Advice for the First Mars Colonists | Mason Peck | TEDxSchechterWestchester

With years of professional experience in the space industry, Dr. Mason Peck describes the challenges and opportunities facing the first Mars colonists. Using a combination of current technologies and historical analogies, Dr. Peck outlines a plan for the first settlers of the Red Planet. In this exciting talk, Dr. Peck looks towards the near-future of human civilization.
Dr. Peck is an Associate Professor in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University and the Director of Cornell's Space Systems Design Studio. His research interests include space-systems architecture and satellite dynamics and control. Dr. Peck also currently serves on the Mission Advisory Board of Mars One. From 2011 through 2013 he served as NASA's Chief Technologist in Washington, DC. There, he acted as the agency's chief strategist for technology investment and prioritization and chief advocate for innovation in aeronautics and space technology. Dr. Peck received an undergraduate degree in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering at UCLA. From 1994 to 2001 he was a systems engineer and attitude-control specialist at Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. From 2001 to 2004 he was a Principal Fellow at Honeywell in Phoenix, Arizona, where he directed research related to agile satellites and control-moment gyroscopes.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at