Peter C. Theisinger is the Manager of the Mars Science Laboratory Project at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. His prior positions have included Director for the Engineering and Science Directorate, Deputy Director of the Mars Exploration Directorate, Manager of the Mars Exploration Rover Project, Deputy Manager of the Mars Sample Return Project, Deputy Manager of the Systems Division, Mission Support and Development Manager of the Mars Surveyor Operations Project, Project Engineer for the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft development project, and Manager of the Spacecraft Systems Engineering section.

Theisinger has been involved in the systems design and development of                           interplanetary spacecraft systems since he originally joined JPL in 1967 as an engineer in the Payload Integration Section.  He has worked on a variety of missions, including the 1967 Mariner mission to Venus, the 1971 Mariner orbiter mission to Mars, the 1977 Voyager mission to the outer planets of the solar system, and the 1989 Galileo mission to Jupiter.

 He has also been involved in system engineering training, and has participated in course and training development for a variety of commercial organizations.

Theisinger has been awarded the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal for his work on the Mars Global Surveyor mission, and the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal for his management of the Mars Exploration Rover Project.

Pete earned his Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1967 from the California Institute of Technology.

Theisinger was born in Fresno, California. He is married with four children, and lives in La Crescenta, California.

Pete Theisinger, the Mars Science Laboratory Project manager will describe the MSL project, including its science objectives, the challenges faced during development, the selection of its landing site – Gale Crater, its current status in operations, and the challenges ahead, including Entry Descent and Landing on August 5, 2012 and the surface mission.

There will be complementary parking in the parking garage next to the hotel.

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