1. Bobak Ferdowsi's appearance became an iconic image of the event with coverage in the news and social media; even President of the United States Barack Obama commented on the popularity of "Mohawk Guy".
11 Facts About Bobak Ferdowsi
1. 2.
Bobak Ferdowsi is of Persian descent; his father immigrated to the United States from Iran.
3.
Bobak Ferdowsi was inspired to work in the space sector by his high school teachers and his love of science fiction, including Star Trek and the works of Arthur C Clarke.
4.
Bobak Ferdowsi joined JPL in late 2003, and worked on the Mars Science Laboratory mission through its successful landing nearly nine years later on August 6,2012.
5.
Bobak Ferdowsi became a media sensation when, during the August 6,2012 landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars, he wore a mohawk hairstyle that was seen on NASA TV's live broadcast of the event.
6.
Bobak Ferdowsi was seated in a prominent camera position and his mohawk unexpectedly became an iconic image of the landing.
7.
Bobak Ferdowsi explained that he wore a new haircut for every mission and the mohawk was chosen by his team by popular vote.
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Barack Obama 8.
Bobak Ferdowsi took part in the Second inauguration of Barack Obama in January 2013, marching in the parade alongside other NASA scientists and replicas of Curiosity and the Orion spacecraft, as part of the agency's official Presidential Inaugural Weekend.
9.
Bobak Ferdowsi appeared on the sixth season of BattleBots as a sideline reporter.
10.
Bobak Ferdowsi is active on social media, using Twitter to make the public more aware of the lighter side of science.
11.
In 2024, Bobak Ferdowsi appeared as a fictional mission director in 3 Body Problem.