July 20, 2009 : Moon Landing Anniversary

WHEN WE CONTINUE 40 YEARS

SINCE MAN FIRST LANDED ON THE

MOON.

IT'S ONE OF THOSE "WHERE WERE

YOU THEN?"

DATES.

JULY 20, 1969 WHEN MAN FIRST

WALKED ON THE MOON.

IT WAS ALSO BACK IN THE YEARS

OF A COMPETITIVE SPACE RACE

WITH THE SOVIET UNION.

ONE PRESIDENT KENNEDY VOWED TO

WIN.

THEY WERE WORDS HERALDED

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE TO

RESONATE ACROSS THE AGES.

>> THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR

MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR

MANKIND.

>> Rooney: 40 YEARS AGO TODAY,

NEAL ARMSTRONG AND BUZZ ALDRIN

EMERGED FROM THE CRAMPED EAGLE

LUNAR MODULE HAVING HAD EIGHT

DAYS AND 500,000 MILES GOING

FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON.

>> YOU'RE NOT WORRYING.

YOU'RE NOT FEARFUL.

THOSE ARE CLOUDING EMOTIONS.

THEY CLOUD PERFORMANCE.

PERFORMANCE REQUIRES AN ALERT

MIND LOOKING TO THE FUTURE.

THAT'S WHAT WE WERE DOING.

>> Reporter: WITH 500 MILLION

PEOPLE WATCHING THEIR EVERY

FOOT FALL, THE TWO PIONEERS

ALONG WITH MICHAEL COLLINS WHO

REMAINED ABOARD THE COMMAND

MODULE REALIZED VICTORY IN

WHAT HAD BEEN AN INTERNATIONAL

SPACE RACE.

>> WE OPENED THE DOOR TO THE

FUTURE OF EXPLORATION BY

TOUCHING DOWN ON ANOTHER

OBJECT.

>> Reporter: FOR ALL THE

CELEBRATION OF THE APOLLO 11

MISSION TODAY, THERE IS ALSO

FOND REMEMBRANCE OF PRESIDENT

JOHN F. KENNEDY WHO IGNITED

THE COUNTRY'S MOON MISSION.

>> I BELIEVE THAT THIS NATION

SHOULD COMMIT ITSELF TO

ACHIEVING THE GOAL BEFORE THIS

DECADE IS OUT OF LANDING A MAN

ON THE MOON AND RETURNING HIM

SAFELY TO THE EARTH.

>> Rooney: THE PRESIDENT'S

LEGACY IS COMMEMORATED LOCALLY

AT THE KENNEDY LIBRARY NOW

EXHIBITING MOON SHOT: J.F.K.

AND SPACE EXPLORATION.

>> HE NEVER LIVED TO SEE THAT.

BUT THE FACT IS LONG BEFORE

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAID

YES WE CAN THERE WAS ANOTHER

PRESIDENT WHO SAID YES WE CAN.

WE DID IT.

>> Rooney: BRINGING BACK

MEMORIES FOR SEVERAL LIBRARY

VISITORS.

>> MY CHILDREN AND I WERE ALL

ON THE FLOOR JUST WAITING FOR

IT TO HAPPEN.

>> WE WATCHED THE MOON LANDING

ON TV DURING OUR HONEYMOON 40

YEARS AGO.

>> IT WAS A FULL MOON.

I KEPT LOOK TO GO SEE IF I CAN

SEE ANYTHING.

>> Rooney: MEANWHILE SPEAKING

IN WASHINGTON THIS MORNING

ASTRONAUT BUZZ ALDRIN SAID

IT'S TIME TO REFOCUS NASA 30

MILLION MILES FOR.

>> AMERICA TO MARS NOT WHAT IT

OUGHT TO BE.

NOT AMERICA BACK TO THE MOON.

AMERICA CAN USE OUR EXPERIENCE,

GREAT EXPERIENCE, AND THE LAST

FOUR YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN

DETAILED PREPARATION FOR US TO

GO.

>> Rooney: THE HOPE IS TODAY'S

REMEMBRANCE OF ONE SMALL STEP

MIGHT LEAD TO MANY MORE.

ALL RIGHT.

WITH ME NOW ARE HARVARD

ASTROPHYSICIST JONATHAN

McDOWELL AND NASA RESEARCHER

SAM KOWNAVES OF TUFTS

UNIVERSITY.

WELCOME TO BOTH OF YOU.

JONATHAN, GOING... JUST

WATCHING THAT TODAY REMINDS ME

SO MUCH OF HOW EXCITING IT WAS

AT THE TIME.

