Episode description

James Maxey (author), Jim Craig (planetarium director), Ben Davis (nuclear physicist) and myself are today's speakers.

Topic: A Timeline of Humanity's Future in Space.

Specifically: When are we likely to do each of the following: return to the Moon; put the first footsteps on an asteroid; land people on Mars; visit the outer planets (or the moons of the outer planets) such as those of Jupiter and Saturn; and, of course, when are we likely to send people to a solar system other than our own--which is to say... When will we travel to the stars?

A recurring side topic: Is it appropriate for us to make use of celestial objects, or should we preserve them in their original state? And if we preserve them, who exactly are we preserving them for?

Hosted by Stephen Euin Cobb, this is the August 14, 2013 episode of The Future And You. [Running time: 60 minutes] This panel discussion (originally titled "Why Aren't We In Space?") was recorded before a live audience at the science fiction and fantasy convention ConCarolinas in Charlotte NC on June 1, 2013.