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Subscribe to RSSBobak Ferdowsi, a flight director for the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity mission, piqued the public's curiosity with his unique style. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
It's been a crazy 24 hours for flight director Bobak Ferdowsi, and not just because he and the rest of his team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory landed an SUV on Mars. Ferdowsi has catapulted to Internet fame — thanks to his star-spangled Mohawk hairdo and the warm-hearted hotness he exuded during TV coverage of the Curiosity rover's landing.
He's picked up 20,000-plus Twitter followers, with most of those added just since last night. He's getting come-ons from fans of both sexes ("I'd let that be-mohawked NASA dude land his rover on my red planet any time," one admirer wrote). A Tumblr tribute site has been created in his honor. And there's a widely distributed LOL picture with the caption, "Becomes an Internet sensation ... Too busy landing a robot on Mars to notice."
Well, Ferdowsi has noticed.
"It's a little surreal," he told me this morning. "I'm still just getting over the 'We're on Mars' thing. That's the thing I can't believe."
As Ferdowsi strolls through JPL's campus in Pasadena, Calif., he can't resist going over to teammates for hugs. He's been working at the lab for nine years. For most of that time he's been preparing for the $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory mission, and particularly for Sunday night's successful landing. These people are not only his co-workers. They're his friends.
"What a wonderful moment to share together," he said.
Shira Lazar caught up with Bobak Ferdowsi at JPL in Pasadena, Calif.
Ferdowsi has a habit of adopting a fresh hairdo for each of the space missions for which he's at the controls, based on a vote by his teammates. For the Mars mission, they came up with a variety of fashion choices.
"We had a Martian red," he said. "One vote to shave my head. Natural black. Then we had the Captain America look."
He went with the Captain America Mohawk: black hair flecked with blue and red highlights, plus some bleached white stars on the side. He didn't ponder the effect of having his edgy 'do broadcast on NASA TV, and he was so wrapped up in Curiosity's entry, descent and landing that it took him a while to notice he was becoming a star himself. But then the messages and tweets started popping up on his phone.
"I'm looking down, and thinking, 'This is crazy,'" he recalled.
He was back at work today, trying to do his job while coping with media requests and watching the evolution of a meme.
"I am laughing pretty hard at some of the captions," he said. "I think it's hilarious."
I didn't have the nerve to ask him about his, um, personal relationships — but for all his admirers, here are a couple of factoids: He's 32 years old. He's originally from the Bay Area and still has family there. He earned his bachelor's degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Washington, and he went to MIT to get a master's degree in the same subject.
You can join the Bobak fan club by following @tweetsoutloud. But if his fans really want to get Ferdowsi's attention, they probably shouldn't tweet him a marriage proposal. Instead, they should talk about Mars.
"I hope that they are as excited about Curiosity as I am," the Mohawk Guy said.
Update for 7:35 p.m. ET Aug. 7: Is Mohawk Guy taken? In a follow-up chat with BuzzFeed's Chris Geidner, Ferdowsi reports that he's "dating somebody," and "she's awesome."
"She's put up with me working a lot of long hours on this project, and I am definitely looking forward to things being calmed down a little bit so I can actually hang out with her," Ferdowsi says. A photo on the MemeGenerator website shows Ferdowsi with his arm around a lady friend. The caption reads, "Behind every great Mohawk is a great woman."
Meanwhile, other Internet celebrities are welcoming Mohawk Guy to the fold. Felicia Day told Ferdowsi in a tweet that "your mohawk made my night" — to which Ferdowsi replied, "Your tweet made me blush." Wil Wheaton registered his yen for a NASA Mohawk Guy Fan Club T-shirt — and reportedly put in an order with CafePress.
More about Mars:
- Mars orbiter spots rover in midair
- Curiosity rover scores touchdown on Mars
- Scientists want to look for Martian life
- Last-minute guide to the Mars landing
- What will we see from Mars, and when will we see it?
- Why we're obsessed with Mars
- Mars probe provides radiation revelations
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
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Really NASA? You still don't have color cameras? I have security cameras that look better than those. Spent all the money landing the thing and only had a few bucks left for a cheep B&W 1 megapixel web cam.
Good looking young man. Hope women think he is hot and guys think he is cool. Hopefully he will make people realize you don't have to be a sports jock to be worthwhile. There really are other cool things people can do folks (especially younger folks) that are very cool. I love sports as much as anyone and watch and root all the time but really? They only entertain. Don't do much else for the world. Ok..generate revenue but keep in perspective.
