NASA Ames Research Center Director G. Scott Hubbard, who was the first NASA Mars program director and served as the sole NASA representative on the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, will speak at UC Santa Cruz on June 3.
Hubbard will speak on "Space Exploration: The Moon and Mars--A Vision of the Future," for the spring UCSC Foundation Forum, at 3:30 p.m. in the Colleges Nine and Ten Multipurpose Room. The lecture is free and open to the public.
A faculty panel discussion will follow, featuring:
. David Deamer, professor and acting chair of biomolecular engineering, whose research includes astrobiology and the origins of life;
. Gabriel Elkaim, assistant professor of computer engineering, who conducts research in robotics;
. Ali Shakouri, associate professor of electrical engineering, whose research includes energy conversion applications.
In 2000, Hubbard was called to NASA headquarters, where he served as the first Mars program director. Hubbard's success in redefining all robotic Mars missions in response to the Mars failures in 1999 earned him the title "Mars czar" in some circles. The Mars Odyssey mission, launched during Hubbard's tenure, is now successfully collecting data on Mars.
Hubbard has been a contributor to, and developer of, space research missions since 1974. He is acknowledged as the originator of the Mars Pathfinder mission and was the project manager for the Ames portion of that mission, which successfully landed on Mars July 4, 1997. He was NASA's manager for the Lunar Prospector Mission that launched on January 6, 1998, and discovered evidence of water ice at both the north and south poles of the Moon. Hubbard has been widely acknowledged for introducing private-sector concepts, such as integrated product teams, into NASA's operational activities. In addition, he has developed experimental hardware for numerous investigations, including balloon experiments, Apollo-Soyuz, and other space science missions.
NASA Ames Research Center is located at Moffett Field in the heart of Silicon Valley. It specializes in research geared toward creating new knowledge and new technologies that span the spectrum of National Aeronautics and Space Administration interests.
NASA Ames and UCSC are collaborating in the University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) established in 2003 under a 10-year, $330 million contract between UC and NASA. Scientists at NASA Ames and UCSC will work together on research that is critical to achieving success in NASA missions. The institutions will also collaborate on developing technologies to improve the quality of life on Earth and on cutting-edge education programs.
The Foundation Forum lecture series brings together UCSC Foundation trustees, faculty, and students annually to hear engaging speakers and participate in discussions on current subjects that affect their common interests and goals. Shuttle service to the forum is available from the Barn Theater parking lot beginning at 3 p.m.
