We are excited to announce the third annual MarsFest in Death Valley National Park, on March 28th, 29th and 30th, 2014!

Death Valley National Park has several planetary analog research sites within its boundaries, and is excited to share this little known, but extremely important, use of our public land.

The SETI Institute, NASA Ames, NASA Goddard,  JPL and the National Park Service are proud to collaborate again this year to bring scientists, the public and national park enthusiasts together to explore the fascinating research being done in this field. A key component is the NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover mission team, represented by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) education and public outreach (E/PO) team.

The goal of MarsFest is to elevate public awareness about planetary analog research taking place on Earth, and its associated missions in space such as MSL and upcoming missions.

The first two MarsFest weekends, held in 2012 and 2013, were extraordinarily successful thanks to the dedication of park personnel, the SETI Institute, and NASA centers, and so well received by participating scientists, park staff and the general public that they have set the stage for MarsFest 2014.

Support for the festival comes from several scientists, E/PO professionals, astronomy club members and other planetary science enthusiasts, who volunteer to share their time, information, resources and their passion with visitors. MarsFest has also been featured on NASA TV (“This Week@NASA”).

Visitors of all ages are invited to MarsFest 2014. The event will be opened by a key note speaker and will feature scientist-led field trips to analog sites such as Mars Hill, Badwater Basin, Ubehebe Volcanic Field, and Mesquite Sand Dunes, as well as guest lectures and special presentations at the park’s Furnace Creek Visitor Center. The event will include a “Curiosity Hour” update featuring scientists participating in the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover mission, followed by a Q&A session.

For more information contact:

Rosalba Bonaccorsi
NASA Ames Research Center / SETI Institute – Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe
Space Science and Astrobiology Division
rosalba.bonaccorsi-1@nasa.gov