Summary
In this episode of StarTalk, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice discuss the future of NASA with planetary geologist and former chief scientist at NASA, Ellen Stofan. They discuss NASA's mission statement, which is to understand our world, solar system, and universe, and to use technology to move humans beyond Earth. They also discuss the challenges of landing humans on Mars, including the thin atmosphere and the need for supersonic retropropulsion. NASA is working with SpaceX to achieve this goal.
The group also discusses the importance of having a mix of ages in the workforce at NASA and the need for more young people to bring innovation and fresh ideas. They address the problem of space junk and the possibility of vacuuming up debris. Stofan also talks about the future of NASA's funding and the possibility of shifting military spending to support NASA's endeavors.
The speakers discuss the challenges of sending humans to Mars and the possibility of using the moon as a staging place to launch to Mars. They also touch upon the possibility of using drones for space exploration and the need for AI to equip drones with the capability of recognizing terrain and making decisions on their own. Finally, they discuss the interest in exploring Venus and its potential to help us figure out how hard it is to make Earth 2.0.
The conversation concludes with a call to action to invest in STEM education and to "make America smart again."
