One in every of Nye's prime priorities is sustaining assist for a mission to convey a pattern of Martian rock again to Earth for geologists to
One in every of Nye’s prime priorities is sustaining assist for a mission to convey a pattern of Martian rock again to Earth for geologists to review for indicators of life.
The mission will start this summer season with the launch of the Mars 2020 rover, which can gather samples to be returned to Earth. The most important problem, based on Nye, could also be overcoming Martian gravity to get samples off the floor of the Purple Planet, a feat that has by no means been accomplished.
In the end, Nye, who labored at Boeing earlier than launching his hit TV present, mentioned exploring area should stay a prime coverage precedence even with all of the monetary and different calls for right here on Earth.
“We now have all types of issues right here on Earth, oh my goodness,” he says. However area brings out the perfect in us. Area is optimistic. Should you cease wanting up and out, what does that say about you? No matter it’s, it’s not good.”
Nye additionally spoke about why NASA should push ahead with the troubled James Webb Area Telescope, a successor to the Hubble Area Telescope, and the way astrophysicist Carl Sagan sparked his personal curiosity in area at Cornell College.
This transcript has been edited for size and readability.
What’s your prime message to Congress?
There’s three issues we discuss on a regular basis: exploring planets, not getting hit with an asteroid, additionally referred to as planetary protection, after which the seek for life on different worlds. I wish to discover life on one other world in my lifetime.
The planetary science finances is up proper now at $2.66 billion, which is sweet. A few of my finest mates are geologists. … They wish to take a look at Mars rocks, so let’s get that accomplished. Proper now, within the planetary science finances, that can get accomplished. It’s 4 missions. … Mars 2020 will put samples on the martian floor in little containers. They’re the scale of golf pencils, the rock samples.
Geologists wish to take a look at the molecules, the minerals, the crystalline construction. The subsequent mission will decide them up. That’s a European rover that goes by the title…