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Science

Blue Dot

Blue Dot 66: Matt Golombeck

By Dave Schlom

Published August 3, 2017 at 10:30 AM PDT

In this installment of Blue Dot, Dave talks to Matt Golombek from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Matt has been involved in the site selection for every American rover on Mars. On July 4, 1997, the Mars Pathfinder mission landed on the Red Planet and deployed the tiny Sojourner Rover. Since that time, for the past twenty years, there has always been American rovers on Mars from Sojourner to Spirit and Opportunity and now Curiosity. Learn about this amazing proof of concept mission -- Pathfinder was the first lander to utilize landing air bags -- and the amazing career of Matt Golombek exploring the red planet!

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Dave Schlom

Dave Schlom is the longtime host and creator of Blue Dot. From surfing to Voyager in interstellar space, rock guitar to orcas in our imperiled oceans, the topics on Blue Dot are as varied as the host’s interests and connections -- which are pretty limitless! An internationally respected space history journalist, Dave is also deeply fascinated by all aspects of the grand workings of nature’s awesome machinery on scales ranging from galactic to subatomic. And topics take in all aspects of the arts and sciences.

See stories by Dave Schlom