Mars Technica
18 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago -Could Jezero Crater hold the keys to unlocking an ancient and hidden past when life existed on the Martian surface? As NASA’s Perseverance rover heads to Mars to find out, we take you on board the spacecraft to learn more about some of its incredible exploratory technology from the scientists who created it. Come journey with us on an exciting podcast by Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Homepage Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
How a trip to the Arctic could help us find life on other planets
April 25, 2023 20:41 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MBMars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya.
What does a Martian dust devil sound like?
February 28, 2023 15:05 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBMars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UA.
Mars: 10 years of incredible discoveries
August 03, 2022 17:12 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBThe Curiosity mission was supposed to last about two years, but more than a decade later the rover is still going — making remarkable discoveries all along the way. Mars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya.
One year on Mars!
February 18, 2022 16:12 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBOn Perseverance's Martian "landiversary," relive the excitement of the rover's historic touchdown and hear about the fascinating discoveries that it's made — and what it could do next. Mars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya. Photo illustration by JPL/NASA. With special thanks to Jennifer Talhelm, Laura Mullane and Camille Dickson. LA-UR-22-21413
Flash floods on Mars!
December 21, 2021 00:46 - 6 minutes - 6.26 MBEvidence shows that there may have been massive flash floods on Mars billions of years ago. Mars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya. Photo illustration courtesy JPL/NASA. With special thanks to Jennifer Talhelm, Laura Mullane, Arthur Bishop and Camille Dickson.
Surprising first audio from Ingenuity on Mars
May 26, 2021 22:14 - 5 minutes - 5.46 MBFor the first time ever, a spacecraft on another planet has recorded sound from an entirely separate spacecraft. Learn why scientists are surprised by what they heard. Mars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya. Photo illustration courtesy JPL/NASA. With special thanks to Laura Mullane, Scott Faulk, Charles Poling, Nick Njegomir, Arthur Bishop and Camille Dickson. LA-UR-21-25078
First sounds from Mars
March 30, 2021 17:34 - 6 minutes - 5.56 MBListen to audio of SuperCam's laser popping against Martian rock and wind as it whooshes past the rover. LANL principal investigator Roger Wiens explains what the sounds mean. Mars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya. Photo illustration courtesy NASA/JPL. With special thanks to Laura Mullane, Scott Faulk, Charles Poling, Arthur Bishop and Camille Dickson. LA-UR-21-23035
Perseverance has landed
March 09, 2021 05:05 - 6 minutes - 6.21 MBMillions of miles and eight months of travel come to an end with a terrifying seven-minute landing. First things first: The rover starts on its to-do list. Mars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya. Photo illustration courtesy NASA/JPL. With special thanks to Laura Mullane, Scott Faulk, Charles Poling, Arthur Bishop and Camille Dickson. LA-UR-21-22256
Bonus: SuperCam talks!
November 19, 2020 21:57 - 3 minutes - 2.89 MBNestled within its spacecraft millions of miles from Earth, SuperCam sent scientists an update. Mars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya. Image courtesy NASA/JPL. With special thanks to Laura Mullane, Scott Faulk, Charles Poling, Arthur Bishop and Camille Dickson. LA-UR-20-29486
Mars needs women: ChemCam and the future of space missions
September 16, 2020 00:43 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBWho shoots the lasers on Mars? These two scientists do. Mars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya. Images courtesy NASA and NASA/JPL. With special thanks to Laura Mullane, Scott Faulk, Charles Poling, Arthur Bishop and Camille Dickson. LA-UR-20-27185
What rocks may reveal about Martian life
September 03, 2020 21:41 - 10 minutes - 9.29 MBLiving microbes play a role in forming rock varnish on Earth. Could they play a role in Martian rock varnish, too? Mars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya. Images courtesy NASA/JPL and NASA/JPL/Caltech. With special thanks to Laura Mullane, Scott Faulk, Charles Poling, Arthur Bishop and Camille Dickson. LA-UR-20-26905
A day in the life of a Mars rover
August 27, 2020 19:19 - 14 minutes - 12.9 MBHow do you drive a rover on another planet? Could life on Mars have gone underground? Mars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya. Images courtesy NASA/JPL and NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/JHU-APL. With special thanks to Laura Mullane, Scott Faulk, Charles Poling, Arthur Bishop and Camille Dickson. LA-UR-20-26657
Searching for signs of life on Mars
August 20, 2020 22:28 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBBillions of years ago, Mars was warmer and wetter. Could a dried-up lakebed harbor secrets of past life? Mars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya. Photo illustrations courtesy NASA/JPL and NASA/JPL-Caltech/Arizona State University. With special thanks to Laura Mullane, Scott Faulk, Charles Poling, Arthur Bishop and Camille Dickson. LA-UR-20-26431
Powered by plutonium
August 12, 2020 20:29 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBMars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya. Photo illustration courtesy JPL/NASA. With special thanks to Laura Mullane, Scott Faulk, Charles Poling, Arthur Bishop and Camille Dickson. LA-UR-20-26209
Plutonium power
August 12, 2020 20:29 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBIt takes a special battery to power a rover on another planet. Mars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya. Photo illustration courtesy JPL/NASA. With special thanks to Laura Mullane, Scott Faulk, Charles Poling, Arthur Bishop and Camille Dickson. LA-UR-20-26209
SuperCam: The eye on the rover
August 05, 2020 11:45 - 13 minutes - 12.6 MBMars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya. Photo illustration courtesy JPL/NASA. With special thanks to Laura Mullane, Scott Faulk, Charles Poling, Arthur Bishop and Camille Dickson. LA-UR-20-25941
The eye on the rover
August 05, 2020 11:45 - 14 minutes - 13 MBPerched atop Perseverance, SuperCam is the rover's "Swiss Army knife," performing five kinds of types of analyses to study Mars' geology. Mars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya. Photo illustration courtesy JPL/NASA. With special thanks to Laura Mullane, Scott Faulk, Charles Poling, Arthur Bishop and Camille Dickson. LA-UR-20-25941
Was there life on Mars?
July 29, 2020 17:00 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MBOn a mission like no other, Perseverance sets out to search for signs of ancient life on Mars. Mars Technica is produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cover art by Joey Montoya. Perseverance rover image courtesy JPL/NASA. With special thanks to Laura Mullane, Scott Faulk, Charles Poling, Arthur Bishop and Camille Dickson. LA-UR-20-25438