Curiosity Rover on Display for Premiere of Mars Film

This is a feature of the NASA/JPL Education Office

Feature Jan. 22, 2013

Curiosity Rover on Display for Premiere of Mars Film

Hear the story of the first quests to explore the Red Planet and get up close and personal with two pieces of Mars exploration history on Jan. 23 as JPL premieres its latest documentary film, "The Changing Face of Mars," at Caltech's Beckman Auditorium.

Space enthusiasts will have a chance to see a full-scale replica of the Curiosity Mars rover as well as the "first image of Mars" assembled from Mariner 4 data, a historic image with unusual origins that's featured in the 90-minute documentary.

"With these two exhibits, the past will encounter the present and will serve as enriching reminders to demonstrate just how far we have come in the robotic exploration of the solar system," notes the film's producer/director/writer, Blaine Baggett, director of the office of communication and education at JPL.

From just a flickering red speck in the night sky to a world rife with scientific treasure, Mars has so spellbound our minds and imaginations that the quest to unmask it is nearly as storied as the planet itself. Since the Mariner 4 spacecraft first visited the Red Planet in 1965, our understanding of Mars has drastically changed.

"The Changing Face of Mars" is told through a mix of archival footage and interviews with the scientists and engineers who pioneered Mars exploration. One of those pioneers, John Casani, will provide introductory remarks before the free premiere on Wednesday.

We hope you and your students will join us in celebrating the achievements of those who have and will "dare mighty things" in the ongoing quest to explore one of our most fascinating planetary neighbors.

To learn more about the film and attend the Jan. 23 premiere, which is open to the public, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/faceofmars/.

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