In episode 107 of This Week In Space, Rod and Tariq talk with journalist Leonard David about NASA's troubled Mars sample return mission.
The robotics program has its roots in the 1960s, and even before Mariner 4 made its first Mars flight, NASA began considering sending robots to sample Martian soil. The Russians pondered it, just as the Chinese and Japanese do today. problem? It would be really difficult to accomplish with multiple spacecraft rendezvousing around the Red Planet, sometimes on different launches.
And there are also concerns about the safety of returning possible pathogens to Earth. But as always, the biggest factor is cost, and NASA is not satisfied. We invited Space Ace's first reporter, Leonard David, to the discussion.
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This week's space news
The model is Falcon 9!
Finally, did you know that you can launch your own SpaceX rocket? Model rocket manufacturer Estes' stunning scale model of the Falcon 9 rocket is available for purchase right now. This release-ready model is a detailed recreation of the Falcon 9 and is priced at $149.99. Get 10% off when you use code IN-COLLECTSPACE at checkout, courtesy of our partner collectSPACE.com.
About space this week
This week in Space, we're looking at the new Space Age. Every Friday, we take a deep dive into an interesting topic. What's happening with new races to the moon and other planets? When will SpaceX really send people to Mars?
Space.com's Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik tackle these questions and more every Friday afternoon. Subscribe now in your favorite podcatcher.
Rod Pyle is a writer, journalist, television producer, and magazine editor-in-chief. ad astra magazine. He has written his 18 books on the history, exploration, and development of the universe. space 2.0, Innovation the NASA way, interplanetary robot, Battlestar blueprint, Amazing stories of the space age, first on the moonand destination mars
In his previous life, Rod produced numerous documentaries and short films for the History Channel, Discovery Communications, and Disney. He also worked in the field of visual effects. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine And that battlestar galactica It includes reboots as well as various sci-fi television pilots. His most recent TV appearance was in his NatGeo documentary about Tom Wolfe's iconic book. the right thing.
Space.com's Head of Editorial Vision Tariq Malik has been Space.com's Editor-in-Chief since 2019 and has covered space news and science for 18 years. He joined his Space.com team in 2001, first as an intern and then quickly as a full-time spaceflight reporter, covering human spaceflight, exploration, astronomy, and the night sky. In 2009 he became editor-in-chief of Space.com. As an on-air talent, he has presented space stories on CNN, Fox News, NPR, and more.
Tariq is an Eagle Scout (yes, he earned the Space Exploration Achievement Badge), a Space Camp veteran (four times as a child and once as an adult), and while reporting on zero gravity. I have been on the ultimate “vomit comet”. A fire breaks out. Prior to joining Space.com, he was a staff reporter for the Los Angeles Times, where he covered urban and education areas. He holds degrees in journalism from the University of Southern California and New York University.
