Panel Discussion Will Explore Mars and the Human Imagination

MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91109. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011

“Mars in the Mind of Man: A Panel Discussion” is part of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory-sponsored von Karman Lecture
Series, Thursday, March 16 at JPL, and Friday, March 17 at Pasadena City College. Both discussions begin at 7 p.m. Admission
is free, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

The red planet has intrigued human beings for centuries. The ancient Greeks named the planet after their god of war.
Copernicus used Mars to prove that the planets orbit the Sun. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has sent more than a dozen
spacecraft to Mars since the mid-1960s. This panel discussion focuses on how scientific and popular views of Mars have inspired
artists, writers, scientists and explorers throughout history.

The panelists include Dr. Daniel McCleese, program scientist of JPL’s Mars Exploration Program; Dr. Richard Zurek,
project scientist for the Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar Lander missions; Carl Colby, a Los Angeles – area filmmaker; and
Warren James, an aerospace engineer and local radio commentator.

The lecture on March 16 is at JPL, 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Pasadena, off the 210 (Foothill) freeway. The March 17 lecture is
at The Forum at Pasadena City College, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd.

JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology.

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