Live Chat: Mission to Mars—With Special Guest Buzz Aldrin

05 Jun Live Chat: Mission to Mars—With Special Guest Buzz Aldrin

Humanity is headed for Mars. President Barack Obama has given NASA the goal of sending astronauts to the red planet by 2035 and safely returning them. Private space companies are signing up astronaut candidates for trips to Mars. That just leaves a few details: creating protection from savage radiation and the effects of zero-gravity, building a Mars-capable rocket, contriving fail-proof sustenance for the 18-month trip, devising a means for a massive vehicle to gently touch down on the martian surface, and, oh yes, finding the societal and political will to finance the trip.

Join us on Thursday, 6 June, at 3 p.m. EDT on this page for a live Google Hangout when we address these issues and take your questions. We’ll be joined by three experts – Leonard David, James Garvin, and Buzz Aldrin.