Ted Blank has been a NASA Solar System Ambassador since 2010, communicating the science and excitement of NASA's space exploration missions and discoveries to people in his community and on cruise ships. He is a past President of the New Hampshire Astronomical Society and a sought-after speaker, enjoying sharing his knowledge on any topic related to astronomy and the solar system.

Ted bought his first telescope in 2007 and still frequently sets it up on the sidewalk to share the views with the public. He was co-leader of the 2017 Great American Eclipse expedition to Nebraska and will help lead a similar expedition to Mazatlan, Mexico for the total solar eclipse in April, 2024.

Ted is a retired IT professional, having spent more than 35 years as a performance analyst with IBM and Oracle. He currently lives in Fountain Hills, Arizona with his wife Peggy.

1. The James Webb Space Telescope
The JWST promises to revolutionize the study of early galaxy and star formation. This presentation focuses on the design and construction of the telescope, how it was positioned out in space, and includes a detailed explanation of each of the first five amazing pictures released on July 14, 2022.

2. The Curiosity and Perseverance Rovers on Mars
How NASA sent twin 2000 lb. mobile robotic geology labs to the surface of Mars, including the “Seven Minutes of Terror” as they dove through Mars’ atmosphere at 13,000 MPH looking for a soft landing on the Red Planet.

3. The "Ingenuity" Helicopter - Mankind’s “Wright-Brothers-Moment” on Mars
An in-depth look at the design, deployment and flights of the Mars Ingenuity helicopter, the first aircraft to ever fly on another planet. After hitching a ride to Mars underneath the Perseverance rover, this twin-blade rotorcraft has flown more then 30 times and is proving itself an able “scout” for the rover drivers back on Earth, exploring areas unreachable by the wheeled robot.

4. The Cassini Mission to Saturn
The exciting things the Cassini spacecraft discovered during the decade+ it spent at Saturn exploring the planet, its rings and moons.

5. The Juno Mission to Jupiter
The solar system’s largest planet has always been a mystery with its swirling belts and long-lived “red spot”. Now the Juno spacecraft has arrived at Jupiter to help unlock the secrets of the giant planet.

6. How Mankind Got To the Moon
The story of the Apollo missions of the 1960s and ‘70s with special emphasis on the Lunar Module which brought the astronauts the last few miles to the surface of the moon and then back up into space to rendezvous with the orbiting Command Module for the trip back to Earth.

7. The New Horizons Mission to Pluto
How a spacecraft’s decade-long journey across the solar system resulted in amazing and unexpected findings about the (former) “9th planet” Pluto, including blue skies, seas of slushy Nitrogen and floating mountains of frozen water as high as the Himalayas.

8. Art in Space and Space in Art
The story of the classic science-fiction illustrators and modern astronomical artists whose art takes us where cameras cannot go.

9. Astrophotography Without a Telescope
How to take artistic photos of the night sky and night landscapes with just a digital camera and tripod.

10. Celestial Navigation
How mankind has used the sun, stars and planets to navigate since we first looked up at the sky.

11. Zero Gravity Pizza!
A fun look at how astronauts on the International Space Station prepare and eat their meals in zero gravity, with a short history of “space food”.

12. The Search For Exoplanets
The search for and first discovery of planets around other stars, some of which are possible sites where life could have developed.

13. She Measured The Universe
The story of Henrietta Leavitt, who worked in the 1920’s in the Harvard College Observatory analyzing variable stars and made the discovery that allowed us for the first time to appreciate the vast size of the Universe.

14. How To Choose The Right Telescope for You and your Family
There are many sizes and styles of telescopes and tripods/mounts out there. Learn how to pick the best one for your needs (and avoid the junk that will leave you disappointed and frustrated).

15. How To Take A Picture of a Black Hole
How a planet-wide collaboration called the Event Horizon Telescope managed to obtain the first-ever picture of the super-massive black hole in the center of a distant galaxy, and just recently the black hole in the center of our own Milky Way!

16. The Discovery of Gravitational Waves
How two giant detectors in Louisiana and Washington state confirmed Einstein’s prediction of the existence of “gravitational waves”, winning the Nobel Prize in Physics just two years later for its three co-founders.

17. Astronomy 101 – Navigating the Night Sky
How to find your way around in the night sky using bright stars, constellations and sky maps.

I have been an enrichment speaker on Celebrity, Holland America and Carnival cruise lines. In addition to my talks on sea days I offer nighttime laser tours of the constellations from the deck and daily "office hours" for guests to ask questions about Astronomy or space exploration in a more relaxed setting.