Photograph Courtesy NASA
Photograph Courtesy NASA
A dynamic young engineer at NASA‘s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Kobie Boykins is on the frontline of Mars exploration. Boykins designed the solar arrays that power the remarkable Mars Expedition Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, which (as of December 2008) continue to send back data from our nearest planetary neighbor more than four years after being deployed. He is currently working at NASA‘s Mars Science Laboratory, preparing the actuators for the next mission. Boykins’ other projects have included work on the Mars Pathfinder mission and the Ocean Surface Topography Mission, making measurements by satellite of the Earth’s oceans.
In 2002, Boykins joined a team of young scientists for a public education tour—dubbed “Marsapalooza”—to raise awareness of the Mars Exploration Project. Four years later he was featured in the JASON Project Expedition “Mysteries of Earth and Mars,” bringing his passion for space exploration to students and teachers worldwide. An engaging public speaker who puts a fresh face on America’s space program, Boykins recounts the challenges and triumphs of the Mars Exploration Rovers mission, sharing remarkable images and discoveries that continue to come to us from the Red Planet.
Popular Presentation
Exploring Mars: Rovers of the Red Planet
Boykins shares his passion for space exploration by recounting the design and construction of the rovers and the story of their successful missions.
Learn More About Kobie:
Scientific American: Opportunity Rover Finds Possible Meteorite on Mars
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