Perseverance Rover and Ingenuity Helicopter on Mars

After the successful landing of Perseverance and Ingenuity, NASA started the science and learning process from entry, decent and landing and operations on the surface of Mars. What have we done since the landing?  What have we learned already?

The Mars Sample Return campaign is in full throttle. The campaign is an international collaboration. What is NASA’s participation? There is a possible launch scheduled for 2026 and with samples coming back to earth by 2031.

Luis Velasco was born in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico, where he was raised until he was 17 and finished high school. He then moved to the United States and finished his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Brigham Young University in 1996. Velasco is the Mars 2020 mission Cruise, Entry, Descent and Landing (CEDL) Systems mechanical design lead at Jet Propulsion Laboratory and performed advance mobility simulations for the Mars 2020 Rover. He participated on the development of new technologies for the Mars 2020 entry, descent and landing, terrain-relative navigation, Mars EDL Instruments (MEDLI2) and EDL cameras and microphone, among others. He is currently transitioning to a new mission: Europa Clipper.

There is no cost for the lecture but registration is required.

Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field and to host social engagement activities to individuals age 50 and older in our community.

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Register by 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 14