Washington University in St. Louis Celebrates Raymond E. Arvidson’s 50 Years of Mars Exploration

    In a public lecture on Sept. 7, Raymond E. Arvidson, the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, will share highlights and reflections – and rover driving lessons – gleaned from a half century of investigating the red planet.
    NASA has undertaken nearly two dozen spacecraft missions to Mars, including flybys, orbiters, and rovers. Arvidson has been part of almost every mission to Mars since he began his career in the mid-1970s.
    In a public lecture, “My 50 Years Exploring Mars: From the Viking Landers to the Perseverance Rover,” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, in Emerson Auditorium in Knight Hall on the Danforth Campus, Arvidson will share highlights, reflections, and lessons gleaned from 50 years of investigating the red planet. He’ll provide a behind-the-scenes look at robotic missions, a crash course on driving “cars on Mars”, and an overview of what we’ve learned of Mars’. The event is free and open to the public, with in-person and livestreaming options.