Future Space Travelers Report for Mars Training at the National Air and Space Museum July 16

It is all over the news—headlines say: “Next Stop: Mars.” In preparation for this long journey, future engineers, astronauts, planetary geologists and armchair space travelers are invited to come to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum for “Mars Day!” July 16.

The mysteries of the Red Planet will be explored Friday, July 16, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a variety of fun family activities at the museum’s flagship building on the National Mall. Visitors will learn about current and future missions to Mars from the director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division, Jim Green. Scientists from the museum’s Center for Earth and Planetary Studies and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, as well as presenters from the museum’s Education Division will participate in a full day of educational Mars-focused presentations and displays.

Activities include maneuvering a small robotic rover, a Red Planet quiz show, a hands-on study of meteorites, the latest super high-resolution images from the HiRISE camera in the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, a children’s art workshop, story time and opportunities to talk about recent discoveries with museum scientists, who are science team members in some of NASA’s ongoing Mars missions.

Highlights of the “Mars Day!” lineup:

• Planetary geologist Bob Craddock talks about geologic features that are common to Earth and Mars.

• Planetary scientist Maria Banks explains how Antarctica can be a laboratory for studying Mars.

• Mars Exploration Rover science team member John Grant presents a full-scale model of the rovers currently operating on Mars and talks about the ongoing mission.

• Mars 101: Planetary geologist Jim Zimbelman explains the major features and geology of Mars in front of the spectacular Mars photographs in the “Beyond: Visions of Our Solar System” exhibition.

• Mars, World of Change: Planetary scientist Bruce Campbell introduces the museum’s new Mars exhibit.

• MARSIS: Planetary scientist Tom Watters talks about radar mapping of Mars on the European Mars Express. 

A full schedule for “Mars Day!” activities and links to Mars resource materials can be found at http://www.nasm.si.edu/marsday.

“Mars Day!” is held annually to mark the July 1976 landing of Viking 1, the first spacecraft to operate on Mars. A test version of Viking 1 is displayed in the Milestones of Flight gallery at the museum’s Mall building. This year’s “Mars Day!” is made possible by the support of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

The National Air and Space Museum is on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., at Sixth Street and Independence Avenue S.W. The museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly, Va., near Washington Dulles International Airport. Both facilities are open daily from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission is free, but there is a $15 fee for parking at the Udvar-Hazy Center.

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