Dr. Kathryn Clark, U-M alumna and former chief scientist at NASA, will deliver the William R. Farrand Lecture at 3 p.m. April 13 in the Michigan League.

Clark will discuss what is “NEXT” (NASA Exploration Team) and the human factors of Mars exploration–all of the elements necessary for the health, safety and efficiency of crews involved in long-duration space flight.

Human exploration of Mars poses many challenges, and NEXT was chartered to develop the vision and plans for human exploration of space. Some of the challenges include long-term exposure to microgravity and radiation, and the psychological and physiological effects of space exploration. Clark will discuss these challenges and what steps NASA is taking to protect space crews in future missions.