RICHMOND, Va. -- A NASA scientist will provide an overview of the technological space innovations behind NASA’s upcoming Mars 2020 mission as a part of the Science Museum of Virginia virtual Lunch Break Science series.
The Science Museum will host LaNetra Tate, Ph.D., Program Executive for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD).
“Our goal is to lead, motivate and inspire technology development and innovation through collaborative relationships between government, academia and commercial entities,” said Tate.
Guests will have the opportunity to ask Tate questions about her and NASA’s professional endeavors and experiences, after the hour-long Zoom presentation.
The objective of the Mars 2020 mission is to test advanced technology that could benefit human and robotic exploration and investigate any signs of ancient life on the planet.
The Perseverance rover, which was named after Virginia seventh-grader Alexander Mather, after winning the “Name the Rover” essay contest, will stay on the surface of Mars for about 678 earth days. The rover will collect samples to rock and soil to research and understand the geology of Mars.
The live Lunch Break Science virtual talk is Wednesday, July 8, at noon.
Space is limited for the free seminar as there are only 300 spots. The Science Museum of Virginia advises guests to register online before 10:30 a.m. on July 8.
Guests are asked to register per device access, not per person.
The Zoom link to access the program will be emailed at 11 a.m. the day of the event. The Zoom presentation will be uploaded to the museum’s YouTube page for guests who could not attend the event.
