Making a Mars Rover

June 18

We're preparing to launch the Perseverance rover to Mars, but what's involved in getting the Mars 2020 rover mission ready to head to Mars, and how do we prepare for operations once we're there? In this month's show, we'll talk with one of the researchers working on Mars 2020 to get a scientist's perspective on what it's like to develop a Mars rover mission. We'll then transition to hear about how NASA-JPL uses unique testing facilities on Earth for developing Mars rovers — testbeds for mechanical components, software, and even full-size test rovers that roll about our Mars Yard to try out new systems and approaches for landing and operating on Mars.

This webcast show will be conducted via video conference, with speakers joining remotely from home. Watch live via YouTube and Facebook and submit your questions via the chat.

Host:
Preston Dyches

Cohost:
Sarah Marcotte

Time: 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT; 0200 UTC)

Speaker(s):
Dr. Briony Horgan — Scientist, Mars 2020 mission and professor, Purdue University
Armen Toorian — System testbed lead for the Mars 2020 mission, NASA-JPL

Webcast:

› Click here for the YouTube playlist of past shows

For educational content related to this talk, explore these videos and activities for kids, plus resources for teachers from JPL Education:
› Explore Mars – Activities for Kids
› Explore Mars – Lessons for Educators
› Explore at Home – Learning Space