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CHAMLIAN PLAYS HOST TO CURIOSITY SCIENTISTS
Glendale News Press
Nov 6 2012
CA
By Kelly Corrigan, [email protected]
Several Armenian engineers who helped launch the Curiosity rover to
Mars this past summer were celebrated during a visit Monday afternoon
at Chamlian Armenian School, where they shared stories about their
work.
Engineer Arbi Karapetian brought along face masks, full body suits and
booties - the everyday outerwear of the rover scientists during the
seven years they assembled Curiosity at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
in La Caņada Flintridge.
"Imagine working like this 12 hours a day," Karapetian said.
Karapetian - who helped design the rover - was one of several Armenian
engineers who told the story of Curiosity, from assembly to launch.
"To this day, we have not brought back any rocks from Mars," he said.
"That's something we'd like to do."
In one video he shared, several people in white "bunny" suits observed
the rover's wheels spin during the first-ever test drive.
A second video showed footage of the rover's final descent after
traveling 357 miles in eight months from its launch off Cape Canaveral.
He also spoke of the instruments built on the arm and "in the belly"
of the rover such as the laser capable of vaporizing rocks to collect
information on the chemicals they're made of.
"Hopefully, in 15, 20 years, one of you guys will be an astronaut
who goes to Mars and we want to make sure we give you the right space
suit," he said.
Human safety depends on knowing how much of the Martian environment
is filled with radiation - the purpose of the radiation detector on
the rover.
A neutron detection instrument on the rover was made by Russians.
One visiting engineer included Armen Toorian, who worked on Curiosity's
38 engines.
Ted Iskenderian, who has worked on various projects at JPL for the
past 28 years - including Cassini and Galileo - said he always enjoys
sharing his work with kids.
"They ask so many really good questions and they're so enthusiastic
about space," he said. "To be with kids, it reminds me of how I felt
when I was their age."
http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-gnp-1106-chamlian-plays-host-to-curiosity-scientists,0,7589955.story
From: Baghdasarian
Glendale News Press
Nov 6 2012
CA
By Kelly Corrigan, [email protected]
Several Armenian engineers who helped launch the Curiosity rover to
Mars this past summer were celebrated during a visit Monday afternoon
at Chamlian Armenian School, where they shared stories about their
work.
Engineer Arbi Karapetian brought along face masks, full body suits and
booties - the everyday outerwear of the rover scientists during the
seven years they assembled Curiosity at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
in La Caņada Flintridge.
"Imagine working like this 12 hours a day," Karapetian said.
Karapetian - who helped design the rover - was one of several Armenian
engineers who told the story of Curiosity, from assembly to launch.
"To this day, we have not brought back any rocks from Mars," he said.
"That's something we'd like to do."
In one video he shared, several people in white "bunny" suits observed
the rover's wheels spin during the first-ever test drive.
A second video showed footage of the rover's final descent after
traveling 357 miles in eight months from its launch off Cape Canaveral.
He also spoke of the instruments built on the arm and "in the belly"
of the rover such as the laser capable of vaporizing rocks to collect
information on the chemicals they're made of.
"Hopefully, in 15, 20 years, one of you guys will be an astronaut
who goes to Mars and we want to make sure we give you the right space
suit," he said.
Human safety depends on knowing how much of the Martian environment
is filled with radiation - the purpose of the radiation detector on
the rover.
A neutron detection instrument on the rover was made by Russians.
One visiting engineer included Armen Toorian, who worked on Curiosity's
38 engines.
Ted Iskenderian, who has worked on various projects at JPL for the
past 28 years - including Cassini and Galileo - said he always enjoys
sharing his work with kids.
"They ask so many really good questions and they're so enthusiastic
about space," he said. "To be with kids, it reminds me of how I felt
when I was their age."
http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-gnp-1106-chamlian-plays-host-to-curiosity-scientists,0,7589955.story
From: Baghdasarian