It Was Gonna Be Great! 
The day after Thanksgiving appears to be Mars day at the Air & Space Museum. You can watch a feed on a big screen of NASA’s new space probe launch, sending the Mars Rover Curiosity to dig deep on the Red Planet.
Red Dust Buster 
Launching is the fun part – troubles can come later.
It’s come to this. We’re seven years since George W. Bush’s call to greatness via a mission to Mars with no real plan or funding, the “Mission Accomplished” of vaporous space speeches.
NASA is forced to hitch a ride with the Russians to take our spots on the International Space Station.
But we can still send up rock busting dune buggies to chew up Mars.
Future Imperfect 
If you can make a fast exit from the launch viewing there’s a Mars-ish story time at 11 am in Gallery 207, a reading of Chris Gall’s There’s Nothing To Do On Mars.
What: Rocket to Mars
When: 10:25 am, Friday November 25
Where: Moving Beyond Earth Gallery, Smithsonian Air & Space Museum,
6th & Independence, S.W. Washington, D.C.
Cost: Free