Neil deGrasse Tyson and NASA Chief Scientist Explain New Mars Rover

Teacher or professor: StarTalk
Subject: Astronomy
Content of the Lesson: Earlier in the day today, @NASA successfully launched their latest Mars rover, Perseverance. Now that it’s rocketing its way to Mars, we’re here to explore what it will do once it gets there. Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice are joined by NASA Chief Scientist James Green, PhD, to break down what Perseverance will be doing once it touches down on the red surface. Firstly, why launch now? James tells us why this is the perfect window to launch to Mars. You’ll learn why NASA is targeting to land Perseverance on an ancient Martian shoreline. We discuss why our own evolution history helps inform us where to land the rover. Find out the logistics of how Perseverance will land on the Martian surface. Will we experience a similar six minutes of terror like we experienced when Curiosity made its descent? James explains why the landing procedures may sound crazy but they actually make “fantastic sense.” You’ll hear about all the different experiments attached to Perseverance including a rock corer, high-tech cameras, and a ground-penetrating radar. Lastly, James tells us about Ingenuity, the tiny helicopter accompanying Perseverance on this mission. All that, plus, find out why James is excited to have a microphone on-board Perseverance. Image credit for background of Mars Perserverance Rover: NASA Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio Subscribe to StarTalk: https://www.youtube.com/user/startalkradio?sub_confirmation=1 Follow StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalkradio/ About StarTalk: Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up! #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson #NASA


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