YOU KNOW, I SEE A LOT OF

PEOPLE ARE SCRATCHING THEIR

HEADS SAYING WHAT HAPPENED TO

HUMAN SPACE EXPLORATION?

I KNOW THAT TECHNOLOGY WHEN

YOU THINK THAT WE COULD

COMMUNICATE BACK THEN 40 YEARS

AGO, THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO,

WITH PEOPLE ON THE MOON.

AND WE ARE SO MUCH FURTHER

ADVANCED.

HOW COME WE HAVEN'T DONE

ANYTHING MORE WITH HUMANS?

>> RIGHT.

I THINK THE ROBOTIC SCIENCE

EXPLORATION PROGRAM HAS GONE

FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH WITH

HUBBLE, WITH THE MARS ROVERS.

BUT THE HUMAN SPACE PROGRAM

WE'VE CONSOLIDATED A LOT OF

EXPERIENCE.

NOW WE LAUNCH MORE ASTRONAUTS

EVERY YEAR THAN WE HAD IN THE

ENTIRE SPACE PROGRAM UP TO

APOLLO 11.

BUT IT'S ALL IN LOWEST ORBIT.

THE PUBLIC... IT HASN'T

ENGAGED PEOPLE'S EXCITEMENT.

NASA REALIZES THAT NOW I

THINK.

SO THE BIG QUESTION NOW FOR

NASA IS WHERE NEXT?

AND THE PUSH.

THERE'S REALLY A CONSENSUS

THAT WE HAVE TO GET BACK ON

PUSHING ON OUT WARD TO FINDING

NEW FRONTIERS WHETHER THAT'S

THE MOON OR ASTEROIDS OR MAR S

IS THE BIG ARGUMENT.

>> Rooney: THAT IS PART OF THE

ARGUMENT HERE, SAM.

SOME PEOPLE THINK WE SHOULD GO

BACK TO THE MOON TO LEARN MORE

ABOUT THAT PLANET.

WE'VE BEEN THERE, DONE THAT.

WE ARE SO MUCH FURTHER

ADVANCED NOW.

IS IT WORTH IT?

>> WELL THERE'S A LOT TO BE

LEARNED FROM THE MOON STILL.

IT'S PART OF THE ANCIENT... I

MEAN BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO,

THERE'S HISTORY THERE TO LEARN

FROM.

BUT THE INTERESTING THING

ABOUT MARS IS PROBABLY IT'S

ONLY THE HABITABLE PLANET IN

OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.

IT'S ONE PLACE WHERE WE KNOW

WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SURVIVE

FOR A BRIEF MOMENT OF TIME IF

WE WENT THERE.

>> Rooney: IS THERE AN

ATMOSPHERE.

>> A VERY THIN OR CON...

CARBON DIOXIDE ATMOSPHERE.

IT'S A PLACE WHERE IT'S COLD

BUT NOT MUCH COLDER THAN

ANTARCTICA.

WHEN WE LEARNED LAST SUMMER

FROM THE PHOENIX MISSION ON

MARS....

>> Rooney: WHAT WOULD IT COST

TO SEND A HUMAN THERE?

>> A ROBOT CAN ONLY DO SO

MUCH.

THEY'RE COMPLEMENTARY.

IT WOULD BE GOOD TO DO BOTH

THINGS.

THE HUMAN MISSION IS PROB HAD

PROBABLY IN THE HUNDRED OF

BILLIONS WHERE FOR EXAMPLE

PHOENIX LAST YEAR WAS ONLY A

FEW HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.

ROBOTS CAN DO AMAZING THINGS.

WE WERE THERE COMMANDING IT

EVERYDAY.

WE WERE TELLING HER TO PICK

UP.

WE DID CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF

THE SOIL.

WE FOUND OUT THAT IT'S

FRIENDLY SOIL BASICALLY.

PEOPLE IMAGINED IT WAS VERY

HARSH, SUL FEWERIC ACID AND

BLEACH.

IT WAS LIKE EARTH IN A LOT OF

WAYS.

A VERY EARTH LIKE PLACE.

A PLACE THAT WE CAN....

>> Rooney: DID WE FIND

ANYTHING ABOUT LIFE THERE?

>> THAT'S ONE OF THE DRIVING

QUESTIONS.

PHILOSOPHICALLY MARS HAD A

POTENTIAL TO... COULD LIFE

HAVE EMERGED ON MARS?

