Ep. 752: Should We Go to the Moon or Mars Next?

Astronomy Cast

Science, Astronomy, Natural Sciences, Space

4.8 • 3.4K Ratings

🗓️ 21 April 2025

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Astronomy Cast Ep. 752: Should We Go to the Moon or Mars Next? By Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Apr 16, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay There is an ongoing debate on where NASA should go next with humans: to the Moon or Mars. (Or maybe an asteroid or one of Mars’ moons). We are on the verge of sending humans back to the Moon. At the same time others would prefer we focus our exploration on Mars. It’s a tough choice because there are costs and benefits to both. Let’s try to give this conversation some nuance. Let's discuss the reasons for each of these worlds. SUPPORTED BY YOU! This Episode is made possible thanks to our Patrons on Patreon. Join at the Galaxy Group level or higher to be listed in our YouTube videos. Thanks to: BogieNet, Stephen Vei, Jeanette Wink, Siggi Kemmler, Andrew Poelstra, Brian Cagle, David Truog, Ed, David, Gerhard Schwarzer, Sergio Sancevero, Sergey Manouilov, Burry Gowen, David Rossetter, Michael Purcell, Jason Kwong

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm
0:02.0	Oh Thank you. I'm Astronomycast, Episode 752, should we go to the moon or Mars next?
0:55.0	Welcome to Astronomycast, our weekly facts-based journey through the cosmos
0:58.0	where we help you understand not only what we know, but how we know what we know.
1:01.2	I'm Fraser King.
1:02.0	I'm the publisher of the universe today.
1:03.3	With me, as always, is Dr. Pamela Gay, a senior scientist for the Planetary Science Institute
1:07.6	and the director of Cosmo Quest.
1:10.0	Hey, Pamela, how you doing?
1:20.3	I am doing well and happy is that a meteor, a satellite, or a lightning bug season for all those who celebrate.
1:26.1	Wow. I wish we had lighting bugs. We have non-lighting lightning bugs.
1:29.5	Oh, that's... Yeah. Like they are genetically lightning bugs, but they don't light up, which is really disappointing. Those are failed
1:35.3	lightning bugs. Yeah, they have one job. But man, spring is just exploding all around us. It's
1:40.9	amazing how much of just the swallows are back. All of my tulips are up,
1:46.9	the daffodils are up, and like we are laughing. And it's the Lyrids and the Aida Aquarids. So if for
1:55.3	some reason you feel the need to get up before dawn, it's wild out there. And the, because it's often
2:07.0	easiest to see meteor showers in the couple of hours before astronomical twilight and
2:13.4	sunrise, you were seeing them at the same time that sunrise has already occurred at orbit.
2:20.8	So I know that the meteor showers are about to tick up at the same time that I start seeing
2:27.2	more and more satellites.
2:29.2	Yeah.
2:29.6	And so I swear it is, it is always this, is that no, is that no.
	...

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