How We Landed a Car on Mars: NASA's Jordan Evans at TEDxMidAtlantic 2012

Jordan Evans is the Engineering Development and Operations Manager for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) "Curiosity" rover project at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Since 2006, in both his current role and prior role as the Deputy Flight System Manager, Mr. Evans has led the MSL team through the challenges of Curiosity's design, development, testing and operations on the surface of Mars. His past projects and experience encompass a wide array of aerospace topics including the B-2 Stealth Bomber, Hubble Space Telescope, and a space-based Gravitational Wave Detector. Publications from Mr. Evans include papers on bonded joints, compensation for "self-gravity," systems engineering challenges, managing critical tests, and cleaning of instruments for detection of organics on Mars.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[@senatorjosephmccarthy2720]

I like that, even though it was a hot LZ, the car still repelled in.

[@livecoralreef]

What a cool project! What a cool guy!

[@HPsauce1234]

brought to you by bullshido

[@EveryTongue]

Bad Luck NASA: Goes to Mars. Finds water on Mercury.

[@michaelryd6737]

How did they take the photos at 1.38? Just asking...

[@ryanrobbins2674]

Cgi

[@ryanrobbins2674]

Lmfao nice CGI

[@redhedfreak123]

it's just a rendering of what the event would look like in real time. no one is supposed to think it's footage of the actual landing taking place.

[@giga-chicken]

As it turns out, it's not really any harder to hit other planets. Once get so far out it's all pretty much the same, so why not aim higher than mars? Every solid planet is of equal value to us, so why not look further? There's water out there somewhere, one only has to find it.
Although it should be noted that if you go far enough out 7 minutes of terror becomes 7 days of terror. It originates from the fact that it takes 7 minutes for the signal from curiosity to get back to Earth.

[@jth_1016]

your mum is a planet

[@justtrolin]

2nd!

[@jth_1016]

mars doesn't exist

[@Nikolizky]

What does exist, God?

[@solarxknight7953]

are you serious? plz tell me you are joking