Not for the first time the IET in Southern California took part in the annual Mars Rover event in Redondo Beach. This year was much improved on previous years with both a greater variety of professional organizations attending and things to do and see.

@IET_SoCal #SoCalSelfie with potential? pic.twitter.com/FIf9BjbiX4

— IET SoCal (@IET_SoCal) September 16, 2017

As a STEM focused event, with many more professional associations in attendance, each had their own spin on how to keep the attendees interested, with build your own straw rockets, FLIR cameras, Sphero mazes and of course our own Van de Graaf Generator.

@IETCommunities: volunteers making straw rockets at Sixth Annual NASA-JPL Mars Rover (& Cassini!) STEM talk & LA/OC Society Expo today. pic.twitter.com/RUi56Fa31G

— IET SoCal (@IET_SoCal) September 16, 2017

In addition to the usual excellent talk on the Mars Rover and its progress in the past year, the location of the event allowed the attendees to tour the local museum of Spaceflight and see components of the James Webb Space telescope being manufactured and hear from the engineers responsible for its design. The highlight for the volunteers, other than teaching children the fun that can be had with a Van de Graff generator, was of course was helping make LED flashlights.

 

@IETCommunities volunteer fxing LED kit @TheIET stand 6th Annual NASA Mars Rover STEM talk & LA/OC Society Expo today pic.twitter.com/ggLWq2RTuv

— IET SoCal (@IET_SoCal) September 16, 2017