« ID10T with Chris Hardwick

Buzz Aldrin

2013-06-24
BUZZ ALDRIN IS ON THE NERDIST! He sits down with Chris, Matt and Jonah to talk about the current state of space exploration, his ideas for inhabiting Mars and walking on the moon! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Welcome to the nurse bikers number three: seventy four forming in Philadelphia, the sweet June, twenty seven, twenty eight and twenty nine handful tickets left there and helium you gotta, helium, comedy dot, com or noticed outcome, slash countering information tickets and were really close to being sold out for the bubble, a theatre on these Saturday of sending your comecon. Our very special guess that I can announce yet but you're going to like it So that is also add and noticed. Tat come slash. Calendar think for sponsoring this observatory. I guess Hulu plus, of course, youth stream, Hulu COM, probably many times, but now gear free trial exclusive, continue living room when you're mobile devices with who plus plus you get total control to watch thousands of shows where we want complete seas. Of things, not just the most recent ones you can watch occurrence shows you can watch full series runs of Classic tv shows. We want, I mean
its clearly modern family South Park, as in our family Guy Fallon, new girl parks and wreck. Your people chairing the background. It's not for what I just said, but Lasalle pretend it was. What I just said, does it and they just laughed because I've made a joke about it, I'm I'm not connected to. What's going on downstairs, I met normal right now. There's people playing the indeed just below the studio window and somehow weird thing they could probably Hulu, plus because, right now it is seven. Ninety nine, a month, Hulu plus, don't come forward. Slash noticed all in lower case and they're gonna extended. Free trial of Hulu plus. That is only available to you, guys. Biogas listeners taken
the tv washing experience go to the loop livestock come forward, slash nervous for your sent a free trial again. Will the post conflict such noticed, get a free trial. This episode is because Aldrin, besides just having on an astronaut who is an american hero who is actually I'm an essay human hero even have to make it about a national issue, a hero to humanity. The man is walk the surface of the moon for real, but one of the best things about the couple things we ve done with those we have monetary be shown him on the package. It is first of all a just a cool dude and beyond that watching Matt Myra around Buzz, because Matt Myra is the biggest NASA nerd that you would ever come in contact with and watching him near buzz and just seeing the joy in his eyes, like every minute he's around buzz. It's like that. Second of opening, a Christmas present any kids eyes.
So this was, I think this is one of those ones where the guest was was so fascinating. Talking about you know, being in space and being on the moon and told these incredible stories that we actually don't talk a lot in this project, which is rare, it happen sometimes, but it is very rare that we're I'll. Just in ah I just like our mouths were, gave the whole time limit. Historian buzzes, really open about stuff and struggles that he's had in it, and so it's really to two to basically take a guy who is a hero and then and then talk to him on a very human level was was amazing for all of us, so buzzes latest book mission to Mars. My vision for space exploration is now available wherever books are so grab it after exchanging money for it. Here you go the nervous podcast number three, seventy four, with Buzz Aldrin and in India,
pain. There was much rejoicing entering nearest com? people to people who would go into space is given the opportunity and people who would be to bring out the ground space in the other two up. I think you have to do it gradually. You don't just rather Dennis Chair,
Ok, one o clock Dennis through tax base is tennis. You're really goes high, as about urban. Going very well get me busy here does and that, naturally, my signature gets better the sooner the mechanical does get more minimal, ass, thick ass, you go ally
I welcome this hand. A little bit Benazir gravity flight, closer somebody down below decided a push up about a minute smack me into the room, and I could feel it immediately as that of ANA Gomes eleven and more a tremendous the sand over that now I was recovering from the backup relation brought about by a vibrating machine, which I thought: compact and read it put it and are a barber minority, add one back temporary and when you get on one of these platforms about like this and you stand on it and turn the switch on when you leaned forward your toes
the flesh and demonstrators who were here you right back on your heels, and guess what about well yeah because it goes up the bones and your back. A few well back operation is not too good thing. Is there any reason that you are doing is by written version? Well, I thought it would go shake off some paddling I don't think I think the time has had its edge makes it really hard wholesomely russian cosmonauts reiterate my did. I take yourself quite possible to discuss that life. That's why you don't like it
Surely the Mongolia thirty Thou Buzz Aldrin? Well, I admire his guards shares Ah how soon So when you're, not when you're not doing the book tour, what is you're, what life generally consistent. You get arrested, are now I'm going from a conference to a conference and am gathering pace. with ideas. I've got to certain non profit by it.
