Guests: John Batchelor, Dr. Jim Bell Dr. David Livingston. Topics: Mars 2020 mission, the Perseverance Rover and instruments, studying Mars, rover sterilization and why, special instrument features, EDL and more.
You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog. Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are not permitted without prior written consent from The Space Show (even if for personal use) & are a violation of the Space Show copyright. We do not permit the commercial use of any Space Show program or part thereof, nor do we permit Space Show programs to be edited, placed on YouTube, or other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted in news articles, papers, academic & research work but must be cited or referenced in the proper citation format. Contact Dr. Livingston for questions about our copyright and trademark policies which we do enforce. This program is archived on The Space Show website, podcasting, and blog sites with permission from John Batchelor. Please visit the John Batchelor Show website for more information about this fine program, www.johnbatchelorshow.com. Remember, your Amazon Purchases Can Help Support The Space Show/OGLF (www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm. Please note that audio and transition issues are a result of copying the John Batchelor broadcast & are not within my control as they originate in the Batchelor studio.
John Batchelor and I welcomed Dr. Jim Bell to the program to discuss the upcoming Mars 2020 mission with the Perseverance Rover. This was a two segment Hotel Mars program. For the fist segment, we talked about the size and mass of Perseverance compared to Curiosity and what this meant for the Perseverance EDL. Jim also expressed concern for the team due to complications from Covid-19. Jim, as the PI for the MASTCAM-Z 3 D zoom cameras, talked extensively about this new camera system and how it differed from the camera on Curiosity. Also discussed was how the lenses were protect from dust and other environment risks. Before this segment ended, I asked if Perseverance had been sterilized. Jim said yes and to a much higher standard than normal. Listen to his explanation for the new, high standard.
In the second segment, Jim was asked why Jezero Crater was selected as the landing site. Our guest had much to say about this site, the fact that it was a delta and that study results would likely be applicable to a large section of Mars. Part of the reason for this was the volcanic rocks they expected to find at this location. Before we ended our discussion, we talked about the Ingenuity helicopter. Jim said this was a demo mission with a short lifespan to demonstrate powered flight on Mars for the first time. No doubt this will be an exciting part of the mission even though it is expected to be short lived. Throughout the program we talked about additional instruments and missions for Perseverance.
Please post your comments/questions on our blog. John Batchelor and Jim Bell can be reached through me at The Space Show. Jim can also be reached at his Arizona State University faculty page or his persona website referenced in his bio.
The Space Show
