Many people often ask why we should go to Mars - what could we possibly learn from a dead planet millions of miles away? Dr. Chris McKay, a NASA planetary scientist specialising in the study of Mars, believes that Mars may be able to help us answer three simple questions: How did life begin? Are we alone? And where are we going? New Mars Staff Writer Joel McKinnon talked to Chris McKay about these three questions, panspermia and whether we can afford to wait to go to Mars.
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Filed under: Articles on June 25th, 2002 | 2 Comments »
At the end of 2003, half a dozen years after Sojourner finally ground to a halt on the dusty, boulder-strewn floor of the flood-carved Ares Valles, spiked wheels will once again be rolling across the surface of the Red Planet. But this time not one, but two rovers are going to be sent to Mars - the twin Mars Exploration Rovers. New Mars Staff Writer Stuart Atkinson talks to the principal investigator for the MER mission, Steven Squyres, about his previous experience in Mars missions and his hopes for the MER.
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Filed under: Interviews on June 18th, 2002 | 3 Comments »
Ever since the days of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, science fiction has formidably shaped the public’s perception of science and in some cases has predicted its progress. While authors such as Arthur C Clarke hit the mark on satellites and others successfully predicted mechanical pets and artificial meat, we have still yet to see glorious spinning space stations. Award-winning author and astrophysicist Gregory Benford recently dealt with these issues in a lecture given at Foothills College in California, and talked also about the human passion for exploration and the corresponding tendency to withdraw into isolation, as well as possibility of terraforming the Moon. New Mars staff writer Joel McKinnon covered the event.
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Filed under: Articles on June 13th, 2002 | 9 Comments »
Author of two Nebula award-winning novels as well as ‘The Martian Race’, Gregory Benford is one of the world’s best hard science fiction writers. In addition to writing novels, Greg Benford is also an astrophysicist and sits on the Board of Directors of the Mars Society. Joel McKinnon talks to Greg about his thoughts on the Mars Analogue Research Stations, the public’s interest in a human mission to Mars and his favorite science fiction novels.
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Filed under: Interviews on June 13th, 2002 | No Comments »
