Elachi to discuss space exploration

In the past year, great strides have been made in planetary exploration and in the understanding of our universe. Charles Elachi, director of JPL and a Caltech vice president and professor of electrical engineering and planetary science, will discuss the accomplishments and the possibilities in the next Watson lecture, “Challenges and Excitement of Space Exploration,” on Wednesday, April 28.

The period from mid-2003 to mid-2004 has seen the Spitzer Space Telescope, the most advanced telescope of its kind, begin exploring the universe in the infrared, while the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) is mapping the sky in the ultraviolet. Two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have been exploring the surface of Mars in coordination with two orbiters, Odyssey and Mars Global Surveyor.

Meanwhile, Stardust and Genesis are collecting samples from a comet’s tail and the solar wind, respectively, for return back to Earth, while the Cassini-Huygens mission—the most ambitious planetary exploration effort ever mounted—is scheduled to enter Saturn’s orbit on July 1. A joint endeavor of NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Italian Space Agency, the mission launched Cassini, a robotic orbiter that will circle the ringed planet for four years, on October 15, 1997. After Cassini enters orbit, the Huygens probe will descend to the surface of Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, six months later.

Elachi will share the excitement of these bold steps to explore the universe and to search for signs of life, and will explain the tasks that lie ahead in space exploration in the coming decade. The free public lecture will begin at 8 p.m. in Beckman Auditorium. No tickets or reservations are required; first-come, first-served seating will be available at 7:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Public Events at 1 (888) 2CALTECH, (626) 395-4652, or events@caltech.edu, or visit www.events.caltech.edu. Individuals with a disability can call 395-4688 (voice) or 395-3700 (TDD). All Watson Lectures are made available online at Caltech’s Streaming Theater, http://today.caltech.edu/theater.
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