NASA Names Mars Rover Landing Site After Pasadena Sci-Fi Pioneer Octavia Butler

Alan Boyle, GeekWire

GeekWire contributing editor Alan Boyle is an award-winning science writer and veteran space reporter. Formerly of NBCNews.com, he is the author of "The Case for Pluto: How a Little Planet Made a Big Difference." Follow him via CosmicLog.com, on Twitter @b0yle, and on Facebook and MeWe.

Octavia E. Butler Landing
(NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU)

Fifteen years after her death, science-fiction author Octavia E. Butler has joined an exclusive pantheon of space luminaries memorialized on Mars.

Today NASA announced that the Red Planet locale where its Perseverance rover touched down last month is called Octavia E. Butler Landing, in honor of a Black author who emphasized diversity in tales of alternate realities and far-out futures.


"Butler's protagonists embody determination and inventiveness, making her a perfect fit for the Perseverance rover mission and its theme of overcoming challenges," Kathryn Stack Morgan, deputy project scientist for Perseverance, said in a news release. "Butler inspired and influenced the planetary science community and many beyond, including those typically under-represented in STEM fields."

Butler grew up poor in Pasadena and attended Pasadena City College, where she focused on writing. She published her first book in 1976 and broke into the mostly white, male dominated world of science fiction writing. In 1995, she was awarded a fellowship from the MacAurthur Foundation, She moved to the Seattle area in 1999, where she died unexpectedly in 2006 at the age of 58, after sustaining a head injury in a fall on a walkway outside her home in Lake Forest Park, Wash.

In his own tribute to Butler, Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA's associate administrator for space science, emphasized the connection to Southern California, the home of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Perseverance mission operations.

Octavia E. Butler

Science-fiction author Octavia E. Butler grew up in Pasadena and spent the last years of her life in the Seattle area. (Writers House Literary Agency / Courtesy Ching-Ming Cheung)

"I can think of no better person to mark this historic landing site than Octavia E. Butler, who not only grew up next door to JPL in Pasadena, but she also inspired millions with her visions of a science-based future," Zurbuchen said. "Her guiding principle, 'When using science, do so accurately,' is what the science team at NASA is all about. Her work continues to inspire today's scientists and engineers across the globe – all in the name of a bolder, more equitable future for all."

The official names of geographical features on other planets must be approved by the International Astronomical Union, but NASA has a tradition of giving its own names to off-world landing sites – for example, Tranquility Base, the place on the moon where Apollo 11 touched down in 1969.

The 1997 landing site for NASA's Pathfinder mission to Mars is known as Carl Sagan Memorial Station, in honor of the late astronomer and author of "Contact."

In 2004, NASA designated the landing sites for the Opportunity and Spirit Mars rovers as Challenger Memorial Station and Columbia Memorial Station, respectively. Those names honor space shuttle crews who lost their lives in 1986 and 2003.

The place where NASA's Curiosity rover touched down in 2012 is called Bradbury Landing, as a tribute to Ray Bradbury, the author of "The Martian Chronicles" and many other works of science fiction.

Perseverance has already begun to venture out from Butler Landing: In addition to announcing the landing site's name, members of the mission team shared imagery from the 1-ton, six-wheeled rover's first drive since its Feb. 18 touchdown.

Perseverance's first drive on Mars

Thursday's traverse lasted about 33 minutes and put 21 feet (6.5 meters) on Perseverance's odometer. Color pictures sent back from Perseverance's hazard avoidance cameras show the tread marks left in Mars' red dirt as the rover took its first spin. Such imagery will be used to assess the dynamics of Perseverance's retro-rocket landing, which kicked up dust and exposed rock formations at Butler Landing.

"When it comes to wheeled vehicles on other planets, there are few first-time events that measure up in significance to that of the first drive," said Anais Zarifian, rover mobility testbed engineer at JPL. "This was our first chance to 'kick the tires' and take Perseverance out for a spin. The rover's six-wheel drive responded superbly. We are now confident our drive system is good to go, capable of taking us wherever the science leads us over the next two years."

