In collaboration with NASA's Mars Exploration Directorate at the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, PASSPORT TO
KNOWLEDGE presented two live programs for the 1996-97 school year
-- from Florida's Cape Canaveral before launch (Nov. 96) and from
NASA/JPL during the cruise phase of the mission (April 97), where
students met the men and women who fly the spacecraft.
Two, two-hour live telecasts for home and science center viewing were
broadcast July 6 and 9, 1997. They celebrated the landing of the
Pathfinder spacecraft and its Sojourner micro-rover. Two wrap-up programs
in October and November 1997 will incorporate images literally "live" from
Mars and tell the story of Sojourner's travels and the latest
discoveries about Martian climate and geology.
Videotapes of the broadcasts can be ordered from PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE.
LIVE FROM MARS #1:
"COUNTDOWN" November 19, 1996, 1-2 p.m., Eastern
Behind the scenes at Cape Canaveral: the launch of Mars Global
Surveyor; final preparation of the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft.
Why go to Mars? the evidence of liquid water and the
possibility of life. Past missions -- from first dreams of
interplanetary travel to the sophisticated spacecraft of today.
A draft script of this program is available in three parts:
part 1,
part 2 and
part 3.
LIVE FROM MARS #2:
"CRUISING BETWEEN THE PLANETS" April 24,
1997, 1-2 p.m., Eastern
Behind the scenes at NASA's JPL, lead center for planetary
exploration. How rocket fuel, momentum, gravity and ingenuity
get spacecraft from Earth to Mars. Mars Pathfinder and Global
Surveyor's progress to date. Portraits of the men and women
who control the missions. Building and testing robots.
A draft script of this program is available.
LIVE FROM MARS #3:
"TOUCHDOWN" July 6 and 9, 1997 2-4 p.m., Eastern
Pathfinder's arrival at Mars: first images from the Martian
surface. Sojourner deploys and returns its first images of the
lander. The Planetary Society's PLANETFEST celebrates the
last decade of Earth's achievements in exploring the solar
system, with a special focus on Mars and the Galileo mission
to Jupiter.
Program 3A: Touchdown: July 6, l997
Pathfinder's arrival at Mars: first images from the Martian
surface. Sojourner deploys and returns its first images of the
lander. The Planetary Society's PLANETFEST celebrates the
last decade of Earth's achievements in exploring the solar
system, with a special focus on Mars and the Galileo mission
to Jupiter.
Program 3A: Touchdown: July 6, l997
A draft script of program is available in three parts:
part 1,
part 2 and
part 3.
Program 3B: Touchdown + 6: July 9, l997
A draft script of program is available in two parts:
part 1,
part 2
LIVE FROM MARS #4:
"DESTINATION MARS" October 30, 1997, 1-2 p.m. Eastern
Highlights from both Pathfinder and Global Surveyor missions will be
featured as well as an introduction to Mars as perhaps the most exciting
planet to visit in our solar system.
A draft script of program is available in two parts:
part 1,
part 2.
LIVE FROM MARS #5:
"TODAY ON MARS... " November 13, 1997, 1-2 p.m., Eastern
Live weather data and imagery from Mars show what has been
learned to date from the Pathfinder lander and rover: how the
continuing data stream provides students with material to
analyze in math and computer classes. What Sojourner has
revealed, to date, about the actual composition of Martian
rocks, and what this implies for the question of liquid water
and the possibility of life. A preview of the next decade of
exploration.
For the first time, Closed Captioning will be made available thanks to
additional support from the Digital Equipment Corporation. Please note
that this will be available for PBS broadcasting only, not NASA-TV.
A draft script of program is available in two parts:
part 1,
part 2.
