Best Podcast Episodes About Mars Sample Return
Everything podcasters are saying about Mars Sample Return — curated from top podcasts
Updated: Apr 01, 2026 – 3 episodes
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Ridealong has curated the best and most interesting podcasts and clips about Mars Sample Return.
Top Podcast Clips About Mars Sample Return
“… they going to do, build a base on the moon? For what reason? Just to go and visit and come back? To leave us here. Well, yeah, if you want to go to Mars one day, you've got to probably colonize the moon. But why? Build a vacation home on the moon. There nothing on Mars Why I mean we just wasting money aren we by going around the moon today Why We destroying our planet so we got to leave eventually Ryan And, you know, curiosity is a human thing, right? So maybe there's more curiosity to go back to the moon. It's the first time since the 70s, I believe. But we've been there. There's nothing …”
“… now going around the moon? Why don't we just skip that step and go right to the moon again? They have not found anything, I think, on the moon that is beneficial to us in America. Nothing. Nothing. I mean, well, they've got rocks and dust. What are they going to do, build a base on the moon? For what reason? Just to go and visit and come back? To leave us here. Well, yeah, if you want to go to Mars one day, you've got to probably colonize the moon. But why? Build a vacation home on the moon. There nothing on Mars Why I mean we just wasting money aren we by going around the moon today Why We destroying our planet so we got to leave eventually Ryan And, you know, curiosity is a human thing, right? So maybe there's more curiosity to go back to the moon. It's the first time since the 70s, I believe. But we've been there. There's nothing there. It's dust and rocks. At one point, there was nothing here. This used to be just dirt and rock. And look what we did. Look around. Look at this. You don't want to expand your horizons past this planet? The only way you're going to be able to live on the moon is you can wear a space suit 24 hours a day. Yes. So why? I'm happy breathing and walking …”
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Ridealong summary
The upcoming Artemis 2 mission aims to send astronauts on a 10-day trip around the moon, raising questions about the necessity of returning to a place we've already explored. Critics argue that with no tangible benefits found on the moon, investing in lunar missions seems wasteful. However, proponents suggest that curiosity and the potential for future colonization could justify this renewed focus on the moon.
“… Sure. I mean, I think the answer is it's probably somewhere in that 10 to 20-year timeline, but I'll tell you, this is why it's so imperative to return to the moon and build the moon base. So where we are targeting to build the base that President Trump called for in his space policy is the South Pole. And in the permanently shaded regions of the South Pole of the moon, you have water ice. So when we land there, when we build the base, we are going to work with that ice and use it to make propellant. And that's going to be key because I'll tell you, when you see American astronauts step foot …”
“to that, to think aspirationally about our future in the stars. Sure. I mean, I think the answer is it's probably somewhere in that 10 to 20-year timeline, but I'll tell you, this is why it's so imperative to return to the moon and build the moon base. So where we are targeting to build the base that President Trump called for in his space policy is the South Pole. And in the permanently shaded regions of the South Pole of the moon, you have water ice. So when we land there, when we build the base, we are going to work with that ice and use it to make propellant. And that's going to be key because I'll tell you, when you see American astronauts step foot off the Artemis 4 lander and are on the moon, no, at that point in time, we have the capability to send astronauts to Mars. The hard part is how do you bring them home? And when they're there, they're going to have to make their own propellant to make that return voyage, and we will master those skills on the south pole of the moon, and then we'll …”
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Ridealong summary
Building a moon base at the lunar South Pole is crucial for developing the technology needed to eventually send astronauts to Mars and return them safely.
“… at a January 2025 press briefing. One option brought in tried-and-tested tech. Since Perseverance had been safely deployed onto the surface of Mars using a hovering platform known as a sky crane, it was proposed that the sample-gathering lander for MSR could also be dropped off using a sky crane, which would simplify this step and reduce the overall cost of the program. The other suggestion was that the lander could be delivered to Mars via a spaceship from a commercial spaceflight company. The lander design itself could also be streamlined, and tweaks could be made to the rocket that …”
“… seeking. Now the agency's request for help was all the more urgent. These rocks had to get home. After various panels assessed plans that could effectively save MSR, two potential options for a faster, leaner, less expensive version were previewed at a January 2025 press briefing. One option brought in tried-and-tested tech. Since Perseverance had been safely deployed onto the surface of Mars using a hovering platform known as a sky crane, it was proposed that the sample-gathering lander for MSR could also be dropped off using a sky crane, which would simplify this step and reduce the overall cost of the program. The other suggestion was that the lander could be delivered to Mars via a spaceship from a commercial spaceflight company. The lander design itself could also be streamlined, and tweaks could be made to the rocket that would launch the samples back into space. The proposals needed greater study, but everyone's spirits were lifted by the fact these plans could, at least theoretically, get samples back in the 2030s, not the 2040s. And crucially, it was possible to get the cost down, says Jack Mustard, an earth and planetary scientist at Brown University, and a member …”
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Ridealong summary
China's ambitious Tianwen-3 mission aims to return Mars samples by 2031, putting pressure on NASA's own Mars Sample Return (MSR) program, which could take until the 2040s. While NASA has proposed cost-effective solutions to expedite its plans, the stark contrast in timelines highlights a growing space race. With China's recent successes in lunar and asteroid missions, the urgency for NASA to catch up has never been more critical.
Top Podcasts About Mars Sample Return
KSR
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Verdict with Ted Cruz
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MIT Technology Review Narrated
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Stories Mentioning Mars Sample Return
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NASA has successfully launched the Artemis II mission, marking a significant step in its efforts to return humans to the Moon. This mission involves orbiting the Moon and is a precursor to future manned lunar landings. The success of Artemis II is crucial for advancing NASA's lunar exploration goals.
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