A team of Mandeville-area scientists, mathematicians, researchers, programmers and engineers has created a robot programmed to sweep the dust off the planet Mars, catapult rocks and explore the Red Planet’s rough terrain. Since it is made of Legos, the robot itself probably won’t ever make it to Mars. But space travel certainly is possible for these talented team members, at least when they are old enough for the trip.
September 7th, 2003
Eye on Mars The Times-Picayune
Neither cloudy skies nor a downpour of rain could dampen the enthusiasm of sky watchers assembled Aug. 29 at the Audubon Louisiana Nature Center. Looking through high-powered telescopes, binoculars and with the naked eye, they hoped to gain a glimpse of Mars as it made its closet pass to Earth in more than 50,000 years.
October 3rd, 2002
Slidell man is honored for dreams of Red Planet The Times-Picayune
Craig Dooley has spent a good part of his life looking at the stars and dreaming of the day someone would set off through deep space and explore Mars. As an adult, Dooley’s personal passion has been translated into action. And for those efforts, he has been instrumental in earning a national award for an organization he leads. A Slidell resident, Dooley is the president of the Louisiana Mars Society, LAMS, a small organization of about 13 scientists and engineers. The group recently was honored by its national organization, the Mars Society, with the 2002 Outstanding Volunteer Award for Political Outreach, honoring the work done by Dooley and LAMS member Tom James of River Ridge to encourage Louisiana’s congressional delegation to support human exploration and settlement of Mars.