NEWS RELEASE
The Planetary Society
65 N. Catalina Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106-2301 (626) 793-5100 Fax (626)
793-5528
E-mail: tps@planetary.org Web: http://planetary.org
For Release: November 29, 1999
Contact: Susan Lendroth
Calling All Explorers to Planetfest ’99
(“Photo Op Fun” for the Media)
When the Mars Polar Lander touches down on the Martian surface December 3,
1999, thousands at Planetfest ’99 will be watching a live feed from the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory on a giant 30-foot screen in the Pasadena Center,
Pasadena, California.
Sponsored by the Planetary Society, Planetfest ’99 will be a fun-packed,
three-day festival of space exploration where participants can hear the
first sounds from Mars, see an actual Mars meteorite, meet astronauts and
science fiction authors, and enjoy a host of talks, films and exhibits.
Highlights include:
LIVE FEED FROM JPL
Witness the Mars Polar Lander mission events as they happen with a live
feed from JPL, including views of Mission Control, updates on the landing,
and official NASA press briefings, all shown on a giant 30-foot screen.
THE FIRST SOUNDS OF MARS
The Planetary Society is the first private organization to sponsor an
instrument on a planetary mission — the Mars Microphone on the Mars Polar
Lander. Who knows what sounds the microphone will pick up — blowing dust,
gusts of wind, the mechanical sounds of the spacecraft itself? Whatever
they may be, we plan to play the first sounds publicly at Planetfest ’99.
CELEBRITY SPEAKERS
The co-chairs of Planetfest are Bill Nye the Science Guy and Apollo 11
astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Over the three-day festival they will be joined by
such speakers as actors Gary Sinise and Jerry O’Connell from Touchstone
Pictures’ Mission to Mars; Tim Russ and Robert Picardo from Star
Trek:Voyager; astronauts Sally Ride, Scott Carpenter, Vance Brand, and
Franklin Chang-Diaz; and science fiction authors David Brin, Kim Stanley
Robinson, Greg Benford, Alan Dean Foster, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.
There will be opportunities for autographs.
COOL EXHIBITS
Planetfest ’99 exhibits will include a rare meteorite from Mars; the first
public display of props from Mission to Mars, among them a full sized
Martian rover for human occupants and futuristic spacesuits from the film;
an overview of NASA planetary missions from JPL; and more.
PLAYTIME FOR KIDS
Make (and eat) an edible rover, launch an Alka Seltzer Rocket, make a
string of beads solar system, or play Mars Bingo. All these activities and
more will be presented in a Child’s Universe.
STUDENT PRESS CONFERENCE
MEDIA ONLY — NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: See Planetfest’s first Student Press
Conference when teachers and student journalists from over 40 middle
schools and high schools question guests Bill Nye, Sally Ride, and Jerry
O’Connell. The Press Conference will begin at 10:30 AM Friday, December 3,
prior to the opening of Planetfest at Noon. Mainstream journalists (the
adults) are welcome to attend, but only the kids can ask questions!
GHOSTS FROM THE PAST
Not Planetfests past, astronomy’s past. Meet Tycho Brahe, Carolyn
Herschel, and Percival Lowell in the form of costumed interpreters from
Lowell Observatory in Arizona, who will perform in character at the Next
Millennium Theatre.
THE MARSINATOR
Hear how your voice would sound on Mars though the technical wizardry of
the Marsinator, a computer program that changes Earthlike tones into their
Martian counterparts. The Marsinator will be demonstrated daily at
Planetfest.
LONGSHIPS TO SPACESHIPS
An incredible 80-foot mural depicting 1000 years of human exploration will
be unveiled — and completed — at Planetfest. The artist, Michael
Carroll, will actually finish the final panel there at Planetfest, painting
while the crowds watch.
SPANISH SESSIONS
Every day Planetfest will offer two hours of programming in Spanish in one
of the session rooms.
HOLODAY SHOPPING
Buy something really out of this world from one of the vendors at the Space
Emporium.
PLANETFEST ONLINE
And for those who absolutely cannot make it to Pasadena, California for the
festivities, Planetfest Online will webcast events from the Pasadena Center
live from December 3 to 5 at The Planetary Society’s website,
http://planetary.org. This site will also carry the sounds from the Mars
Microphone, as will two other sites, http://marslander.jpl.nasa.gov and
http://www.missiontomars.movies.com.
TICKETS
For tickets to Planetfest ’99 or further information about the events
there, call toll free 1-877-PLANETS or visit the Planetary Society’s web
site at http://planetary.org.
DATES/TIMES:
Friday, December 3: Noon – 7:00 PM
Saturday, December 4: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday, December 5: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
SPONSORS
Major sponsors for Planetfest ’99 include Touchstone Pictures’ Mission to
Mars, Oldsmobile, Intel Corporation, Cisco Systems, Inc. and LEGO.
Additional sponsors include the Norris Foundation, Space.Com, Swales
Aerospace, Raytheon, Discovery Channel, Sky Publishing, Oce Document
Printing Systems, David Brown and Abe Gomel of The Planetary Society’s New
Millennium Committee, International Services, Lockheed Martin, Radio Shack,
M & M’s ® Chocolate Candies, EarthLink, Employee Community Fund of the
Boeing Company, Epson, StarLab, Minotaur Amusements, Meade Telescope,
Motorola, MBNA, Sonic Foundry Inc., U-Haul, Community Bank, Costco
Wholesale, Smart & Final, and Steve’s InFocus Photo Lab and Portrait Studio.
-o0o-
MEDIA REGISTRATION:
Register in advance for press credentials with Susan Lendroth at
(626)793-5100 or by e-mail at tps.sl@planetary.org.
THE PLANETARY SOCIETY
Carl Sagan, Bruce Murray and Louis Friedman founded the Society in 1979 to
advance the exploration of the solar system and to continue the search for
extraterrestrial life. With 100,000 members in over 140 countries, the
Society is the largest space interest group in the world.
Linda Wong
The Planetary Society
65 N. Catalina Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91106-2301
Tel: (626) 793-5100 ext. 236
Fax: (626) 793-5528
E-Mail: tps@planetary.org
