Our solar system is an amazing place, and we have only just begun to learn all its wonders. In this program, we will learn about NASA's Mars Exploration Program, including what we know about the Red Planet, the possibility that it once harbored life (or still does?), and what the future holds. The program will mainly focus on the ongoing work by NASA's Perseverance rover: what we have found so far and what we will explore in the future.

Moderator: Andy Czaja, UC Professor of Paleontology, Geochemistry, and Astrobiology in the Department of Geosciences, science team member of NASA's Mars 2020 (Perseverance rover) mission, and member of NASA's Mars Sample Return Campaign Science Group (MCSG), advising on requirements for successfully bringing back samples collected by the Perseverance rover.