Alexander Martynov, an official with the Russian Federal Space Agency, will visit Fayette Wednesday and speak at Central Methodist University.

Martynov’s presentation will begin at 7 p.m., in Stedman Hall Room 200 at CMU. His topic will be “Manned Mission to Mars.” He will provide an overview of the past, present and future Russian activities, especially as they are focused on a manned mission to Mars.

The presentation is free and the public is welcome. It is being sponsored by the CMU Division of Science, Mathematics and Computer Science.

Martynov graduated from Moscow University of High Technology in 1968, specializing in “Automatic Control Systems for Flying Apparatus.” He also holds a doctor of technical science degree. He worked in the Russian Mission Control Centre from 1968 until 1992 as head of the Ballistics Department. He designed re-entry modules and controlled their flights to provide soft landing on Earth, Mars, Venus and other planets of the solar system.

From 1992 until 1994, Martynov was the director of the Foreign Relations Department of the Research Institute of Machine Building of the city of Korolev. Since 1994, he has been working as the head of the Foreign Relation Department for the Administration of Korolev and his job is marketing and organization of international projects in different fields such as industrial and economic development, as well as educational and cultural programs.

Martynov is the author of 120 scientific articles and six books dedicated to spacecraft motion control in planetary atmospheres.