Presentation: Engineering the Mars Perseverance Rover

Description:
Have you ever wondered how to keep a robot alive on a frozen desert planet 140 million miles away? We’ll talk nuclear batteries, daredevil landings, and a tiny helicopter named Ingenuity that changed planetary exploration. Come hear the story of Perseverance from someone who worked on its power source, and find out what the rover has been up to on Mars.

Presenter:
Amanda Gates, she/her, is a Mechanical Engineer who spent six years at Idaho National Laboratory working on the nuclear power source for NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover ahead of its 2020 launch and landing. She currently works here in Wenatchee as a Manufacturing Engineer at Diamond Foundry where lab grown diamonds are fabricated for jewelry and tech applications.

Ground Control offers a small discount for folks who bring their own reusable cup for on tap orders. Outside food is also welcome, as Ground Control does not sell food or snacks.