Kalamazoo native, Norman Haynes, Director of Mars Exploration, Jet Propulsion Lab (Retired), is a leading figure in the remarkable history of NASA’s planetary exploration. Join us for a first-person account of Norman’s key role in our spacecraft making exciting new discoveries on Mars, Jupiter, Neptune, and beyond.
When Mariner 4 launched in November 1964 towards performing the first flyby of Mars, Norm Haynes was five years into what would become a remarkable four-decade career leading various elements of interplanetary exploration at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, CA.
Following a long path of solar system exploration filled with groundbreaking achievements and fascinating discoveries, Norm became the Director of Mars Exploration in 1996, a role he held until his retirement in 2000. Along the way, Norm received various honors and recognitions, culminating with the awarding of NASA’s Distinguished Service Medal, the agency’s highest honor.
Join Norm as he focuses on the hurdles, disappointments and on-the-spot ingenuity that led to the triumphant successes of two groundbreaking missions—Mariner 4, launched in 1964 and ultimately captured the first closeup images of another planet; and Voyager 2 in 1989, the first and only flyby mission to Neptune.
Norm Haynes is originally from Kalamazoo and is a Class of 1954 graduate of Kalamazoo Central High School. Norm currently lives in Pasadena.