The rover's software has already been updated to replace the program for landing with the program for surface operations. Mission controllers have also conducted procedures for deployment and checkout of Perseverance's RIMFAX, MOXIE and MEDA instruments, as well as its heavy-duty robotic arm.

"Tuesday's first test of the robotic arm was a big moment for us. That's the main tool the science team will use to do close-up examination of the geologic features of Jezero Crater, and then we'll drill and sample the ones they find the most interesting," said Robert Hogg, Perseverance's deputy mission manager. "When we got confirmation of the robotic arm flexing its muscles, including images of it working beautifully after its long trip to Mars – well, it made my day."

From its vantage point at Octavia E. Butler Landing, NASA's Perseverance rover can see a remnant of a fan-shaped deposit of sediments known as a delta (the raised area of dark brown rock in the middle ground) with its Mastcam-Z instrument. (NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU)

More than 7,000 raw images have been sent back to Earth and are available online in a gallery supported by Amazon Web Services. That stockpile is sure to grow as Perseverance ramps up full science observations.

The mission plan calls for the rover to make regular commutes of 650 feet (200 meters) or more to sites of scientific interest. "We're going to do some longer drives," Zarifian said. "This is really just the beginning."

The primary goal of the $2.7 billion Perseverance mission is to analyze the composition of Martian soil for traces of ancient life, and store up promising samples for return to Earth by later missions over the next decade.

This story first appeared on GeekWire.

🎓 LA’s Startup Edge

Los Angeles is a key center for tech and entrepreneurship, driven by its major universities. Caltech produced a “founding father” of artificial intelligence and USC's Viterbi School collaborates with industry and has produced companies like Riot Games.


Image Source: UCLA

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

UCLA is a major source of tech talent in LA, granting approximately 2,000 engineering degrees from Bachelor’s of Science to Ph.D.s annually. The university fosters innovation through:

  • Startup UCLA: An on-campus accelerator program that provides mentorship, funding, and resources to student entrepreneurs.
  • Anderson School of Management: Offers entrepreneurship programs and hosts startup competitions.
Companies Founded by UCLA Alumni: ChowNow by Eric Jaffe; Blizzard Entertainment by Mike Morhaime; BAM Ventures, LegalZoom.com & The Honest Company by Brain Lee


Image Source: USC

University of Southern California (USC)

USC is another key player in developing LA's tech workforce offering numerous programs and resources for aspiring entrepreneurs, including the Viterbi Startup Garage, USC Stevens Center for Innovation, and the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, which provides over 68 entrepreneurship courses taught by 27 professors and practitioners.The university fosters innovation through:

Companies Founded by USC Alumni: Riot Games by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill; Salesforce by Marc Benioff


Image Source: CalTech

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Caltech is a significant contributor to the tech talent pool in Los Angeles, producing around 600 graduates annually across various STEM fields, with a large portion likely in engineering disciplines. Additionally, Caltech alumni have founded 238 startup companies between 1995 and 2016, with 35% still active as of 2016, demonstrating the institution's strong support for entrepreneurship and innovation in the region. The university fosters innovation through:

  • Caltech Entrepreneurs Club: This student-run organization aims to develop Caltech's startup ecosystem through educational speaker series, networking events, and collaboration with administration to establish a founder-friendly environment.
  • Caltech Innovation Center: Provides startups with space to test, develop, grow, and commercialize deep technology ideas collaboratively.

Companies Founded by Caltech Alumni: Intel by Gordon Moore, Quora by Adam D’Angelo, and John McCarthy one of the “founding fathers” of Artificial Intelligence


Image Source: Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University contributes to Los Angeles' tech talent pool through its strong entrepreneurship programs and MBA offerings that emphasize innovation and startup development. 33% of its MBA students are actively working on startups during their studies and 85% are aspiring to start businesses

Companies Founded by Pepperdine Alumni: Eventbrite by Julia Hartz

These universities are crucial in developing LA's tech talent pool, offering programs that bridge the gap between academia and industry. Their initiatives in entrepreneurship and partnerships with local startups are helping to create a robust tech ecosystem in Los Angeles.

