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Astronomy on Tap

Monday, April 10, 2023
7:30pm to 9:30pm
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Launching and Landing Spacecraft on Mars
Shannon Statham, Group Supervisor, Environmental Test Lab, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Rob Manning, Chief Engineer, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
  • Public Event

How do we ensure spacecraft are ready for the extreme environment of space? How do we safely get spacecraft to land on Mars and other planets? Join us Monday, April 10th at 7:30PM for a very special evening featuring the engineers who make our space program work, as we discuss these topics and more at our next Astronomy on Tap. We'll host two ~15 minute talks, Q&A, and then follow it up with interactive, astronomical pub trivia, and guided stargazing at our in-person Astro on Tap!

7:30 p.m. - Shake & Bake: Preparing Spacecraft for the Extreme Conditions of Launch and Space
8:15 p.m. - Landing Stuff on Mars is Hard
9:00 p.m. - Astro-themed Pub Trivia Answers and Prizes

About the Series

Astronomy on Tap is a nation-wide phenomenon where professional astronomers give informal science talks in local bars with accompanying pub trivia and interactions with the public. Scientists at Caltech organize the Los Angeles Chapter of Astronomy on Tap one Monday a month. We host these free events which are open to all at the outdoor patio of the Dog Haus Biergarten in Old Town Pasadena (with inexpensive parking structure one block away).

Each event consists of two ~15-minute informal science talks given by researchers in astronomy, physics, and space science followed by Q&A. In the intermission periods, we have guided stargazing with telescopes, astro-themed pub trivia, and live music from Jason Achilles and Forrest Mitchell. For more information and recordings of past events, please see the Caltech Astro Outreach website and the Caltech Astro YouTube page.

For more information, please contact Cameron Hummels by email at chummels@caltech.edu.