Let's Go Back To Venus!

Short Wave

NPR

Daily News, Nature, Life Sciences, Astronomy, Science, News

4.7 • 6K Ratings

🗓️ 19 January 2021

⏱️ 13 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1962, the first spacecraft humans ever sent to another planet — Mariner 2 — went to Venus. The first planet on which humans ever landed a probe — also Venus! But since then, Mars has been the focus of planetary missions. NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel makes the case for why humans should reconsider visiting to Venus.

For more science reporting and stories, follow Geoff on twitter @gbrumfiel. And, as always, email us at [email protected].

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.
0:04.6	Hello, Emily Kwong, Shortwave reporter.
0:08.1	Hello, Jeff from Feel and Pierre Science correspondent.
0:10.9	What brings you to our happy little podcast today?
0:13.6	Well, to be honest with you, Emily, I have some feelings I need to talk about the inner
0:19.1	solar system.
0:20.1	Okay.
0:21.1	So, let's hear it.
0:22.1	Right now, we have these three spacecraft and they're all headed to one place, Mars.
0:28.3	One of them is from China, one is from the US, that's this new Mars rover perseverance.
0:32.9	And there's an orbiter from the UAE as well.
0:35.9	And I get it.
0:38.1	Everyone loves Mars.
0:40.6	But it looks like the desert southwest with a bad Instagram filter on it.
0:46.0	The atmosphere is thin and wispy.
0:49.8	I am not a massive Mars fan.
0:53.1	In fact, after all these rovers and stuff, I'm starting to get a little bored with Mars.
0:57.8	Okay.
0:58.8	Tell me how you really feel throwing this shade on Mars.
1:01.8	I feel like I would like to see us go somewhere else.
1:07.3	Somewhere that is the brightest object in the sky after our moon.
1:13.5	It's closer than Mars.
	...

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