the Red Planet
Aug. 19th, 2005 12:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ironymaidencontinuing the Mars theme (since ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mimerki and irishninja have been reading about the Martian with my last name) my corporate masters sponsored a visit from Steve Squyres yesterday, promoting his book.
he didn't read, but did an incredible presentation featuringspiritrover and opportunitygrrl, their work, and the people who built them. some of the images were from just the other day. dust devils! blueberry muffin rocks! Phobos eclipsing the sun! (as Mr. Squyres said, it had no scientific value, we just filmed it because it was cool)how do you get unstuck from a Martian sand dune? two weeks of lab testing with a spare rover and an elaborate reproduction of Martian soil and field results prove that you should put it in reverse and gun it. in a few weeks there will be a panoramic shot coming from the top of one of the Columbia mountains; one of the current pictures he showed us was so detailed that it contained several IMAX screens of information. (there's an IMAX movie coming soon. *swoons*)
he's a personable guy and an excellent speaker, but perhaps the coolest part of the experience for me was being in a room of people who were just as delighted and misty-eyed as i was. i love the space program; it's a bit of hope and wonder that i'm proud to spend tax dollars on.
mimerki and irishninja have been reading about the Martian with my last name) my corporate masters sponsored a visit from Steve Squyres yesterday, promoting his book.he didn't read, but did an incredible presentation featuring
spiritrover and opportunitygrrl, their work, and the people who built them. some of the images were from just the other day. dust devils! blueberry muffin rocks! Phobos eclipsing the sun! (as Mr. Squyres said, it had no scientific value, we just filmed it because it was cool)how do you get unstuck from a Martian sand dune? two weeks of lab testing with a spare rover and an elaborate reproduction of Martian soil and field results prove that you should put it in reverse and gun it. in a few weeks there will be a panoramic shot coming from the top of one of the Columbia mountains; one of the current pictures he showed us was so detailed that it contained several IMAX screens of information. (there's an IMAX movie coming soon. *swoons*)he's a personable guy and an excellent speaker, but perhaps the coolest part of the experience for me was being in a room of people who were just as delighted and misty-eyed as i was. i love the space program; it's a bit of hope and wonder that i'm proud to spend tax dollars on.
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no subject
Date: 2005-08-19 08:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-19 08:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-19 08:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-19 08:46 pm (UTC)none, that i know of; it's just a perk. there's an irregular guest author series. the two i've been to so far have been nonfiction- history and pop science stuff.
why i have mars on my mind
Date: 2005-08-19 08:54 pm (UTC)Re: why i have mars on my mind
Date: 2005-08-19 08:56 pm (UTC)Re: why i have mars on my mind
Date: 2005-08-19 08:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-19 10:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-20 12:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-20 01:52 am (UTC)