A perfect blend of nervousness, excitement and fulfillment ran through her as UCLA mechanical engineering alumna Ny Sou Okon ’02 watched NASA’s Perseverance rover land on Mars on February 18.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Okon and her colleagues couldn’t attend any in-person landing events, however, they were able to hold a virtual NASA livestream viewing party at home to share the excitement of the landing and to continuously monitor the status of the rover remotely.
( Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)
Unlike most spectators cheering for the successful touchdown, Okon was also preparing to support operations by the rover on Sol 1, the first Martian day.
“Our team had dedicated many years to the making of Perseverance,” Okon said. “It was just a huge moment for all us with lots of strong emotions all around — joy,…
