The Robots Of Mars | Tanya Harrison | Escaped Sapiens #38

On this episode of the podcast I speak with geologist and planetary scientist Dr. Tanya Harrison, to find out what it is like to do research with the robots currently being used to explore Mars. Tanya worked for years on NASAs Perseverance, Curiosity, and Opportunity rovers, as well as the with Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Part of Tanya's work was to select interesting locations for the Reconnaissance orbiter to take imagery of. Since working as a mission specialist with NASA rovers and orbiters, Tanya continues to work as a planetary scientist and scientific director at Planet Labs, and she is also a Fellow of the University of British Columbia’s Outer Space Institute.
We discuss the limits of remote research on other planets. How do scientists use meteorite impacts, and other geological signs to date a planet? What tools do the rovers have to look for life? Who gets naming rights when something interesting is found? After colonization will the rovers end up in a museum on mars? If the orbits of mars and Venus were switched, would Venus become a habitable planet like earth? These questions and more.
►For more information about Tanya:
www.tanyaharrison.com/about/
►Follow Tanya on Twitter:
@tanyaofmars
►Intro music by NEFFEX
►B-role attribution:
Cassini Animation - NASA and JPL
• NASA at Saturn: Cassin...
Ingenuity Helicopter - NASA and JPL
• First Video of NASA’s ...
Zuhong Rover - cnsa.gov.cn/
• Video
Perserverence Animation - NASA/JPL-Caltech
• NASA Mars Perseverance...
HIRISE orbiter images - USGS/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Korolev crater - ESA’s Mars Express
Kimberley at base of Mount Sharp - NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Mars polar icecaps - Phil James, Todd Clancy, Steve Lee, J. Bell, M. Wolff, and NASA.
Habitable planets/ solar system - NASA/JPL-Caltech
Images of Honga Tonga - Planet Labs
www.planet.com/
Images and Movie of Honga Tonga - Maxar Technologies
www.maxar.com/products/satell...
• Hunga Tonga volcano er...
Pillars of Creation - NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team
www.nasa.gov/image-feature/th...
Maven Orbiter - NASA
Hope Orbiter - UAESA and MBRSC
Deep space Network - NASA
Menu:
0:00 - Introduction
1:45 - Why human space flight?
5:59 - Human/Robot comparisons?
8:25 - Why we haven't found life.
9:50 - Will we settle on mars?
14:54 - The first colonizers.
17:41 - Nervously watching your rover land.
24:11 - Sample collections.
25:42 - Private space flight.
29:27 - Ability of the rovers.
32:36 - Will we know when we find an alien?
35:06 - Water on Mars.
39:41 - Killer dust storms.
44:03 - How do we know how old Mars is?
48:53 - Was mars warm and wet enough for life?
50:11 - Why is mars dead now?
52:07 - Venus habitability.
53:23 - Plate tectonics
57:17 - terraforming mars.
58:40 - Orbiters and the deep space network.
1:06:23 - Sexy research and funding.
1:07:32 - Taking control of the orbiters camera.
1:10:34 - Tanya's discoveries.
1:20:01 - watching climate change and volcanos from space
1:25:01 - Indications of life on mars?
1:27:49 - Contamination of mars
1:30:02 - Panspermia.
1:31:45 - How would NASA announce Aliens?
1:35:54 - Space tourism.
1:40:05 - Babies in space
1:44:36 - The next Apollo.
1:47:51 - After the interview (space kangaroos and space vandalism)
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