More, but I manage to dispose of the education when I found out that a clever idea of getting companies that want employees in the future too began to supply the curricula for them today, so that they will evolve fiscal and then a doctor, smart guy, whose working the education programme Endless Data, Arizona, novelties, retired from CEO of Intel, higher smart guy, and he said, but that's not the correct is the system, the system of the BT aid and state the unions, and All of those things that you have to really look
They show Kazan to try and figure out how to make the system worked better. Now, they're, just lots of different studied plans. You can you can do so. Well, I'm not into that's, who, I think, I'll slide aside advertising years. I've been trying to evolve a lottery when it looked like we might be able to, Put people on the card obey the shuttle. There was some discussion. Twenty years ago twenty five years ago. Are we going to select these people. Somebody in the back of the room said weren't. You have
lottery. That's your out! That gets lotta people interested sure and they put up some small investment. That sort of helps paper thinks it is that a few people are selected for progressive activities and, as you get the thing gone, you are at try using that which ride you're gonna get letters that do that advertises each one of those so negotiate. They should give you those rights because you're helping them in their business and your spreading the word around to lots of people. It just takes a very clever marketer Which I am not, and then I realized there is a clever markets earns Richard grants. driving under the sooner or later he was gonna kindness. Take this over and
and then there's somebody came to me about being in a basket her for the fragrance and men's grooming, stuff called acts so part of a bigger company euro. Her, and so they set up an Ax Apollo Space Academy where, in December, they're gonna make some final selections. But what they decided to do is to purchase twenty two, some or all flights. what does one company called Ex core and their spacecraft is legs very, very smart guy edge it up, and I was kind of puzzled, because the spacecraft that they have as a pilot and one passenger.
And even if they fly at four times a day, how can you have a business plan and it's gonna, be oil. Branson has come complicated, expensive system of bigger plan and a rocket body takes. Seven six seven passengers with big big mouth, illegal immigration. You got love, people signed up, work saw I began acquiring a little bit more about this very smart guy who runs this company. As I ran into him when he was part of a commission to study in no twenty ten. What we ought to be doing, my twenty eight or nine, where we are we do in the future, and I submitted my my thoughts were pretty damn good. I still think they are. You gonna make a few little changes, so I
began to learn through its test pilot and others that that this is just a small stepping stone this low spacecraft. Let's get it teaches them out of turn around things and and then the next steps are progressive and get into taken one or two people in orbit, and now we're talking about not a hundred thousand it sort of is what he's charging grants in charge two hundred thousand, but when you get it to go into orbit now, you're in the five ten fifteen million dollar ticket the the first a tourist, Dennis Tito paid about fifty million to accompany the brokering a sales of a russian spacecraft, there will have to go
and learn learn all assistance for five or six months in Russia. Then you get launched Russian rocket, nor saw use you go up to this base station. Spend about eight days come back again and land the sacristan, but an american company would market these right. It's worth it. Is it worth over fifty million dollars to go south orbital. You mean together today yeah. Well, you know what the United States has to hey Russia right now or one NASA Sea or one see somebody out sixty five. Yeah. That's goes supply and the man sure ok,
Russia is the only supplier because we retired the arbiter traveller without a replacement. It was part of the programme that was supposed to come up with her were exposed to return finish. The space station implicit present bushes programme finish: the space station retire, the arbiter at the end of twenty two. exactly what the accident Board said. This is not a state machine you keep lying at, but retire at twice the ended. Pointy ten saw the plan that was put forward
why the administrator of NASA was to finish the space station retired, the arbiter spacecraft. They could get you to the moon by twenty twenty and most of us agree dream. If this could get us just gone up and down up and now with a shovel, will get a lot more. People and dues at the expiration so we ve been to the moon before about at least where we're getting out flowers, arms well the implementation of that programme just very poor. It wasn't really present bushes the administrator and asset and those who were instructing what to do in the Congress. Gonna, say and cross ways things.
