NASA’s Perseverance Rover. Photo courtesy NASA / JPL-Caltech
LANL NEWS
As we count to the landing of NASA’s Perseverance rover Thursday, February 18, Los Alamos National Laboratory has put together a number of fun resources to help you prepare, including live events, podcasts to listen to, and videos to watch .
LIVE EVENTS:
Meet the scientists behind the Mars mission: The Department of Energy is hosting a virtual Q&A with experts from the LANL, Oak Ridge and Idaho national laboratories who made the Mars mission a reality. Take part in the discussion on February 16 at the 13 o’clock.
Watch the landing: NASA will host a live online broadcast while Perseverance makes its final descent to the Red Planet after traveling approximately 300 million miles from Earth. melody in and watch the story unfold February 18 at the 12:15 p.m.
Party with the Bradbury Science Museum: After Perseverance is put on, celebrate with Los Alamos scientists and engineers who helped develop the rover’s two scientific instruments – SuperCam and SHERLOC – and learn about the plutonium-powered heat source that keeps the rover running. Register here attend the after party February 18 at the 6 p.m.
PODCASTS
Mars Technica: LANL’s podcast series takes you behind the instruments on the rover with some of the Los Alamos scientists and engineers who made it possible. The series was launched in July 2020 along with the launch of the rover and will resume with updates after landing!
Direct current: The Department of Energy’s podcast dedicated two episodes to the rover (and featured LANL in a prominent way): one about SuperCam, the rock-zapping instrument on board Perseverance, and the other about the rover’s unique plutonium source. Check out the podcast.
VIDEOS
Get to know the Perseverance Rover: See in this video what endurance is all about unique robot and why SuperCam, the sophisticated instrument on board, is called the “Swiss Army Knife”.
Hear from a real space scientist: This lively, fun and engaging conversation is a planetary scientist with Los Alamos Nina Lanzawho is part of the Perseverance Rover’s science team. She will discuss a variety of topics about the Mars mission, including how SuperCam’s innovative capabilities identify geological materials and prepare rock and soil samples in tubes that will be returned to Earth on a future mission.
How does Mars sound? Stay tuned for videos to come – as we get closer to the rover’s final descent on Mars, we’ll be posting videos to give you a taste of what the Red Planet sounds like and more.
BOOKS AND ARTICLES
Here is a list of books about exploring Mars firsthand – how suggested by actual Martian explorers!
Learn more about the microphone on the rover and what it could reveal it will capture the sounds of Mars.
Find out about the technology Developed in New Mexico in collaboration with LANLs laser, sensor and detection expertise support the Mars mission.
Why is Mars called the “Red Planet”? Children can find the answer in this short reading 10 facts about Mars.
GAMES TO PLAY
Take a picture of yourself on Mars: You can’t go to Mars yet, but you can enter NASA photo booth and bring the red planet closer to you. Stand next to the rover or even on Mars and share your picture with #CountdownToMars.
Drive the rover: You sit in the driver’s seat on Mars while you gather information about Martian rocks, send commands from your rover to analyze them, and earn points NASAs explore Mars Game.
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