This is planetary radio.

This is planetary radio. Welcome everyone. I'm Mad Kaplan. What a weekend. I suppose you've heard the news.

The Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit, has successfully landed

on the surface of Mars. Like millions of other space enthusiasts around the world, I spent

Saturday and Sunday, January 3 and 4, first in anxious

anticipation and then in celebration. Well over 2,000 of us gathered at the Pasadena Convention Center for Wild About Mars, the Planetary Society's

way of making the rover landing an educational experience, an opportunity to be entertained

by the likes of Ray Bradbury, John Reese Davies, and

Bill Nye, a chance to applaud the engineers and scientists on the Murr team and a heck of a great party. Perhaps you joined us via the Society's very popular live webcast.

In planning today's special show,

we first thought about trying to capture the flavor of Wild About Mars.

We quickly realized that nothing could

top the incredibly tense few minutes between spirits entry into the Martian

atmosphere and confirmation that it was safe and sound in Guoosev Crater.

So that's what we're going to play for you today, followed by our what's up visit with Bruce Betts

and this week's trivia question.

Actually you'll hear much more of Bruce this week's trivia question. Actually you'll hear much more of Bruce this week.

He served as host of Wild About Mars. In the next 20 minutes or so you'll hear Bruce on stage

where he was joined by Dr. Donna Shirley, former manager of the Mars Exploration Program

at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab.

Bruce and Donna provided helpful explanation and comments as we literally looked over the shoulders of everyone

at the JPL Operations Center for the rover thanks to a giant video screen.

...