Episode 4: Harrison Schmitt discusses being the first scientist on the moon

STEM-Talk

Dawn Kernagis and Ken Ford

Natural Sciences, Alternative Health, Science, Health & Fitness, Nutrition

4.7 • 706 Ratings

🗓️ 22 March 2016

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, we talk with Harrison "Jack" Schmitt, the first and only scientist to land on the moon. Schmitt was part of the Apollo 17 Mission in 1972, the last Apollo mission. The geologist turned NASA Astronaut, turned U.S. senator, talks about first seeing the advertisement, in 1964, for scientists interested in space missions. “When I saw that on the bulletin board, I hesitated about ten seconds,” he said. Called “Dr. Rock” by his colleagues in the Apollo program, Schmitt recounts walking, falling and singing on the moon; and his discovery of orange ash, probably of volcanic in origin at Shorty Crater. Schmitt says returning to the moon is a gateway to Mars, and that private investors may have a stake in funding future space exploration. STEM-Talk’s host Dawn Kernagis and co-host Tom Jones, a veteran NASA astronaut himself, talk to Schmitt.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I don't always listen to podcasts, but when I do, I listen to STEM talk, interviewing the most interesting people in the world of science and technology.
0:14.5	Stay curious, my friends.
0:19.8	Welcome to STEM Talk. Stem Talk, STEM Talk, STEM Talk, STEM Talk, STEM Talk. Stem Talk. Stem Talk.
0:21.6	Stem Talk.
0:22.6	Stem Talk.
0:23.6	Stem Talk.
0:24.6	Welcome to Stem Talk, where we introduce you to fascinating people who passionately inhabit the scientific and technical frontiers of our society.
0:32.6	There is orange soil.
0:35.6	Well, don't move it until I see it.
0:39.0	It's all over.
0:40.7	So I'm very excited about our interview today with Senator Jack Schmidt.
0:44.5	Our co-host for today's interview is actually Tom Jones, who is a former NASA astronaut
0:50.3	and also a colleague in senior research scientists here at IHMC.
0:54.7	So I'm sitting here right now with Dr. Ken Ford.
0:57.5	Ken, welcome.
0:58.7	Thank you, John.
0:59.5	Good to be here.
1:00.2	So, Ken, I understand that you and Tom Jones served together on the NASA Advisory Council,
1:05.4	which was led by Jack Schmidt.
1:06.8	Absolutely.
1:07.6	Jack was the chairman and really a tremendously effective chairman. And I was honored to succeed him as chair of that august group. He made the transition as smooth as possible. Nobody could have been a better mentor when I took over the reins. So I appreciate that very much from Jack.
1:29.0	Absolutely. And as you said, that's actually a unique ability to be able to allow for a smooth
	...

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