Topic: Space Exploration
March 29, 2013 - Focus
First Magnitude, a Book of the Bright Sky
Long have we been fascinated by the wonder and mystery of the night sky. This hour on Focus, we talked with Jim Kaler about his new book "First Magnitude, a Book of the Bright Sky."
(Duration: 55:01)
John Ballentine
February 01, 2013 - Focus
The Future of Space Travel
Guests: Michael Lopez-Alegria, Phillippe Geubelle, and Jonathan Card.
Ten years ago, the Space Shuttle Columbia exploded on re-entry over Texas, killing seven astronauts; in the years that followed, state-funded space flight dwindled. Today on Focus, we'll talk the future of space exploration with a former astronaut, an aerospace engineer, and a businessman who want to make human settlements in space a reality. Join our conversation at 10 or on Facebook and Twitter.
July 26, 2012 - Focus
Encore: Interview with Homer Hickam
This hour on Focus, we'll listen back to a conversation with Homer Hickam, former NASA engineer and acclaimed author of Rocket Boys: A Memoir.
May 24, 2012 - Focus
Interview with Homer Hickam, Writer and Former NASA Aerospace Engineer
Our guest is author and former NASA engineer Homer Hickam. Many people will know him for his autobiographical novel "Rocket Boys," the basis for the film "October Sky." He has just published a novel for young adult readers. The book, "Crater," is the first in a projected trilogy that depicts the life of 22nd century miners living on the moon. It has been praised as a coming of age story, and for its vision of what life in a permanent moon settlement might be like.
October 07, 2011 - Focus
The Future of the U.S. Space Program
Guest: Louis Friedman, Ph.D.
He earned his Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT. He worked for NASA at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He co-founded the Planetary Society with Carl Sagan and Bruce Murray. Today, he joins Focus 580 to discuss the future of the American space program.
September 15, 2010 - Focus
Voyager: Seeking Newer Worlds in the Third Age of Discovery
Guest: Stephen J. Pyne, Ph.D.
Within the next few years, we may see one of the Voyager spacecraft become the first man-made object to exit our solar system. It's the pinnacle of how far the human drive to explore can take us. Today on Focus, we're joined by Stephen Pyne, author of Voyager: Seeking Newer Worlds in the Third Age of Discovery. He'll talk about the great explorers, their motives, and their rewards, from the Renaissance to the modern age.
The Eerie Silence: Renewing Our Search for Alien Intelligence
With Paul Davies, Ph.D. (Physicist, Cosmologist, Astrobiologist; Director of Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science, Arizona State University; Chair of the SETI Post-Detection Taskgroup)
April 06, 2009 - Focus
The Crowded Universe: The Search for Living Planets
Guest: Alan Boss, Ph.D.
NASA's Kepler mission is the first space telescope designed specifically to look for planets similar to Earth outside of our solar system. In his recent book The Crowded Universe, astronomer Alan Boss argues that Earth-sized planets are plentiful in the universe. He joins the show today to talk more about the formation of Earthlike planets and the search for extraterrestrial life.
November 23, 2007 - Focus
Sputnik: The Shock of the Century
Guest: Paul Dickson.
On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched what would be the first man-made object to enter space. Today on Focus, we'll explore the dramatic history of Sputnik's launch, the instantaneous impact it made on the next decade to come, and the developments that brought America into the space race. Our guest will be writer Paul Dickson, author of Sputnik: The Shock of the Century.
June 13, 2007 - Focus
The Arms Race in Outer Space
Mike Moore, Research Fellow at the Independent Institute and former Editor of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
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