January 2, 2004, Hour One: Mars Missions

Science Friday > Archives > 2004 > January > January 2, 2004:
Hour One: Mars Missions

Saturday, the first of NASA's twin rovers will arrive at the Red Planet, bringing with it the hope of scientists to find evidence of liquid water, a basic requirement for life. Join Ira in this hour of Science Friday for an inside look at NASA's latest Mars mission--from the challenges of interplanetary travel to the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

Will the lander 'Spirit' fare better than the still-missing ESA lander Beagle 2, which arrived at Mars a week ago? And how do the two programs differ? Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (2-3 Eastern), and share your opinions online in our Listeners' Lounge (registration required).

Guests:
Cathy Weitz
Program Scientist, Mars Exploration Rover Mission
NASA
Pasadena, California

Chris Voorhees
Mechanical Systems Engineer, Mars Exploration Rover Mission
NASA
Pasadena, California

Gilbert Levin
Executive Officer for Science
Spherix Inc.
Beltsville, Maryland

This segment produced by Trevor Thieme

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