IT MAY HAVE BEEN VERY SIMILAR

TO EARTH ABOUT 3.5-4 BILLION

YEARS AGO.

>> Rooney: WE HAVE THAT TO

LOOK FORWARD IN OUR FUTURE.

WHAT ABOUT JUST THE

COMPETITION?

YOU KNOW, THE GLOBAL

COMPETITION.

BACK IN THOSE DAYS IT WAS US

VERSUS U.S.S.R., THE EVIL

EMPIRE VERSUS THE GOOD GUYS.

NOW THAT'S ALL DISAPPEARED.

BUT IF CHINA OR INDONESIA OR

ANYBODY GOT MORE INVOLVED IN

IT, WOULD IT SPARK OUR

ENTHUSIASM AGAIN?

>> YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT A LOT

OF ADVOCATES TO THE HUMAN

SPACE PROGRAM ARE HOPING THAT

THEY CAN USE, THE CHINESE, THE

THREAT TO MAKE AMERICA WANT TO

DO MORE.

I ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT THE

REALLY GOOD DEVELOPMENT IN THE

INTERVENING 40 YEARS IS THAT

OUR CURRENT HUMAN SPACE

PROGRAM IS AN INTERNATIONAL

ONE WHERE WE'RE WORKING RIGHT

NOW WITH THE EUROPEANS, THE

JAPANESE, THE CANADIANS.

AND IT'S REALLY BEEN A

CHALLENGE TO MAKE ALL THIS

HIGH TECHNOLOGY WORK AMONG A

SERIES OF DIFFERENT CULTURES

IN A SMOOTH WAY.

I THINK THAT'S THE NEW

FRONTIER.

IF WE'RE GOING TO GO TO MARS,

IT IS GOING TO COST HUNDREDS

OF MILLIONS.

WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO DO IT

AS A UNITED WORLD.

I THINK THAT'S A MUCH BETTER

WAY TO DO IT THAN AS AN

ARTIFICIAL SHOW OF MACHONESS

BETWEEN TWO GREAT SUPER POWERS.

>> Rooney: YOU KNOW HOW NASA

THINKS TO A POINT.

I MEAN, WERE THEY REALLY

REALLY GUN SHY AFTER COLUMBIA

AND CHALLENGE?

DID THOSE TWO INCIDENTS PUT

THEM OFF IN TERMS OF HUMAN

INVOLVEMENT.

>> THEY WANT TO BE ASSURED OF

THE SAFETY OF THE ASTRONAUTS.

ONE THING I'VE BEEN REALLY

IMPRESSED AND AMAZED WITH NASA

IS THE DETAIL OR THE EXPERTISE

THAT GOES INTO EVERY SINGLE...

I MEAN EVEN A SIMPLE, YOU KNOW,

A LANDER ON MARS HAS MILLIONS

OF FUNCTIONING PARTS.

EVERYTHING HAS TO WORK IDEALLY.

OTHERWISE IT DOESN'T SET DOWN

ON THE SURFACE.

MAKING SURE IT WILL WORK

BEFORE....

>> Rooney: JUST THIS LAST ONE

THAT THEY PUT OFF FIVE TIMES

FROM LAUNCH.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE IT WAS

GOING.

IT'S TERRIBLE.

I JUST LOST TRACK OF WHERE WAS

IT GOING?

>> THE LATEST SHUTTLE IS UP

WITH THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE

STATION.

THEY'VE ADDED A NEW JAPANESE

EXPERIMENT MODULE ON BOARD.

THEY'RE SWAPPING OUT SOME

CREWS.

THERE IS ONE OF THE LAST

SHUTTLE MISSIONS THAT IS IS

HELPING FINISH ASSEMBLE THIS

VERY INTERNATIONAL SPACE

STATION.

YOU'RE RIGHT.

THEY'VE LEARNED THAT THE RIGHT

WAY TO DO IT IS, IT DOESN'T

REALLY MATTER IF YOU GET THERE

NEXT WEEK INSTEAD OF THIS

WEEK.

IT MATTERS MUCH MORE THAT YOU

GET THERE SAFELY.

I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS

THOUGH, I MEAN, YOU'RE TALKING

ABOUT THE ROBOTIC PROGRAM

BEING SUCCESSFUL AND THE HUMAN

PROGRAM NOT HAVING DONE SO

MUCH.

IT'S BECAUSE ROBOTS ARE SO

MUCH MORE CAPABLE NOW.

BACK IN APOLLO 11'S DAY, THE

ROBOTS COULDN'T HAVE DONE WHAT

THE ASTRONAUTS DID.

