About this Event
Join us for a FREE public screening of “Goodnight Oppy” – a film that follows Opportunity, the Mars Exploration Rover affectionately dubbed “Oppy” by her creators and scientists at NASA. Oppy was originally expected to live for only 90 days, but she ultimately explored Mars for nearly 15 years.
We will be joined by NASA JPL engineer and Mars rover driver” Vandi Verma for a behind-the-scenes look at the fascinating world of space exploration and a chance to learn about the incredible work being done by NASA's rover team. Don't miss this unique opportunity to engage with a real-life space explorer!
A Q&A session with Vandi will follow the film screening.
This film is suitable for all ages.
Please register below as space is limited. The film will start promptly at 6 pm.
This event is proudly supported by the United States Mission and is co-hosted by the Centre for Automation and Robotic Engineering Science (CARES) and Te Pūnaha Ātea Space Institute.
About Vandi Verma:
Vandi Verma is a Principal Engineer and Deputy Section Manager for Mobility & Robotics at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. She is also Chief Engineer of Robotic Operations for Mars 2020. Previously, she was Assistant Section Manager and led various robotics groups.
Her expertise spans space robotics, autonomous systems, and robotic operations. Vandi has worked on robotics and AI research, deploying robots in extreme environments like the Arctic and Antarctica. She has been instrumental in developing capabilities for the Perseverance and Curiosity rovers, including onboard robotic arm collision detection and autonomous science targeting. Her work also includes flight software and ground operations, such as the rapid flight software simulation (SSIM) for Curiosity.
Vandi led the Europa Lander Advanced Development Autonomy Prototyping team and developed the MEXEC planning and execution system used in missions like ASTERIA, Europa Clipper, and Perseverance. Prior to JPL, she developed the PLEXIL execution language at NASA Ames Research Center. She continues to collaborate with external researchers and universities.
Vandi earned her Ph.D. in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University in 2005.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Sir Owen G Glenn Building, 12 Grafton Road, Auckland, New Zealand
NZD 0.00