J (Bob) Balaram Head Shot

J (Bob) Balaram

Chief Engineer for Mars Helicopter Scout Project, JPL

J (Bob) Balaram is Chief Engineer for Mars Helicopter Scout Project at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. At JPL he has also been active in the area of telerobotics technology development for Mars Rovers, planetary balloon aerobot systems, and multi-mission, high-fidelity spacecraft simulators for Entry, Descent and Landing and Surface Mobility.

Latest Planetary Radio Appearances

A Comet’s Legacy, and a Helicopter is Ready for Mars

First we return to JPL for an update on the Mars Helicopter that has just been attached to the belly of the 2020 Mars Rover. Then it’s across the pond for a review of the amazing science coming from the Rosetta mission that spent years exploring comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. We wrap things up with another What’s Up view across the solar system and beyond.