Norman Haynes, manager of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Exploration Program, will present details of NASA's next set of missions to Mars -- the 1998 Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar Lander -- in a free public lecture to be held November 19 at JPL and November 20 at Pasadena City College's Forum, both at 7 p.m. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first- served basis.
"Going Back to Mars: The Mars '98 Missions Revisit the Red Planet," is part of the monthly von Karman Lecture Series sponsored by JPL.
Part of NASA's long-term program of Mars robotic exploration, the two 1998 missions will launch in December 1998 and January 1999. Both spacecraft are scheduled to arrive at Mars in December 1999 to advance scientists' knowledge of Mars' climate history and the planet's current water resources by digging into the enigmatic layered terrain near the south pole for the first time.
Haynes, an aeronautical engineer, has served on a variety of space flight missions beginning with the 1964 Mariner 4 and 5 flybys of Mars and Venus. More recently he served as deputy assistant director of the former Flight Projects Office, manager of the Voyager Project to the outer planets and manager of science and mission design for the Galileo Project. Prior to his current position, Haynes was director of the Telecommunications and Mission Operations Directorate.
He holds a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University and a master's degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Southern California.
More information about JPL's von Karman Lecture Series is available on the Internet at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/lecture/, or by calling (818) 354-5011. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology.
818-354-5011