Guest: Dr. Jim Bell was our guest for this Space Show program. Among the many topics discussed on the show, we talked about his new book, "Mars 3-D: A Rover's-Eye View of the Red Planet" which is widely available and offers unique 3 D views of the Martian planet. Dr. Bell spoke also about one of his earlier books, "Postcards from Mars." We talked about the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity as he has been part of the rover team since the start, the Phoenix Lander, and Mars Express. Regarding Spirit and Opportunity, we noted that the 5th anniversary of Spirit was just observed. Dr. Bell told us what the most important discoveries have been to date for each rover and also what if any the disappointments have been. You will want to hear this discussion about each rover and its contribution to science. A listener asked Dr. Bell about the exploded planets theory and the Cydonia region of Mars. Again, a most interesting discussion you will not want to miss. We talked about planetary science, planetary and terrestrial geology, Venus, terraforming Mars, and much more. Later in the program, we discussed spinoff and intangible benefits for space exploration and for spending the money to go to the Moon and Mars. As Dr. Bell is President of the Planetary Society, we talked at length about their roadmap to Mars, going to the Moon, strategies, time tables, the budget, and all matters related to the Moon Mars effort including the shuttle retirement and the Constellation program with Ares 1 and Ares V. Toward the end of the program a listener asked Dr. Bell how we could make space more of a bonding tool for global progress and harmony, even reaching those that are outside most advances today or choosing to live in some past time frame and culture. We talked about this at length and while we both recognize the importance and need for what the listener was talking about, finding the way to do it remains challenging. You can contact Dr. Jim Bell with your comments or questions by using jfb8@cornell.edu. As he said on air, be patient in waiting or expecting a reply as he receives lots of email and he may be slow in responding to you.
Guest
The Space Show
