Mars mission boss to speak at Arabian Business Forum

Charles Elachi, the man who leads the team that has just landed a new exploratory rover on Mars, will give a keynote speech at the Arabian Business Forum on November 20.

Lebanese-born Elachi heads up the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the Pasadena-based based NASA agency that constructs and operates robotic planetary spacecraft.

On Monday morning, the team at JPL successfully masterminded the landing of a one-tonne vehicle – called ‘Curiosity’ – in a deep crater on the surface of Mars.

The rover will now embark on a two-year mission to look for evidence that the Red Planet may once have supported life.

US president Barack Obama lauded the NASA mission, saying: "Tonight, on the planet Mars, the United States of America made history."

*Elachi will speak at the 7 Arabian Business Forum being held in Dubai on November 20. This is an invitation only event, with only a limited number of tickets available to the general public. To enquire about attendance, please email anil.bhoyrul@itp.com.