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CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Neil deGrasse Tyson is director of the world-famous Hayden Planetarium in New York City. He agrees with Professor Weinberg that it is more cost-effective to use robots than humans. But he adds it is important to send people into space.
NEIL deGRASSE TYSON: “The issue is what does it mean culturally to send a robot versus send a person? We don't give ticker-tape parades for robots, we don't name schools after robots, we don’t build statues to robots.”
Mr. Tyson says human beings have a need to explore. And he says many people would sacrifice their lives to do so.
Professor Weinberg understands the appeal of sending a human crew on short space flights. But he says people cannot stay in a hostile place like Mars for a very long time.
STEVEN WEINBERG: “We can’t even do that with Antarctica. There is no economically self-sustaining colony on Antarctica and, compared to Mars, Antarctica is heaven.”
Professor Weinberg says humans should stop thinking about living on other planets and put more effort into protecting Earth’s environment.
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JUNE SIMMS: It is not just scientists who are criticizing the space agency’s plans to send humans to Mars. Some critics are former NASA officials and astronauts. Among them is Chris Kraft, the former head of the Johnson Space Center in Texas.
CHRIS KRAFT: “That objective is ludicrous. It cannot be done. It can’t be done technically and, more importantly, it can’t be done financially.”
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25