Which Way, L.A.?
Mission to Mars, Made in LA
Sunday, the high-tech rover Curiosity lands on Mars. We hear about generations of dreams and "seven minutes of terror."
By Warren Olney • • 1h 0m ListenSunday, when the high-tech rover Curiosity lands on Mars, all the world will be watching. But nobody will be paying more attention than the scientists at the Jet Propulsion Lab, who engineered the flight and the landing or the scientists at Caltech, who will do the exploring for the next two years. It's a huge gamble costing $2.5 billion that could end up in a heap of twisted metal, or it could help determine if there's ever been life on Mars. It could also determine the future of America's space program. We hear about generations of dreams and "seven minutes of terror." On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, is temporary employment the new normal?
Banner image: NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its panoramic camera to record this eastward horizon view on the 2,407th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars. (October 31, 2010)
In this episode
2 storiesThe Mars Mission: Made in LA
At 10:31 Sunday evening, Pacific Standard Time, the Mars Laboratory called " Curiosity " will land on the Red Planet, after decelerating from 13,000 miles an hour in just seven minutes. We hear about some of the reasons for nail-biting at the Jet Propulsion Lab and Cal Tech in Pasadena.
Read the story26 minIs Temporary Employment the New Normal?
It used to be a given that a rise in temporary employment was a sign of economic recovery and that permanent hiring would not be far behind. In recent months, temporary hiring is on the rise, but the old pattern does not seem to be holding.
Read the story24 min
