NASA veteran Brian Muirhead will share his vision for Mars exploration at the next installment of the 2025 Malibu Library Speaker Series on Tuesday, Aug. 12, at 7 p.m. at Malibu City Hall.
The free event will feature Muirhead, chief architect of NASA's Mars Sample Return campaign, in a presentation followed by a question-and-answer session.
"Brian Muirhead's work represents some of the most ambitious and inspiring efforts in human space exploration," Mayor Marianne Riggins said. "Malibu is honored to host a leader whose vision and innovation have helped shape the future of science and technology."
Muirhead has worked in aerospace engineering and innovation for more than four decades. At NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, he is developing technologies for one of the agency's most challenging missions — bringing samples back from Mars for the first time.
He previously led the team that developed Mars Pathfinder, which landed on Mars on July 4, 1997. Muirhead served as chief engineer at JPL and contributed to the Mars Science Laboratory and its "Sky Crane" landing system that delivered the Curiosity rover to the Martian surface.
He also served as chief architect of NASA's Constellation Program, which aimed to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon and prepare crewed missions to Mars.
Muirhead has received multiple NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals and authored two books: "Going to Mars" and "High Velocity Leadership."
The event requires RSVPs. Malibu City Hall is located at 23825 Stuart Ranch Road. For more information and to register, visit www.MalibuCity.org/LibrarySpeakers.
The Malibu Library Speaker Series launched in 2013 as a partnership between the City of Malibu and the Malibu Library, part of LA County Library. The program features experts, authors and notable figures discussing topics including entertainment, literature, science, motivation, arts, education, sports, travel, food and the environment.
Additional information about Muirhead is available at www.NASA.gov/ames-ocs/ocs-seminars/Brian-Muirhead.
Edited by SMDP Staff