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🎤 What Do Snoop Dogg And Anduril Have In Common?
Image Source: WWD

🔦 Spotlight

Happy Friday Los Angeles!

Snoop Dogg’s role at the 2024 Paris Olympics highlights a groundbreaking synergy between celebrity influence and high-impact innovation, much like Anduril’s disruptive advancements in defense technology (hear us out). In order to convey the impact of Snoop Dogg’s presence in the 2024 Paris Olympics, we thought it would be appropriate to do it littered with VC and tech jargon. Snoop Dogg’s presence at the 2024 Paris Olympics exemplifies a disruptive innovation with expansive market appeal. As NBC’s special correspondent, he’s leveraged his unique personal brand to create a high-impact engagement strategy that delivers exceptional viewer retention and engagement metrics. By integrating his “gangsta rap” roots with family-friendly content, Snoop has achieved a synergistic blend of authenticity and relatability, driving record-breaking ratings and optimizing cross-platform visibility. His involvement—from elite equestrian gear to athlete interactions—demonstrates a scalable model for enhancing brand partnerships and maximizing audience touchpoints. Snoop's strategic pivot not only redefines celebrity influence but also sets a new benchmark for leveraging cultural icons in a way that drives growth and amplifies impact across diverse demographics. As Snoop puts it, “My mind on my money and my money on my mind”—a statement that deeply resonates with the MVP of the 2024 Paris Olympics and the venture capital community.

Speaking of high-impact innovation and money, Palmer Luckey’s defense tech startup, Anduril, has raised $1.5 billion and unveiled its new AI-powered manufacturing platform, Arsenal, aimed at producing tens of thousands of autonomous weapons annually. This funding, led by Founders Fund and Sands Capital, underscores a shift in military strategy towards high-tech, low-cost systems and rapid production capabilities. Inspired by tech giants like Apple and Tesla, Anduril's Arsenal platform and expansion efforts, including a new factory, are designed to address critical US military shortages and support the Pentagon’s focus on scalable, autonomous defense solutions amidst evolving global threats. Both Snoop Dogg and Anduril, based in the OC/LA area, embody how innovation and influence can reshape industries, proving that groundbreaking advancements and cultural impact are thriving on the West Coast.


🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • Agrovision, a company that grows and sells premium fruits like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and table grapes, raised a $100M funding round at a $1b valuation from Aliment Capital, and others. - learn more
  • LeafAgriculture, a farm data management startup, raised an $11.3M Series A led by Spero Ventures, with Cultivian, Radicle Growth, and SP Ventures also participating. - learn more
  • Curio, a web3 game development company, raised a $5.7M Seed Round. Bain Capital Crypto and SevenX Ventures co-led, and were joined by OKX Ventures. - learn more
  • ProRata.ai, a startup that collaborates with media and music companies to ensure proper attribution and revenue sharing for content used by AI platforms, raised a $25M Series A. Investors included Mayfield, Revolution Ventures, Prime Movers Lab, and Idealab Studio. - learn more
  • Anduril, the Costa Mesa-based defense tech startup, has closed a $1.5B Series F that values the company at a whopping $14 billion co-led by Founders Fund and Sands Capital. - learn more
  • Filmustage, a startup that has built an AI-powered platform designed to enhance the film pre-production phase, raised a $1.5M Seed Round led by Raw Ventures. - learn more

LA Venture Funds

  • 1AM Gaming led a $5M Seed Round for DSTLRY, a startup that offers a marketplace for buying, reading, and reselling digital comics. - learn more
  • Casa Verde led a $2M Seed Round for Growlink, a Denver company whose tech, including IoT controllers, sensors, and cultivation software, is specifically designed to optimize cannabis growing operations. - learn more


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💰Bankruptcy to Billion Dollar Sale: Impressive LA Startup Success Stories

In the wake of the latest jobs report and its impact on the stock market, we thought it might be refreshing to shine a light on some LA startup success stories. Los Angeles has long been a fertile ground for interesting startups, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across various industries. Among its success stories are Ring, Riot Games, SpaceX, Dollar Shave Club, and Fabletics—each of which has made a significant impact in its field.


