Cosmic Cocktail Hour 6/2 Will Feature Mars Exploration, Robotics

Anyone who watched the historic landing of NASA/JPL'S Mars Perseverance rover surely was captivated when it landed in February, wiggled a wheel and drove on Mars for the first time in March and took a selfie with the Mars Ingenuity helicopter in April as Perseverance began the most ambitious effort in decades to directly study whether there ever was life on the now barren red planet.

For this month’s Cosmic Cocktail Hour Wednesday, June 2, from 4 to 5 p.m. via Zoom, JPL robotic hardware systems team member Paulo Younse will share an overview of various prototype robots developed by JPL, how he traveled around the world to test prototype designs in different types of landscapes and environments, how Perseverance is collecting samples from the surface of Mars and how follow-up missions will be planned for bringing samples back to Earth.

Presented by the Pasadena Senior Center, the cost is only $7 for members of the center and $10 for nonmembers 50 and older. Residency in Pasadena is not required.

To register, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on Events, Clubs and Lectures, then Online Events or call 626-795-4331. Everyone who registers will receive an email link to access the Zoom event. Anyone who does not have WiFi or an email address can call 626-795-4331 to receive a number to call to join this Zoom event by phone.

Pour your favorite beverage, sit back and enjoy the trip.

For more information about online activities and other programs and services of the Pasadena Senior Center, visit the website or call 626-795-4331.

The center, at 85 E. Holly St., is an independent, donor-supported nonprofit organization that has served older adults for more than 60 years. During the pandemic, doors are open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for social services and other critical services for older adults in need, as well as limited occupancy in the library, fitness center and computer lab. Masks and social distancing are required. All who enter are subject to temperature screening, must sanitize their hands upon entry and answer a simple screening questionnaire. Rooms are sanitized after each use.