NASA to Discuss Next Mars Rover Today Live at 1 PM EDT +VIDEO

WASHINGTON - July 15, 2016: NASA will host a Live event today at 1PM EDT, to talk about the science and technology aboard NASA's next Mars rover, Mars 2020, and the significant step the agency is taking on its Journey to Mars, proceeding with final design and construction of the robotic explorer.

During the event, viewers will get a glimpse of the Mars Yard and rock drilling facility at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.

Participants will be:

• Kenneth Farley, Mars 2020 project scientist at Caltech in Pasadena
• Matt Robinson, Mars 2020 sampling and caching team deputy manager at JPL
• Allen Chen, Mars 2020 entry, descent and landing lead at JPL

The event can be viewed live on NASA's Facebook page at:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

http://www.nasa.gov/live  

Mars 2020, which has just passed a major development milestone, will look for signs of past life in a region of Mars where the ancient environment is believed to have been favorable for microbial life. It will collect samples of Martian rock and soil that a potential future mission could return to Earth for analysis. It also will assess Mars' geology and modern environment, providing context for other investigations. These studies will address high priority goals for planetary science and further aid NASA's preparations for a human mission to the Red Planet.

For more information about NASA's Mars missions, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/journeytomars