Image Source: Amazon

Ring, originally conceived as DoorBot, was created in 2013 by Jamie Siminoff in Los Angeles, California, with the goal of revolutionizing home security. The idea sparked in 2011 when he kept missing deliveries because he was in his garage and hadn’t been able to hear the doorbell, leading him to create a smartphone-connected doorbell that allowed homeowners to see and communicate with visitors remotely. Despite initial struggles, including being on the verge of bankruptcy and a rejection on Shark Tank, where Siminoff sought $700,000 for a stake in the company, the exposure from the show propelled sales and visibility. In 2014, the company rebranded to Ring, and its innovative products, including the iconic Ring Video Doorbell, quickly gained popularity, ultimately leading to its acquisition by Amazon in 2018 for approximately $1 billion, marking a significant milestone in the smart home industry.


Image Source: Riot Games

Riot Games was founded in September 2006 by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill in Santa Monica, California. The inception of Riot Games was driven by Beck and Merrill's shared vision to create a game that emphasized longevity and continuous player engagement. With an initial funding of $1.5 million from family and angel investors, they set out to develop League of Legends, a game that would go on to redefine the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) genre and become a cornerstone of the esports industry. The company’s commitment to a player-first approach and its innovative free-to-play model, which generated revenue through in-game purchases, quickly garnered a massive following. Riot Games' headquarters in West Los Angeles became the birthplace of a global gaming phenomenon, solidifying its status as a major player in both game development and esports.


Image Source: SpaceX

SpaceX was born out of Elon Musk's ambitious vision to reduce space transportation costs and enable the colonization of Mars. In 2002, after selling his stake in PayPal, Musk founded Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) in a small office in El Segundo. The company's humble beginnings in the heart of Southern California's aerospace industry were marked by skepticism from established players. From this Los Angeles base, SpaceX would go on to revolutionize the space industry, developing reusable rockets and becoming the first private company to send astronauts to the International Space Station, all while maintaining its significant presence in the region for nearly two decades before announcing plans to move its headquarters to Texas in 2024.


Image Source: TIME

Dollar Shave Club was founded in 2011 in Venice, California, by Michael Dubin and Mark Levine, who were inspired by their frustrations with the high cost of razor blades. The duo's innovative approach combined a subscription model with a humorous marketing strategy, launching with a viral YouTube video that showcased their product in a lighthearted manner. This video quickly garnered millions of views and led to an overwhelming response, crashing their website shortly after launch. Dollar Shave Club's success not only disrupted the traditional razor market dominated by giants like Gillette but also paved the way for a new wave of direct-to-consumer brands, ultimately culminating in its acquisition by Unilever for $1 billion in 2016.


Image Source: Fabletics

Fabletics, the popular activewear brand co-founded by actress Kate Hudson in 2013, began its journey in Los Angeles, California. The company was established with the vision of providing stylish and high-performance athletic apparel that caters to a diverse range of body types and lifestyles. Fabletics operates on a unique membership model, allowing customers to access exclusive discounts and personalized shopping experiences. Since its inception, the brand has rapidly expanded, launching various product lines, including men's apparel and scrubs, and has become known for its collaborations with celebrities like Kevin Hart and Khloé Kardashian. Fabletics has successfully positioned itself as a leader in the activewear market, emphasizing inclusivity and community engagement while revolutionizing the way consumers approach fitness fashion.

From redefining home security to revolutionizing gaming, these LA startups showcase the city's extraordinary ability to innovate across a diverse array of industries.


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