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CNN Live Saturday
President Planning Bold New Space Initiative
Aired January 10, 2004 - 14:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, with the mars rover "Spirit" turning out high-quality photos of mars, President Bush is planning a major new space initiative. Author William Hartmann has written "Travelers Guide to Mars." And he is with me from Tuscan to talk about this brave new world. William, good to see you. The title alone "Travelers Guide to Mars" certainly implies that we humans just might be visiting or spending some significant time on mars. Is this all in fun or is this wishful thinking on your part?
WILLAIM HARTMANN, AUTHOR, "TRAVELERS GUIDE TO MARS:" Well, the title is a bit fun. But this is a real thing. Mars is the most earth- like planet. It is relatively nearby as astronomers think about things. The ultimate driver of the NASA exploration has been this big question of whether life ever started any place else in the universe. So mars is the place that gives us a chance to get a handle on that question.
WHITFIELD: In fact we are looking at images of what it would be like if it were indeed colonized on mars. Everybody has different ideas of what would happen. Could it happen, do you think these are at all realistic images?
HARTMANN: Yes, I think -- we are not talking about colonizing at the beginning; this is something like an anti-artic research station. And you have certain questions that are driving the research. One thing I would like to say is if -- if this question of whether life ever started on mars is a perfect science question because either answer is profound. If we find it did start on mars, that's the first time we know we are not alone in the universe. If we go there and in spite of the evidence for water on early mars, if life never started, maybe we are alone.
WHITFIELD: In fact, that's what rover "Spirit" is all about. One of the missions is all about trying to find out if there is moisture there at all which could be a sign of any life or past life form. Some of the images that we are seeing, brilliant images, quite remarkable. What are some of your impressions?
HARTMANN: Yeah, these are amazing images. The cameras are the best we have put down on mars. We will have a chance to see a place that we have not been to before. We have been to three places on mars. What we are looking for here, this landing site and the next one that we will try in a couple of weeks are both places where water may have ponded in the past. And that usually leaves salts and carbonates and sulfates in the soil. The exciting thing is whether there are minerals to be found. WHITFIELD: Some of the theories that you explore in your book. You talk about wind and how significant the secrets of the wind are. In what way, how is that important to understanding mars?
HARTMANN: Historically the markings that people saw on mars, back over the last hundred years, they thought were vegetation. And it turns out they are wind-blown dust. Patterns of wind-blown dust. That's why they change from year to year. People thought that was a sign of vegetation, so historically the winds are important and I think for future astronauts, one of the big issues will be dust blowing into equipment. It won't be like the moon, because you are going to have the wind blowing dust around and so valves, and fittings, and all of that will be an issue.
WHITFIELD: And you have said that any kind of evidence of Martian life has -- I'm paraphrasing for you, the debate has been heated and it has been ripe with contention. What do you mean?
HARTMANN: Well, there has been at least one rock -- we have a handful of rocks from mars. They were blown off mars; they fell on earth as meteorites. One of those has been said to have evidence for fossil microbes in it. And that's the big argument. That argument is still going on. So probably more rocks, more chance to investigate Martian soils that are what will settle the issue.
WHITFIELD: All right, William Hartmann, a "Travelers Guide to Mars." Thank you very much. Good to see you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 10, 2004 - 14:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, with the mars rover "Spirit" turning out high-quality photos of mars, President Bush is planning a major new space initiative. Author William Hartmann has written "Travelers Guide to Mars." And he is with me from Tuscan to talk about this brave new world. William, good to see you. The title alone "Travelers Guide to Mars" certainly implies that we humans just might be visiting or spending some significant time on mars. Is this all in fun or is this wishful thinking on your part?
WILLAIM HARTMANN, AUTHOR, "TRAVELERS GUIDE TO MARS:" Well, the title is a bit fun. But this is a real thing. Mars is the most earth- like planet. It is relatively nearby as astronomers think about things. The ultimate driver of the NASA exploration has been this big question of whether life ever started any place else in the universe. So mars is the place that gives us a chance to get a handle on that question.
WHITFIELD: In fact we are looking at images of what it would be like if it were indeed colonized on mars. Everybody has different ideas of what would happen. Could it happen, do you think these are at all realistic images?
HARTMANN: Yes, I think -- we are not talking about colonizing at the beginning; this is something like an anti-artic research station. And you have certain questions that are driving the research. One thing I would like to say is if -- if this question of whether life ever started on mars is a perfect science question because either answer is profound. If we find it did start on mars, that's the first time we know we are not alone in the universe. If we go there and in spite of the evidence for water on early mars, if life never started, maybe we are alone.
WHITFIELD: In fact, that's what rover "Spirit" is all about. One of the missions is all about trying to find out if there is moisture there at all which could be a sign of any life or past life form. Some of the images that we are seeing, brilliant images, quite remarkable. What are some of your impressions?
HARTMANN: Yeah, these are amazing images. The cameras are the best we have put down on mars. We will have a chance to see a place that we have not been to before. We have been to three places on mars. What we are looking for here, this landing site and the next one that we will try in a couple of weeks are both places where water may have ponded in the past. And that usually leaves salts and carbonates and sulfates in the soil. The exciting thing is whether there are minerals to be found. WHITFIELD: Some of the theories that you explore in your book. You talk about wind and how significant the secrets of the wind are. In what way, how is that important to understanding mars?
HARTMANN: Historically the markings that people saw on mars, back over the last hundred years, they thought were vegetation. And it turns out they are wind-blown dust. Patterns of wind-blown dust. That's why they change from year to year. People thought that was a sign of vegetation, so historically the winds are important and I think for future astronauts, one of the big issues will be dust blowing into equipment. It won't be like the moon, because you are going to have the wind blowing dust around and so valves, and fittings, and all of that will be an issue.
WHITFIELD: And you have said that any kind of evidence of Martian life has -- I'm paraphrasing for you, the debate has been heated and it has been ripe with contention. What do you mean?
HARTMANN: Well, there has been at least one rock -- we have a handful of rocks from mars. They were blown off mars; they fell on earth as meteorites. One of those has been said to have evidence for fossil microbes in it. And that's the big argument. That argument is still going on. So probably more rocks, more chance to investigate Martian soils that are what will settle the issue.
WHITFIELD: All right, William Hartmann, a "Travelers Guide to Mars." Thank you very much. Good to see you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
