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Planetary Radio

Is This How to Land People on Mars?

Airdate: Sunday, September 27, 2009
Running Time: 00:28:52
Listen: Windows Media | MP3

The Inflatable Re-entry Vehicle Experiment or IRVE was a success! It might have put us on the path to landing much bigger spacecraft on the Red Planet. We talk with Project Manager Mary Beth Wusk, Principal Investigator Neil Cheatwood, and lead engineer Steve Hughes. Bill Nye applauds the discovery of water on the Moon, but doesn't believe this means humans should go there. Emily Lakdawalla's Q&A looks at the limitations of adaptive optics on telescopes. Bruce Betts and Mat Kaplan have a new space trivia contest with a collector's edition of "The Universe" to give away in their What's Up segment.

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Guests

• Neil Cheatwood, Principal Investigator
• Steve Hughes, IRVE Lead Engineer
• Beth Wusk, IRVE Project Manager

Related Information

• Indian orbiter produces evidence for water on the Moon
• MESSENGER's final flyby of Mercury
• Video and animation of Inflatable Re-entry Vehicle Experiment