Pointers on Mars robotics

Students from Liverpool High School, outside Syracuse, came to Cornell's Space Sciences Building Oct. 27 to hear Steven Squyres, professor of astronomy, talk about the two rover vehicles that will explore the surface of Mars in 2003. Cornell has been selected by NASA to provide the Athena science package and lead the scientific team for the 2003 Mars mission. Squyres will be the principal investigator for Athena. The students are participating in a robotics competition called FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) that exposes them to engineering through a partnership of industries and schools. The Liverpool students, in conjunction with the Carrier Corp., will design and construct a robot for regional and national competitions. Charles Harrington/University Photography