65: 4. Post-Apollo Budget Cuts and the Rise of Robotic Mars Exploration. Matthew Shindell discusses how following the success of Apollo, NASA proposed extending the human space program to Mars. However, President Nixon, recognizing shifting political prio

The John Batchelor Show

Content provided by Audioboom and John Batchelor. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Audioboom and John Batchelor or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.

23h ago 5:53

MP3•Episode home

4. Post-Apollo Budget Cuts and the Rise of Robotic Mars Exploration. Matthew Shindell discusses how following the success of Apollo, NASA proposed extending the human space program to Mars. However, President Nixon, recognizing shifting political priorities, chose to divert funding toward domestic issues like civil rights and poverty. As a result, NASA's post-Apollo budget levels dropped significantly, forcing space exploration to compete with other national needs. This led to the expansion of highly successful robotic exploration programs. Mariner 4 and 9 provided increasingly detailed images, and the Viking landers in the mid-1970s allowed scientific operations directly on the Martian surface. After a two-decade pause, exploration returned with greater vengeance via rovers like Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity, and the recent Perseverance and Ingenuity helicopter. While technological capabilities have grown, a human mission to Mars remains incredibly ambitious due to the persistent challenges of ensuring human safety, providing shelter from radiation, and managing life support for the long duration of the trip.
1956
Retry

52172 episodes

#Conservative #Politics #Audioboom #John Batchelor #Public Domain #Society #Books #News #Arts