The Private University of Fez (UPF) welcomed last week, Kamal Oudrhiri, engineer at NASA. The latter led a conference on the theme “Destination Mars: Five lessons learned along the way”. The Moroccan scientist took the time to exchange with students on his academic and professional career and the importance of research and development within universities.
The Private University of Fez (UPF) received a distinguished guest last week. This is scientist Kamal Oudrhiri, telecommunications engineer at NASA’s Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena in California. An unforgettable meeting for the UPF students who were able to exchange, with broken sticks, with the Moroccan engineer within the framework of the conference, held on the theme “Destination Mars: Five lessons learned along the way”. Remember that this meeting was organized just after the landing of the “Perseverance” robot launched on the planet Mars by the team of the Moroccan scientist.
“Our students were able to share with the researcher several questions about his career and his experiences. This exchange is important to show our students that we can succeed, here in Morocco, and become one of the best in the world through perseverance, ”said Mohamed Aziz Lahlou, president of the UPF.
In order to arouse the interest of young students in science and the conquest of space, Oudrhiri, shared with the students, the faculty of the university and the general public, the experience carried out on the red planet with d other members of a small NASA team. “This is the largest and most sophisticated vehicle ever sent to another planet,” says Kamal Oudrhiri. He explained to the students that the goal of the Mars 2020 mission is to search for traces of ancient life on Mars where water existed in abundance. It is also a question of characterizing the geology and climate of the planet and of collecting samples of rocks and sediments carefully selected for a possible return to Earth in 2026.
The scientist informed the students that the goal of NASA and many other space agencies around the world is to study the possibility of a permanent human presence on Mars. “Achieving this goal requires above all many innovations in the design of spacecraft, space medicine, astrobiology and agriculture,” said Oudrhiri who also briefed the students on the role he played. , as NASA’s Radio Science Team Leader, in the follow-up and successful landing of the Rover “Curiosity” in August 2012 on Mars. “This meeting is part of the events organized by the UPF which ensures to invite personalities who have marked history to make students want to become the best in their fields and this thanks to the skills acquired during their training course”, affirms Mohamed Aziz Lahlou. As a reminder, since the start of his career with NASA, Kamal Oudrhiri has received three NASA JPL Mariner Honorary Awards, three JPL Voyager Honorary Awards and 39 Team Excellence Awards. Which makes him, officially, one of the most awarded scientists within NASA of the last 20 years. A few days ago, he celebrated the landing of the Robot “Perseverance” on Martian soil after seven months of travel, which represents a resounding success for the Moroccan and for the entire American Space Agency (NASA). Kamal Oudrhiri played a key role in multiple missions, in particular those related to the exploration machines of Mars, namely “Curiosity”, “Rovers”, “Spirit” and “Opportunity”, passing by the international missions “Cassini” for the planet Saturn, “Grail” for the moon and “Juno” for Jupiter.
Mehdi Idrissi / Eco Inspirations
