NOVA; To the Moon; Interview with Paul Spudis, geologist and lunar scientist, part 1 of 2

1998

Paul Spudis, geologist and lunar scientist, is interviewed about the early space program. Spudis describes being inspired to change his major after seeing the Apollo missions as a college student, how and why we gain an understanding of the moon, and what the moon has taught us about the Earth. Various theories of the moon including Ralph Baldwin's help in mapping the moon, Harold Urey and Jack Greene's debate on the creation of the moon stemming from hot versus cold volcanic action, and the "Big Whack Theory" of the moon's creation as the result of a planetary collision are explained and discussed. Spudis ends with a discussion of Gene Shoemaker's departure from the Apollo program and the method of site selection for lunar landings.

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Series: NOVA
Program: To the Moon
Program Number: 2610
Title: Interview with Paul Spudis, geologist and lunar scientist, part 1 of 2
Series Description: NOVA is a general-interest documentary series that addresses a single science issue each week. Billed as "science adventures for curious grown-ups" when it first aired in March, 1974, NOVA continues to offer an informative and entertaining approach to a challenging subject. It is also one of television's most acclaimed series, having won every major television award, most of them many times over.
Program Description: Alan Binder, former Principal Investigator of NASA's Lunar Prospector mission, is interviewed about the Lunar Prospector. Binder says that if moon travel became viable again, he would want to go to the moon, but says that in order to get financial and public support for space exploration, scientists need to sell the science of the moon. Another option, according to Binder, is to make travel to the moon commercially viable, and lists many benefits of going to the moon, including using it as a fuel source, or colonizing the surface for human habitation (audio cuts out from 00:07:30 - 00:09:00). Binder explains the work of the Lunar Prospector and talks about the necessity of having computers to do a lot of the work. On Apollo, Binder calls the program the most significant event of the 21st century, and talks about the roles of the Apollo program, the Clementine spacecraft, and hte Lunar Prospector. The interview ends with Binder's views on his relationship with NASA, which he characterizes as being needlessly bound up in beaurocracy and red tape.
Duration: 0:23:23
Asset Type: Raw video
Media Type: Video
Subjects: Gemini; American history; Apollo; Moon; Astronaut; Space
Creators: WGBH Educational Foundation (Producing Organization)
Contributors: Spudis, Paul, 1952-2018 (Interviewee)
Rights Summary: Rights Holder: WGBH Educational Foundation
Citation: Chicago: “NOVA; To the Moon; Interview with Paul Spudis, geologist and lunar scientist, part 1 of 2,” 1998, GBH Archives, accessed December 26, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_46FC7F910EA34308A6CA73364A3FA6E0.; MLA: “NOVA; To the Moon; Interview with Paul Spudis, geologist and lunar scientist, part 1 of 2.” 1998. GBH Archives. Web. December 26, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_46FC7F910EA34308A6CA73364A3FA6E0>.; APA: NOVA; To the Moon; Interview with Paul Spudis, geologist and lunar scientist, part 1 of 2. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_46FC7F910EA34308A6CA73364A3FA6E0

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NOVA; To the Moon; Interview with Paul Spudis, geologist and lunar scientist, part 1 of 2