[X] My Assistant

[Guest_Zvezdichko_*]

OK, this will be my first radio conference to speak on a particular topic about a spacecraft. The conference is on the National radio in Bulgaria, so that will be an important one.

There are a lot of things happening, of course. I have about 30 minutes to speak - that's not much! So I have to sort out the most important things.

That's why I'd like to ask you - what should be a top priority for the conference?

1. EDL - What happened during descent, pulsed thrusters, landing ...

2. The scientific results - from the Meteorological station and LIDAR, results from TEGA and MECA, alkalinity of the soil...

3. Should I mention the problems with TEGA?

[jmjawors]

Ok. So obviously it won't be a highly technical discussion, which already helps steer you towards the right topics to talk about (somewhat). EDL is an exciting topic, so I'd definitely include it. Not just the landing itself, but the difficulties of sending a tiny probe hundred of millions of miles and precisely hitting its moving target. Science results thus far are a must, and I wouldn't worry too much about mentioning TEGA's difficulties. It's a little technical, I think.

One thing I would mention if I were in your shoes is the relationship between Mars and Earth and what we can learn about our home planet by studying Mars. I think we tend to forget that some people just don't see any value whatsoever in studying Mars, and while we enthusiasts/scientists find Mars fascinating on its own others don't. So a mention of Mars' history of climate change and what we can learn from it to apply on Earth, and also simply understanding why Mars and Earth are so different so that we can better understand the processes that shape the way our planet is today. All this would serve as the lead-in to describing Phoenix's specific mission.

And of course you should talk about the marvelous science results we've already learned from Phoenix.

That's a lot for 30 minutes, but that's my 2 cents.

[tedstryk]

Best of luck!

[marsbug]

I second that! Good luck, hope it's a great experience.