so, we ended up without a replacement for the shovel and it was called the gap and a gap began to grow and grow and grow because twenty ten. This is well Obama inherited. He actually flew twice after the under twenty ten, a sort of cleaned up day Groovy a collar was gonna, go on asylum rocket that when a very bad schedule over priced and without that the big rocket- and if you don't have the big rock you can't lander shall you we had left coming out of the Bush administration into a was one spacecraft Really without a large vehicle and without emission saw them,
why he set up a commission. What are we going to do in the future? And of course, I had a pretty good ideas as to what we should do and foremost was not money, I'm sending NASA astronauts back to the bone marrow people, soil people in our resources. our impatient to get back to the moon and they say that's all we can afford well, have you go back to the movement of Commission that was put together said at the present funding we couldn't get to the moon? told twenty thirty and, of course the Russians would beat us there and a commission so we wouldn't even have a lander, so it was not judged and affordable thing to do to go back to the moon. Hopefully will get out of this.
the restoration and this economic downturn and begin to build things are really meaningful. What kind of interesting, when you say Well, we ve been to the moon, and most people say that endangers made with culture have been to the moon, but you literally have it is. It is an actual we when you said well, but there are always people working on this project and when it was fulfilled. I got many new answers about what the moon is about. and frankly between then and now we ve been developing some very sophisticated, Mars, robots, TAT, Mars, robots, get in structures once a day of what they're gonna do in the next day and their very conservative. If anything goes wrong event approaches fallen off
cliff it stopped doing something and people are gonna, send other structures. Ok, when is it really mean, while the programme managers of these two spacecraft on opposite sides and Mars spirit and opportunity, there was postal ass ninety days and weeks, things got stuck at the end of five years in the other, one is still working, so he said.
now what those two have done, an opposite side moving around in five years could have been done in one week if we had human intelligence in Mars Orbit, instructing them in less than a second time to me, that's the power of getting intelligence close to watch your controlling romantically and that's. Why even from the earth to do science robotic at the moon, it would be better off if we could get cancer over to Martian orbit it get closer to the rural area to Leonardo
Can anyone just are we at the point yet were? If we have the technology at any average person could just go into orbit or is there? Is there still like? You know three, four, five, six months of training there would be that you'd have to undertake well in the three men saw use. He got to learn the russian language, so you can speak to people no, I don't want to do in certain urgencies and they feel it's taken six months, beheld To learn those things We all know that really takes all that long net. It depends on who the person is. The person is a pilot light. The fur
person. We took an usher in a shuttle with Senator Darn, whose ahead of appropriations that's a good thing. I would like to have a guy note: what what is it you're doing what he had ten thousand hours, fine aeroplanes, but he was sick most of the time he was up there in the shop for most in this light, and then we took then congressmen who is inappropriate and a bill Nelson from Florida
I'm not sure how far this goes out, but but anyway he was told by the crew now just sit back. There don't touch anything, but he's now senator and the person who commanded the flight, the congressmen Nelson, was worth. where's will under consideration for the next administrator of mass? Oh well, it wasn't the president's choice. The president had Somebody who was to start the air force, and I met him and talk to him by the Senate. Confirmation came, they turned him down and they
except in the person who is a commander, a bill, Nelson's flight and a shovel, has How do you know how enter twine? These things are political influence, Did you understand all this when you were home now,
We really did everyone was pretty much on board. Everyone wanted jobs, the companies in their desperate back in politics, but it was so important what they had done. It was quite logical that dog that mcdonnel was gonna, build the mercury capsule. They had some degree of competition and then make now join Douglas and to build the two men who is stretching the one man into the germinal grim. So it was pretty clear who is going to do that then a pal.
