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Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

ENGINEERING COLLOQUIUM

Monday, March 30, 2009 / 3:30 PM, Building 3 Auditorium

Andrew Chaikin

"A Passion for Mars: Intrepid Explorers of the Red Planet"

ABSTRACT -- This talk is based on Andrew Chaikin's new book, A Passion for Mars, which is the story of Earthbound explorers and their robotic surrogates caught in the irresistible pull of the red planet. The book features some of our own GSFC scientists such as Jim Garvin, as well as the likes of Carl Sagan, fierce champion of the search for life; rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, envisioning human Mars expeditions years before the space age; and science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, standard-bearer for Mars as human destiny. It also reflects upon the rogue "Mars Underground" grad students, keepers of the flame when Mars falls off NASA's radar; biologist Jerry Soffen, hoping for fossil microbes in a Martian meteorite; maverick geologist Mike Malin revealing a Mars no one imagines; and the Mars Exploration Rover teams, conducting the first overland treks on another planet.

Although Mr. Chaikin will not be selling his book at the lecture, he will be happy to sign copies of his books that audience members bring with them.

SPEAKER -- Andrew Chaikin has authored books and articles about space exploration and astronomy for more than two decades. He is also active as a lecturer at museums, schools, and corporate events, and in radio and television appearances. Mr. Chaikin is best known as the author of A Man on the Moon: The Triumphant Story of the Apollo Space Program, first published in 1994. This acclaimed work was the main basis for Tom Hanks' HBO miniseries, From the Earth to the Moon, which won the Emmy for best miniseries in 1998. A three-volume, fully illustrated edition of A Man on the Moon was published by Time-Life books in 1999. Mr. Chaikin co-edited The New Solar System, a compendium of writings by planetary scientists, now in its fourth edition. He is also the author of Air and Space: The National Air and Space Museum Story of Flight. He collaborated with moonwalker-turned-artist Alan Bean to write Apollo: An Eyewitness Account, and he co-authored the text for the highly successful collection of Apollo photography, Full Moon. His previous book, SPACE: A History of Space Exploration in Photographs, was published in 2002. From 1999 to 2001, Mr. Chaikin served as Executive Editor for Space and Science at SPACE.com, the definitive website for all things space. He was also the editor of SPACE.com's print magazine, Space Illustrated. Mr. Chaikin is a commentator for National Public Radio's Morning Edition, and has appeared on Good Morning America, Nightline, and the NPR programs Fresh Air and Talk of the Nation. A former editor of Sky & Telescope magazine, Mr. Chaikin has also been a contributing editor of Popular Science and has written for Newsweek, Air & Space/Smithsonian, World Book Encyclopedia, Scientific American, and other publications.


Engineering Colloquium home page: https://ecolloq.gsfc.nasa.gov