Parks Mars and Stars Program

About the Program

Category: Parks and Recreation (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

Orange County Parks (OC Parks) partnered with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to host a new series of educational public programs showcasing NASA’s unmanned missions to Mars. These free events hosted capacity crowds at four different OC Parks facilities throughout the County at various times in 2010. These outdoor evening events provided a unique opportunity for members of the public to listen to NASA/JPL scientists and Mission Specialists discuss Mars Rover programs, get a closer look at travelling exhibits used in space, and use telescopes set up to gaze at the stars. NASA/JPL scientists discussed past missions to Mars and the future of upcoming missions to the red planet. These events allowed members of the public to engage the scientists responsible for America’s robotic exploration of space in an up-clos and exciting way. Along with JPL staff, other groups, including a local astronomy club, gave logistical support to make this series a success.