*Denotes family friendly programming
MarsFest 2017 Death Valley National Park
Friday, March 10 Opening and Keynote—Furnace Creek Visitor Center Auditorium 7:00–7:25 pm Welcome —Mike Reynolds, Superintendent, Death Valley National Park; David Blacker, Executive Director, Death Valley Natural History Association; Rosalba Bonaccorsi, SETI Institute/ NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) 7:30–8:30 pm *Keynote Speaker—Penny Boston, NASA Astrobiology Institute Caves from Earth to Mars and Beyond
Saturday, March 11 Expo—Furnace Creek Visitor Center Patio 9:00 am–5:00 pm *Meet scientists, view first-hand demonstrations, and ask in-person questions
Guided Walks—Meet at each location’s parking lot; see map. Please Carpool! 8:30–9:30 am Mesquite Sand Dunes—The Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity) Among Sand Dunes, Past and Present Aaron Zent, NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) 10:30–12 noon *Badwater Boardwalk—The Life and times of Badwater Microbes Susanne Douglas, Planetary Science Institute/ East Los Angeles College 10:30–12 noon *Badwater Boardwalk—Chasing storms in Death Valley: How Wet, How Hot? Rosalba Bonaccorsi, SETI Institute 12:30–1:00 pm Artists Drive Entrance—Dynamic Desert Processes: Alluvial Fans, Ventifacts, Desert Pavements and Desert Varnishes: How Similar are Death Valley and Mars? Aaron Zent, NASA Ames Research Center (ARC)
Talks—Furnace Creek Visitor Center Auditorium 1:30–2:30 pm Panel Discussion: Robots and Humans exploring, searching for, and protecting extant life on Earth, Mars, and Beyond Margaret Race, SETI Institute; Penny Boston, NASA Astrobiology Institute; Rosalba Bonaccorsi, SETI Institute 2:35–3:05 pm Missions to Explore Ocean Worlds Morgan Cable, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory 3:10–3:40 pm Mars Surface Exploration from Viking to Mars 2020 Luther Beegle, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory 3:45–4:15 pm *Protecting Special places on Earth and in the Solar System Margaret Race, SETI Institute 4:30–5:30 pm Curiosity Hour Update and Q&A: The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover Andrea Jones, NASA GSFC/Planetary Science Institute; Luther Beegle, NASA Jet Propulsion Lab: moderated by Rosalba Bonaccorsi, SETI Institute/NASA ARC 7:30–8:30 pm *Keynote Speaker—Christopher McKay, NASA Ames Research Center Planetary Vision 2050
Children’s Programming—Furnace Creek Visitor Center 2:00–3:00 pm *Kids Corner—Exploring Connections Between Death Valley and Mars Andrea Jones, NASA GSFC/Planetary Science Institute; Lora Bleacher, NASA GSFC; Brandi Stewart, Death Valley NP
1 of 2 Program Schedule--last updated 3/8/2017
*Denotes family friendly programming Sunday, March 12 Expo—Furnace Creek Visitor Center Patio 9:00 am–3:00 pm *Meet scientists, view first-hand demonstrations, and ask in-person questions
Guided Walks—Meet at Ubehebe Crater parking lot Please Carpool! 9:30–10:30 am *News and Views About the Ubehebe Volcanic Field: a Journey into the Crater Rosalba Bonaccorsi, SETI Institute/NASA Ames Research Center 10:45–11:45 am *Exploring the Little Hebe Crater Rosalba Bonaccorsi, SETI Institute/NASA Ames Research Center
Talks—Furnace Creek Visitor Center Auditorium 1:10–1:40 pm Titan, the Mojave, and Death Valley Michael Malaska, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory 1:45–2:15 pm Exploring Mars from Pilbara to the Himalayas David Willson, KISS Institute for Practical Robotics/ NASA Ames & Mars Society of Australia 2:20–2:50 pm Mars Society‘s Talk Children’s Programming—Furnace Creek Visitor Center Patio, SETI Institute’s Booth 9:30–10:30 am *Kids Activity 1—Planning a Human Mission to Mars; Margaret Race, SETI Institute 11:00–noon *Kids Activity 2—Searching for ET Life—and imagining what it might be!
EVENT LOCATIONS MAP
KEY Parking is limited Furnace Creek Visitor Center Please Carpool! Thank you Badwater
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Ubehebe Crater
Artists Drive Entrance
MarsFest 2017 Partners: Death Valley Natural History Association, SETI Institute, National Park Service, NASA: Ames Research Center, MSL/SAM Team, Goddard Space Flight Center.
2 of 2 Program Schedule--last updated 3/8/2017