting Back on the Horse
November 20th, 2012Come here Rob describe his thoughts on why, despite incessant problems and failures, MSL ultimately found itself on the road to success.
For information on the JPL Stories series, contact Teresa Bailey at 4-9233.
Changing Horses Midstream: The Cassini Navigation Transition-In-Ops Experience
September 10th, 2012Come hear Jonathon Smith talk about ups and downs of the Cassini navigation team’s transition experience which they performed while simultaneously navigating one of the most complicated and aggressive mission profiles ever flown.
For information on the JPL Stories series, contact Teresa Bailey at 4-9233.
Humanlike Robots – The Ultimate Challenge to Mimicking Nature
May 23rd, 2012Come hear Yosi Bar-Coehn talk about humanlike robots. You are going to hear what humanlike robots have been made, what they can do, and whether we should worry about having one of them.
For information on the JPL Stories series, contact Teresa Bailey at 4-9233.
From Rockets to Rovers: The History of JPL Land Acquisitions
March 21st, 2012Come hear the inside scoop about Gray’s quest to uncover the mystery of JPL’s land acquisitions. The lab moved to the Arroyo when Caltech decided experimenting with highly explosive chemicals did not belong on the Caltech campus. Ever wonder what was here before JPL? Or how JPL received the property rights to construct the buildings we work in, the roads we drive on, and the lots where we park?
For information on the JPL Stories series, contact Teresa Bailey at 4-9233.
There and Back Again: A Layman’s Guide to Ultra-Reliability for Interstellar Missions
January 9th, 2012We hear a lot about missions to the stars and the exotic interstellar drives being considered to accomplish such missions but, ultimately, it is probably the “little things” that will prove the most difficult. Meteoroid impacts, radiation exposure, and even the political climate on Earth will likely end up being key factors in the end. This talk provides a brief and, hopefully, entertaining primer on how we might “survive” a true interstellar trek…
For information contact Teresa Bailey at 4-9233.
Off to Mars again: Ready or not!
October 25th, 2011MSL is set to be ready to launch to Mars starting the day after Thanksgiving on November 25, 2011. Rob will describe his thoughts on what it takes to be “ready” to send a complex robotic mission to the surface of Mars. How does MSL’s readiness compare with other missions? Is MSL really ready to land and explore Gale crater? What keeps him up at night?
The Kepler Mission: Good planets are hard to find
October 3rd, 2011For centuries the uniqueness of planet Earth and humanity’s place in the cosmos have been subjects of intense speculation and debate. In 2009 NASA’s Kepler Mission began a scienti c quest to answer a central question: how common are Earth-size planets in the habitable zones of other stars? Come hear the story behind the project’s development, including the many challenges overcome by JPL and its partners, and an update on the ongoing search.
Crossing the Pond for an Encounter with Comet Hartley 2
June 28th, 2011Come hear the story of a British space enthusiast who went from using Photoshop in his shed to directing visualizations for EPOXI, Stardust NExT and MSL. This 10 year journey shines new light on how JPL perceives the public, and how the public perceives JPL. What does it take to turn a hobby into a career? How does that shift change your perspective on what we do, how we do it and how we share it with the world?
Mariner 4 – the Mission that put JPL Front and Center in Robotic Space Exploration
May 27th, 2011Come hear the story about Mariner 4. Launched November 28, 1964 the spacecraft flew past Mars on July 14, 1965 – collecting the rst close-up photos of another planet. As it passed the planet it revealed lunar-type impact craters, some of them touched with frost in the chill of the Martian evening. Many JPLers know that Mariner 4 was the mission that dispelled myths of an advanced civilization on Mars—but to those who lived it, Mariner 4 accomplished even more. Find out why Mariner 4 was JPL’s watershed, possibly our most important mission ever.
EPOXI – What Went Right: Presented by Steve “Buzz” Collins, EPOXI Attitude Control Guy
April 1st, 2011The Deep Impact mission was a blast, but the EPOXI follow-on was a whole new adventure. Our original comet went “poof”, our spacecraft had a spooky bout of laryngitis, but we ended up with some amazing travel photos. Come hear about the joys of flying to a tiny comet with a small team.
Japanese Hayabusa Asteroid Sample Return Mission: A Pollyanna Triumph over the Perils of Pauline
November 10th, 2010Come hear about how JPL Navigation and the Deep Space Network, working with their Japanese colleagues, successfully guided the Hayabusa spacecraft with its asteroid samples back to Earth.
Earth Science at JPL: Parallel stories about Earth remote sensing and the career of a JPL geologist
October 28th, 2010“Earth Science at JPL: Parallel stories about Earth remote sensing and the career of a JPL geologist” / Diane Evans / Wednesday, 27 Oct 2010 4:30-5:30PM, BEACON Information Commons
Come hear about the evolution of Earth Science at JPL from “first light” to iPhone App.
Hubble Space Telescope: Review Board Findings and Discovering the Magnitude and Sign of the Error
April 28th, 2010"Hubble Space Telescope: Review Board Findings and Discovering the Magnitude and Sign of the Error" / Dr. James Breckinridge / Wednesday, 28 Apr 2010 4:30-5:30PM, BEACON Information Commons
2/24/2010 JPL Stories – Starbucks, A Cucumber Truck, and Desert Splat: What you don’t know about Mars Pathfinder
February 24th, 2010Mars Pathfinder started with a cost cap, without a rover, and with no real understanding of what we were up against. Come hear about development problems and close calls and how we made it to the finish line.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010 4:30-5:30 PM @ JPL Library (Building 111)
Randy Taylor, Mars Pathfinder Procurement Manager
Getting Galileo to the Launch Pad
October 20th, 2009"Getting Galileo to the Launch Pad" / John Casani / Tuesday, 20 Oct 2009 4:30-5:30PM, BEACON Information Commons
My View of JPL in the Early Years– When Deep Space Exploration Began
September 23rd, 2009"My View of JPL in the Early Years– When Deep Space Exploration Began" / Tony Spear / Wednesday, 23 Sep 2009 4:30-5:30PM, BEACON Information Commons
Rescuing Hubble.
July 22nd, 2009"Rescuing Hubble." / Dr. James Fanson / Wednesday, 22 Jul 2009 4:30-5:30PM, BEACON Information Commons
May 4, 1989 – Magellan 20 Year Launch Anniversary; Back into Orbit for the Shuttle, Back to the Planets for JPL
May 20th, 2009"May 4, 1989 – Magellan 20 Year Launch Anniversary; Back into Orbit for the Shuttle, Back to the Planets for JPL" / Julie Webster / Wednesday, 20 May 2009 4:30-5:30PM, BEACON Information Commons
Chicken Little was right! The Sky is Falling.
January 21st, 2009"Chicken Little was right! The Sky is Falling." / Dr. Donald Yeomans / Wednesday, 21 Jan 2009 4:30-5:30PM, BEACON Information Commons
