On Thursday, November 13, Descriptive Astronomy students had the pleasure of meeting with local scientist, Ryan Danell. Although, as this Greenville resident says, he is not a “rocket scientist,” he does work for NASA. Ryan shared his background as a chemist and his work on a spectrometer that will be used on a Mars rover to be launched in 2018. He provided background information on NASA and explained his personal involvement with the Mars exploration program and how this program has evolved. Students learned of the myriad of ways scientists are involved in space exploration, as well as the long-range planning and vision required for such programs. His first-hand knowledge of the program and personal work experiences interested students and presented them with a unique perspective on space exploration. It was great to learn more about this program from someone with such a personal connection!
