Name: What time is it on Mars?
Uploaded: 2017-02-03T16:06:45Z
Duration: 13 min 38 s
Description: Nagin Cox is a first-generation Martian. As a spacecraft engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Cox works on the team that manages the United States' rovers on Mars. But working a 9-to-5 on another planet -- whose day is 40 minutes longer than Earth's -- has particular, often comical challenges.

Nagin Cox: What time is it on Mars?

What time is it on Mars?

Nagin Cox is a first-generation Martian. As a spacecraft engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Cox works on the team that manages the United States' rovers on Mars. But working a 9-to-5 on another planet -- whose day is 40 minutes longer than Earth's -- has particular, often comical challenges.

Coordinating rover missions on Mars means living on a day that is 40 minutes longer than Earth's, creating a unique and disorienting routine. Teams on Earth shift their schedules daily, sometimes working at 3:00 a.m. and calling themselves Martians as they grow apart from 'Earthlings.' Families join in, covering windows with foil and embracing late-night adventures just to stay in sync. This experience is a glimpse into the reality and challenges of becoming a multi-planetary species.