NOW TO SOME EXTENT THEY CAN.

SO THERE'S BEEN A REEVALUATION

OF WHAT ASTRONAUTS ARE BEST

FOR.

>> Rooney: NOTHING LIKE HAVING

SOMEBODY EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT

IT FEELS LIKE ON YOUR FEET OR

TO YOUR HANDS OR TO THE TOUCH.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT A ROBOT

CANNOT DO.

>> ROBOTS CAN STILL PUT YOU

THERE.

WHAT'S AMAZING IN THE LAST

YEAR WE WERE THERE.

MY STUDENTS AND I WERE THERE,

WE WERE WORKING EVERY DAY ON

MARS.

THEY'VE GONE ON TO OTHER JOBS

NOW BUT THERE ARE DOZENS OF

STUDENTS IN THE PROGRAM THAT

HAVE BECOME SO EXCITED.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE

BEGINNING OF THEIR CAREER.

WE LEARNED A LOT JOUST JUST BY

HAVING THAT ROBOT THERE LAST

SUMMER.

YOU CAN LEARN A LOT.

WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE ROBOTIC

MISSIONS BEFORE HUMAN MISSIONS

ANYWAY BECAUSE YOU NEED TO

MORE.

LAST YEAR BETWEEN LAST YEAR

AND THIS YEAR WE HAVE NOW

CHANGED THE WAY WE VIEW THE

CHEMISTRY OF MARS.

WE WENT THERE EXPECTING A VERY

HARSH, ACIDIC ENVIRONMENT.

WE FOUND A MUCH MORE FRIENDLY

ENVIRONMENT.

YOU DON'T WANT TO SEND

ASTRONAUTS TO A PLANET NOT

KNOWING WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE

SOIL CONTACTS WATER.

>> Rooney: HOW MUCH OF THIS IS

A POLITICAL AGENDA?

>> I THINK THERE IS A STRONG

POLITICAL AGENDA IN THE

FUNDING OF THE HUMAN SPACE

PROGRAM BUT THERE'S ALSO IN

THE ENGINEERS AND THE SIGN

TIFFS WHO DO IT, THERE'S A

STRONG BELIEF THAT IT'S WORTH

INVESTING A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF

EFFORT IN THE LONG-TERM FUTURE

OF HUMANITY.

SO YOU HAVE TO LOOK IN THE

LONG TERM BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO

BE AWARE THAT THE FUNDING

COMES FROM THE SHORT TERM FROM

THE POLITICAL ADVANTAGE.

EVERY NASA PROJECT HAS TO HAVE

A PIECE OF IT DONE IN AT LEAST

50 DIFFERENT STATES IN ORDER

TO GET THE FUNDING.

>> Rooney: I'LL BET THAT'S

TRUE.

>> IT'S A CHALLENGE.

>> Rooney: HOW ARE YOU

INVOLVED WITH THEM NOW?

>> NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL

THE DATA WE COLLECTED LAST

YEAR.

WE BROUGHT BACK AATE LOW OF

DATA WAS TRANSMITED TO EARTH.

WE'RE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF

ANALYZING IT.

MY STUDENTS ARE GOING THROUGH

IT.

WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF

INFORMATION WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN

OUT OF THAT DATA.

BUT WE'VE GOT TO GO BACK

AGAIN.

THAT WAS AN AMAZING MISSION.

WE'LL PROBABLY SPEND SEVERAL

YEARS ANALYZING THE DATA.

>> Rooney: THE LAST ONE THAT

GOT PEOPLE EXCITED.

>> IT GOT A LOT OF THE SCIENCE

COMMUNITY EXCITED BECAUSE

THERE'S A REASON TO GO TO MARS

BESIDES THEY'RE FINDING OUT

ABOUT MARS HELPS US UNDERSTAND

THE EARTH BETTER.

FOR PEOPLE THAT WANT TO HAVE

THINGS TO DO ON EARTH, YOU

KNOW, EARTH IS A SINGLE

PLANET.

TO UNDERSTAND EARTH, YOU HAVE

TO UNDERSTAND OUR NEIGHBORS.

>> Rooney: I LOVE IT.

>> THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD

REASONS TO GO THERE.

>> Rooney: I'M READY TO SEND

SOMEBODY.

ALL RIGHT.

SAM KOWNAVES AND MR. McDOWELL,

JONATHAN McDOWELL, THANK YOU

BOTH FOR COMING.

APPRECIATE IT.