People like this person are the people who advance society and force advances in everything that make our life nice through spin off products. Good for him. Enjoy the ride you educated and dedicated guy!
Very cool guy and wonderful for the Geeks! Cmon girls...is he good looking or not? I have no idea because I am an old guy but at least some girls must think so? Anyway, have to consider, he is ot the geek most of us have pictured? I only hope he inspires young kids to realize they do not need to be a sports jock. Being smart is cool!
He's cute. I'd love to see him naked.
واقعا باعث سرافرازی و افتخار هستید! درود بر شما...
Mohawks are stupid. It would be hard to take him seriously, unless you like that crap.
The man has a MASTERS from MIT and works for NASA. I dont think he is EVER going to have a problem being taken seriously. Exactly what have you accomplished in your life.
I like that "crap", and considering his position at NASA, he's not just cool, he's also pretty darn smart. You're entitled to your opinion tho, not everyone likes mohawks lol.
And this is news because, why? Oh yes, America is hung up on image...wow such a hip country, NOT!!
cool do. wish we all had this kinda freedom with hairstyle. When my kids were little I let them do anything they wanted with thier hair because I knew it would be the only time in thier lives that they would be able to do this. My son had his hair every which way you can imagine. One summer they both had thier hair every color you can imagine thanks to the many flavors of koolaid. They are both 30 years old and have to wear thier hair the way thier employers want them to. I bet they both can remember having green and purple and orange hair. Hell most of us are happy to have hair now and think its wonderful if we can just get it to keep curled till the end of the work day.
Einstein would be jealous on both fronts....scientific achievement and awesome hairdo. Next mission he should rock the Einstein!!!
Congrats NASA and keep on taking us where no man/woman has gone before.
ugh, that hair. I must be getting old...
Glad to see he can express his enthusiasm and he takes the sudden fame in stride.
Haha I noticed him too, I thought he looked pretty cool.
Just watch the video Allan lol, he has a girlfriend.
Yeah, the mission cost was 2.5 billion, and public knowledge of the efforts by all concerned to achieve this sucessful outcome is vital. Sometimes, despite all the high-priced ad agency programmes, publicity comes from the most surprising of sources, as in this example of Mr Bobak Ferdowsi.
He has done more with his haircut, his personality, and his straightforward honest and human approach to the whole thing, that no ad agency could even dare to dream of emulating.
Sure, 2.5 billion well spent, but ponder this. Is it possible to calculate the positive economic impact Mr Fedowsi has had, and what of the hundreds, possibly thousands of children that see this, and will have their lives, by their own efforts because of this, changed and made better.
Were I young enough, I would certainly be counted one of their number.
One last thing, my Brother and I would like to pass to NASA, and JPL, a huge THANK YOU for landing Cyriosity on Mars on the day of our birthday here is Australia, (yep, we're twins, born 6 Aug, 1950)
OOPS, I meant to type 'Curiosity', please excuse the the finger fumble.
im proud of u
Has he been vetted as a potential running mate for the Mitt-wit. Sounds like the guy has way more credibility and way, way way mor fans.
When "Mohawk Guy" grows his hair back, I'd like to run my fingers thought it! Like that stubble, too!
Blueeyed is correct. Its Obama. He killed the heavy lift vehicle for the moon and Mars.
Karama5230, you're a moron!!. Its the republicans that got the Airforce Space Division then NASA created in the 50's.
Pull you head out of your a..( i mean CNN) and get your facts straight.
We're proud of ALL our students at MIT, especially the ones in the Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership Program! (web.mit.edu/gordonelp)
As scientists, I think we're allowed a little leeway with how we look. I spend my days in front of a computer screen in a cold basement office doing esoteric things. I'm pretty clean cut now, but when I was doing my dissertation, I had a ponytail and goatee.
Time to increase nasa spending Obama. I mean when workers can't afford a deceny haircut budget cuts to deep. Lets cut the Presidents salary to a dollar till gets a balanced budget passed and shows us a non forged birth certificate.
My 9-yo daughter and I stayed up to watch the live feed.
We figured Mohawk Guy would be talked about...
...we also wondered who was "Long-haired Old Hippy Dude"
Hey, JeanValjean:
Abe Lincoln said it best, "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."
I find Bobak very handsome! If his "curiosity" grows and wanders. I have a little aline I want to introduce to him! Keep me in mind! : )
Dude. The 1980's called; they want their hairstyle back!