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Wake Forest Physics… |
Special WFU Physics Colloquium
TITLE:
The Mars Exploration Rovers:
SPEAKER:
Dr. John L. Callas,
TIME: Sunday Apr. 5, 2009 at 7:00 PM
PLACE: Room 101 in Olin Physical Laboratory
ABSTRACTFor five Earth years, two intrepid robotic explorers, Spirit and Opportunity, have been successfully conducting field geology day after day on Mars at two different locations on the surface. Originally designed for a 90-Martian day mission, the rovers have exceeded that requirement by a factor of 20, and show little sign of stopping. The rovers have traversed great plains, climbed mountains, descended into deep craters and survived rover-killing dust storms and frigid winters. Both rovers have found evidence of past habitable environments that could possibly have supported life. As the rovers move, each day becomes a brand new mission with new sights and new geology to explore. Both rovers have made significant discoveries in understanding the Red Planet, but great adventures still lie ahead for each rover. Dr. John L. Callas received his Bachelor's degree in Engineering from Tufts University in 1981 and his Masters and Ph.D. in Physics from Brown University in 1983 and 1987, respectively. He then joined the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California to work on advanced spacecraft propulsion. Since 1989 he has worked on several missions to Mars. In 2000, Dr. Callas became the Science Manager for the highly successful Mars Exploration Rover Project. He currently serves as the Project Manager for the Mars Exploration Rovers. In addition to his work on Mars Exploration, Dr. Callas is involved in the development of instrumentation for astrophysics and planetary science, and teaches mathematics at Pasadena City College as an adjunct faculty member. |
