The 2017 Malibu Library Speaker Series will explore Mars and beyond on Aug. 29 with B. Gentry Lee, Chief Engineer for Solar System Exploration at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and co-creator with legendary astronomer and author Carl Sagan of the Emmy Award winning science TV series “Cosmos.”
On Tuesday, Aug. 29, 7 p.m. at Malibu City Hall, Lee will discuss his influential career helping lead many of America’s most groundbreaking space programs, and his documentary science TV programs and science fiction novels, which have entertained and educated millions.
“It’s really exciting that the Malibu Library Speaker Series has been able to touch on such a wide variety of subjects, from the ocean floor to Mars, the Moon, and Jupiter,” said Mayor Skylar Peak. “I encourage anyone who has gazed at the stars and dreamed of space exploration to attend.”
Lee currently oversees engineering integrity of all of JPL’s robotic planetary missions for NASA. He led the hugely successful and popular Curiosity Rover mission to Mars in 2012, the Dawn mission to the asteroids Vesta and Ceres in 2011, the Juno mission to Jupiter in 2011, and the GRAIL missions to the Moon in 2011.
Lee helped lead engineering for the Twin Mars Exploration Rover mission in 2004 and Phoenix Mars mission in 2008, as well as NASA’s successful comet missions, Deep Impact in 2005 and Stardust in 1999. He was chief engineer for the Galileo mission to study Jupiter and its moons from 1977-1988, and worked on the Viking mission from 1968-76, culminating in mankind’s first successful landing on another planet.
From 1976 until 1981, Lee partnered with the late Carl Sagan on the creation of “Cosmos,” which has earned several Emmys and the prestigious Peabody Award. In 2009, Lee starred in “Are We Alone?,” a Discovery Channel documentary show about the solar system.
Lee has co-written four science fiction novels with revered sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke that became New York Times bestsellers and have been translated into more than 25 languages. Since his collaboration with Clarke, Lee has written three successful solo novels, “Bright Messengers,” “Double Full Moon Night” and “The Tranquility Wars.”
The event features a Q&A with the speaker and reception with refreshments, and is free, but RSVPs are required. Malibu City Hall is located at 23825 Stuart Ranch Rd. For more information or to RSVP, visit www.MalibuCity.org/LibrarySpeakers or call the Malibu Library at 310.456.6438.
