Principal Investigator of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission, Author of Roving Mars

Steve Squyres, Ph.D. is the leader of the 170-member science team for the Mars Exploration Rover mission, which brought the twin Spirit and Opportunity rovers to the surface of Mars in January 2004; supported by over 4,000 other engineers, scientists, technicians and support staff.  As Principal Investigator for the Mars Exploration Rover Project, Squyres bears primary responsibility for the scientific activities of the rovers.

Squyres is featured in the acclaimed IMAX movie "Roving Mars" and in the documentary film "Triumph of The Dream: The Inner Journey to Outer Space” directed by Norman Seeff.

In his multimedia presentation, Squyres reveals the ups, downs, triumphs, dead ends, politics, celestial deadlines, utter confusion, ingenuity and innovation of the bumpy journey from the inception of the project, to the historic launch and landing.  Squyres relates the dramatic new scientific revelations resulting from the Rover mission. Spirit and Opportunity were designed to operate for only three months; they were still exploring the surface of Mars more than three years later making unparalleled discoveries about Mars and its potential for life.

Squyres’ lectures for business audiences are informed by lessons learned from leading the Mars Exploration Rover mission science team, overcoming dire challenges to accomplishing their ultimate triumph. He addresses managing or working within a large diverse team of high performing individuals, breaking down barriers and fostering open communication across departments. Programs can be tailored to address your specific needs.

Squyres is a professor of astronomy at Cornell University and former chairman of NASA's Space Science Advisory Committee. He has participated in a number of planetary spaceflight missions, including NASA’s Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter missions, the European Space Agency’s Mars Express mission, and the Cassini mission to Saturn. Squyres frequently speaks to schools, corporations, and organizations — sometimes in conjunction with the Roving Mars IMAX movie.