Are we still going to Mars?
The Briefing Room
BBC
4.8 • 731 Ratings
🗓️ 7 May 2026
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
A month ago the Artemis II crew landed safely in the Pacific Ocean, completing their historic space mission to the far side of the moon. It’s been several decades since the last human mission to the moon - although this time there was no landing. However, the 4 astronauts travelled further from earth than any human ever has so far. David Aaronovitch asks his guests whether space exploration is back in fashion and if so what’s next? And are we any closer to a human mission to Mars and what would we hope to achieve there?
Guests: Dr Julia Balm, Research Associate, Freeman Air and Space Institute in the School of Security Studies, King’s College London Professor Andrew Coates, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London Libby Jackson, Head of Space, Science Museum, London
Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Caroline Bayley, Sally Abrahams, Kirsteen Knight Production Co-Ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound Engineer: James Beard Editor: Richard Vadon
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | A month ago, four astronauts travelled further from Earth than any human ever has, |
| 0:15.8 | round the dark side of the moon. That was Artemis 2. |
| 0:20.4 | Artemis 3 and 4 are planned to follow with the establishment |
| 0:23.8 | of a moon base being the goal. It's exciting and expensive and eye-catching. Meanwhile, the world's richest |
| 0:31.8 | man Elon Musk still plans to get humankind to Mars and colonise it? Is that at all realistic? |
| 0:39.2 | And what are scientists hoping that all this effort will achieve? Step into the briefing |
| 0:44.3 | remodule and together we'll find out. |
| 0:50.8 | To discuss this, I'm joined by Julia Baum, whose research associate at the Freeman Air and Space Institute |
| 0:56.6 | in the School of Security Studies at King's College London, |
| 1:00.4 | Professor Andrew Coates from the Mullard Space Science Laboratory |
| 1:03.6 | at University College London, |
| 1:05.5 | and Libby Jackson, |
| 1:06.3 | whose head of space at the Science Museum in London |
| 1:09.1 | and her career in the space industry |
| 1:11.2 | has included being a flight director for the International Space Station. |
| 1:16.0 | Libby Jackson, for those who've been living on Mars, |
| 1:19.4 | what was Artemis II? |
| 1:21.7 | Artemis II was the first mission to the vicinity of the moon |
| 1:25.6 | for more than 50 years. |
| 1:27.1 | We had four astronauts. |
| 1:29.4 | Reid Wiseman was the commander, Victor Glover, the pilot, Christina Cook, mission specialist, and |
... |
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