{"id":743961,"date":"2026-07-05T04:03:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T04:03:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/743961\/"},"modified":"2026-07-05T04:03:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T04:03:12","slug":"vail-symposium-celebrates-nasa-at-work-from-the-ocean-to-mars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/743961\/","title":{"rendered":"Vail Symposium celebrates NASA at work \u2014 from the ocean to Mars"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cWe set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people,\u201d President John F. Kennedy told a crowd at Rice University in 1962. In an era of Artemis missions, Mars planning and renewed fascination with space, NASA\u2019s work continues to push the boundaries of exploration while quietly transforming life on Earth.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, the Vail Symposium presents \u201cNASA at Work: Exploring Space from the Ocean to Mars,\u201d an evening at 4 Eagle Ranch that reveals how missions \u201cOff the Earth, For the Earth\u201d are reshaping science, climate research and our understanding of the planet we call home. This program will include preshow activities, a visit from the HAATS helicopter and lawn games.<\/p>\n<p>When most people think of NASA, they picture rockets, astronauts and distant planets. But the agency is also a key player in understanding our climate, advancing medical research and probing the mysteries of \u201cinner space\u201d beneath the ocean\u2019s surface. This program brings together three leaders in space and exploration \u2014 NASA astronaut and artist Nicole Stott, Johnson Space Center project manager Bill Todd and space strategy expert Phil Larson \u2014 to show why NASA\u2019s mission of \u201cinnovating for the benefit of humanity and inspiring the world through discovery\u201d matters to every one of us, not just to scientists or engineers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNASA\u2019s work reminds us that exploration isn\u2019t just about distant planets \u2014 it\u2019s about understanding and caring for the home we already share,\u201d says James Kenly, executive director of the Vail Symposium. \u201cThis program brings that big picture down to earth for our community, connecting what happens in orbit and under the ocean to the everyday choices we make as \u2018crewmembers of Spaceship Earth.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stott, who spent more than 100 days in space aboard the International Space Station and later founded the Space for Art Foundation, will share her \u201cEarthrise\u201d insights: that we all live on a planet, we are all Earthlings, and the only border that matters is the thin blue line of atmosphere that protects us. Todd, project manager for exploration analogs at Johnson Space Center and former NASA Undersea Research Team project lead, joins Stott in discussing their experiences as aquanauts \u2014 living and working underwater \u2014 and how those missions have shaped both scientific understanding and personal perspectives on our interconnected world. Larson, chief of strategy and engagement for space exploration at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, will add context on how NASA and other space missions are tracking climate science, driving innovation and benefiting humanity now and in the future.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" data-image-url=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/VD-logo-white.png\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/VD-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\" style=\"z-index: 999; max-height: 40px;\"\/><\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\nSupport Local JournalismDonate&#13;\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Together, the panel will explore big questions:<\/p>\n<p>How do space and undersea missions change the way we see our planet and each other?<\/p>\n<p>What science has emerged from decades of \u201cOff the Earth, For the Earth\u201d exploration?<\/p>\n<p>How is NASA working to monitor and address climate change?<\/p>\n<p>What can we expect to see on the horizon as new missions launch and new technologies emerge \u2014from the ocean floor to Mars?<\/p>\n<p>The program will be moderated by Emmy-winning journalist Greg Dobbs. Dobbs covered the U.S. space program for HDNet television, anchoring live from Florida for the last six years of the space shuttle program. He interviewed every crew member before their missions and broadcast from Kennedy Space Center for every launch and most landings, giving him a front\u2011row seat to the triumphs and challenges of modern spaceflight.<\/p>\n<p>This event at 4 Eagle Ranch is designed as an evening for all ages. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m. with the panelist talk scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Before the presentation, kids and adults are invited to participate in \u201cPostcards to Space,\u201d a children\u2019s art activity; view selected pieces of Stott\u2019s artwork, including one of the art spacesuits developed through the Space for Art Foundation; enjoy a rolling documentary; and play camp lawn games. Food will be available for purchase and a cash bar will be open.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cWe set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":743962,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[79,193],"class_list":["post-743961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-space","tag-science","tag-space"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/743961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=743961"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/743961\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/743962"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=743961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=743961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=743961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}