Adventures of the Mars Ingenuity Helicopter

The Mars Ingenuity Helicopter’s 72 flights across Mars were filled with discovery and inspiring moments. Overcoming operational and Martian challenges, every record was set and re-broken as the vehicle flew faster, higher, and further throughout the mission. Chief Pilot of the Ingenuity Helicopter Martin Cacan will highlight some of these adventures—both the difficulties and excitements—of Ingenuity’s three-year-long mission.

A Santa Barbara native, Cacan assisted in over 50 flights through the Martian atmosphere. As a guidance and control engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, he specializes in modeling dynamic systems and state estimation, contributing to NASA missions like Ingenuity, Psyche, NISAR, and Mars Chopper.

Talk starts at 7:30 PM, no tickets or reservations required.

This event at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is part of a monthly series of free astronomy talks presented by Santa Barbara’s astronomy club, the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit (SBAU). Look for more talks and free Star Parties with the SBAU on the Museum’s astronomy calendar.

Questions? Contact Astronomy Programs Manager Ila Jade Komasa at ijadekomasa@sbnature2.org or 805-682-4711 ext. 164.