The Mars Society - San Diego Lectures and Events
The Mars Society - San Diego Lectures and Events
The Mars Society – San Diego (TMS-SD) has some pretty amazing lectures and events that it can offer to your science classrooms.
This is especially important as the Phoenix Mars Mission lander (http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/ ) spacecraft is set to touch down on the surface of Mars on Memorial Day Weekend this year.
Here is what we're currently offering:
MARS EXPLORATION ROVER REPLICA
http://chapters.marssociety.org/SanDiego/video/KUSI-TV-070729.mov
http://chapters.marssociety.org/sandiego/rover.html
ABOUT: The SAN DIEGO MARS ROVER is an approximate 1/4-scale operational model of the NASA/JPL's Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) "Spirit" and "Opportunity" -- which are still operational on Mars today, nearly four Earth years after landing on the Red Planet in January 2004!
Yes, the SAN DIEGO MARS ROVER is operatable by the general public, especially children (10-years old or older recommended)! It is a radio-controlled vehicle, and features a wireless video camera onboard. It is navigated by watching the video signal it sends back to Earth and Mission Control! Just like at NASA/JPL (but without that pesky 3.1-to-22.5-minute "speed of light" delay!).
AVAILABILITY: The SAN DIEGO MARS ROVER is available for display and operation at public events and gatherings, especially to those with a space, science or educational theme. Please don't hesitate to ask -- we LOVE to show her off and talk about the exploration of Mars!
ALL VOLUNTEERS! TMS-SD is an entirely all-volunteer organization. Our SAN DIEGO MARS ROVER was scratch-built by volunteers using their own time and money.
Because we're all volunteers and do not get paid for our Mars work (it is our passion), we will make every effort to accommodate your scheduled events within the constraints of our "day jobs" and other commitments.
TMS-SD also offers several multimedia presentations on Mars Exploration to round out your Mars Rover event.
TMS-SD MARS LECTURES 2008
A CLOSE LOOK AT MARS
—New—
Outside of Earth herself, Mars is the most Earth-like planet in our solar system. But what does that really mean? What are the current conditions on the red planet? Is there air, water and other necessities for life? Could human beings eventually colonize there and make a second home for human civilization? We’ll take a multimedia look at what our robotic explorers are telling us about what the planet Mars is really like.
INVASION FROM EARTH -- THE ROBOTIC EXPLORATION OF MARS
Mars is becoming a busy place for exploration these days with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter achieving Martian orbit last year and the Mars Phoenix Lander on its way for a north polar landing in May 2008. This brings the total of operational Earthly spacecraft to three orbiters, two rovers and one lander down on the surface of the red planet. Mars Society members will look at all the different robotic craft and their missions, as well as the next several planned missions by all the spacefaring nations of Earth.
MARS EXPLORATION ROVERS -- YEAR 4
—Updated—
NASA's two Mars Exploration Rovers have been traveling the red planet for over four years now. The Rovers have inspected over twelve miles of red sand and rock, craters and dunes, looking for evidence of water. Mars Society members will give you a tour of Mars by way of the twin Rovers' points-of-view.
MARS ON EARTH -- THE ADVENTURES OF SPACE PIONEERS IN THE UTAH DESERT
—Udated—
What do we do when we get to Mars? What will we eat? What will we do? How will we live? For six years now The Mars Society has been answering these questions with the Mars Analog Research Station projects in the Canadian Arctic, the Utah deserts, the Australian outback, and the geothermal fields of Iceland. Mars Society members give an in-depth look at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) and Field Season 7 in Utah, the most advanced simulation study of how we plan to tackle the real human exploration of the Red Planet.
MARS ON EARTH -- THE ADVENTURES OF SPACE PIONEERS IN THE CANADIAN ARCTIC —New—
Mars Society members give an in-depth look at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) on Canada's Devon Island, where seven volunteers underwent a record-breaking four-month simulated Mars mission in the summer of 2007.
HUMANS TO MARS -- HOW WE'LL GET THERE
It has been 34 years since we last stepped foot on the Moon, and Mars is beckoning to us. Plans are bring laid right now to return to the moon and from there go on to set foot on the Red Planet. Mars Society members take a look at all the current plans for exploring and eventually colonizing Mars.
POSTCARDS FROM THE FUTURE
—New—
An epic 38-minute motion picture that explores our future in space - seen through the eyes of an engineer working to build a base on the moon, Mars and beyond, who occasionally sends video postcards back to his wife on Earth.
MARS IN THE MOVIES
Since 1910, when Thomas Alva Edison photographed “A Trip to Mars”, the red planet Mars has been a favorite topic of over 120 feature films. Gerry Williams, creator of the MarsMovieGuide.com, takes us on a multimedia tour of some of the best (as well as the worst) movies about Mars ever made.
NOTE: This presentation requires a 1-1/2-, 2- or 3-hour time slot, and is great for an evening event.
THE MARS UNDERGROUND
A landmark documentary about renowned aerospace scientist and visionary, Dr. Robert Zubrin, and his struggle to get the first human mission to Mars off the ground.
NOTE: This presentation requires a 90-minute to 2-hour time slot.
