Time: Thursday 18 Feb 2021 at 19:30

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this event will be delivered online. More details can be found here.

TITLE: Mars – Why we can’t get enough

There have been 49 spacecraft missions to Mars – more than anywhere else beyond Earth. What is it about Mars that we find so fascinating? Why do we continue to return? What remains to be understood about our nearest neighbour in the Solar Systems that has not already been uncovered? With 2020 seeing the launch of three Mars missions, landing in 2021, this talk explores the importance of Mars to mankind, and discusses the impact of the most recent missions to the red planet.

SPEAKER: Rain Irshad

Dr Rain Irshad is the Autonomous Systems Lead at RAL Space and works on large innovation projects for the Science and Technology Facilities Council. She has been involved in numerous space missions over the past 18 years and was the Planetary Protection Officer for the SEIS-SP instrument on NASA’s InSight Mission. Her research also looks at terrestrial applications of space technology including robotics for Agritech and the Mine Action Sector.