was compelled to lead to North American Rockwell One a command. My children Grumman one, the contract for the lander, and there was no whole arab arguing and, of course, you're gonna get their depended upon the rocket. Now the rocket. Was a dream of Verona ran Brown with the knowledge that he had to be to rocket and we got him over on our side and work with the Army ballistic missile people and then became mark part of the centre in New Huntsville Alabama, Anders absolutely no doubt that his team,
put together a magnificent rocket, Calder, Saturn five and while they're doing their job Russians put up a dog, we put up a monkey, you're right, the monkey back wherever they live with a dog at their maker like a like her and then it was quite clear,
That they were gonna be able to fly somebody pretty soon. This is after us button a course that surprise quite a few people and sure enough you're a guarantee that the ideal farmer boy and turned into a jet pilot. He was the idea of person for them to put into one orbit of the earth, and the best that we could do was with a red stone. That was just a subway lies with Alan Shepherd, so good errand was twelve of April sixty one. The fifth may was an shepherd less than a month
less than a month after their twenty fished. For twenty four May president kennedy- and I believe this nation should commit itself within the decade the landing, man on the moon and bringing back safely We really know how to get. There were a dozen a big rock. We companies that we're gonna build space crap were marked working with mercury and and german I am I'm hanging around at West point. At MIT, getting my doctors degree very well. eyes decision. I knew her.
Intercept airplanes show their step by step training to be able to do that. If you apply that to space step by step and you up with something in orbit year behind him and chasing him, and you get that way by step by step corrections, but now year catching up with him. Now you need, intercept and and make a joiner that this Barton. I became very familiar with this because it was by my thesis all issues than the way that NASA Mcdonnell Douglas we're gonna join the spacecraft. So there was a little bit of a competition and some other people,
at NASA, kindness saw the merits and what I was doing in the steps leading up to that. So my way of doing rendezvous is what we did in Germany Programme to two people. It had additional inputs, of course, to get it where it should be, but it works so well in the event certain failures happen. You could continue with what information you had left.
work, so well in Germany that it was essentially the basis for rendezvous in a power. Now, on Bron rocket maker decided he worked job design, the spacecraft that should go on this big rocket and it was gonna. Do everything once base grab would be launched with a rocket in earth orbit than it would leave her at all get to the moon, the lunar orbit, then it would slow down, make a landing, maybe leaves and things I'm the mood and go back up into orbit river orbit, leave their come back to the earth and landed an ocean When I had my entered, do little research, he drew a picture of it and it was
this high and the actual Rachel that were used was about this. I'm a big difference in order to do it doctor broad bronze way the lifted off. All this work taken not to Saturn Fibre Andover rocket with nine engines, identified that one been ready Intel into the gin seventies, so it wasn't. Gonna satisfy her the president's commitment, so he had to use to sacrifice but the big propulsion system to get away from the earth- and I put the big spacecraft, kindness one and I have to join up in earth orbit and it became known ass earth orbit, rendezvous, ok and other clever engineer from
other centres analyze. This group broken down into pieces. He said we need to look at segments of going to the moon personal. You need a small little capsule that can a boy from the rocket and can go to the moon and come back, but it needs service module so large that, with the service, my jewel it'll go to the moon. When it comes back, the service must burn up any atmosphere and command march of land. Now, when you the mood. You got a land. So what you need
there is a lander and something to get you back up into orbit and and those have to be very lightweight and if you get all for those down and wait, guess why one Saturn five will do it, but it requires Luther Orbit, rendezvous and, of course, the people in favour of bronze way. They said well the real discussion as between earth orbit rendezvous wishes much much safer and rendezvous way out there at the moon. Therefore, our system is better. They turn a gloss over the fact that we are used to.
Shattered fires to do with their way, and we only need one and TAT s what we did. So you find that there are people who begin to sort of get out of their business if you're on a rock a business, don't start, designing spacecraft and were sort of business rate now away with a very fortunate, very wealthy, over of space Ex, whose around design but is also designing a spacecraft. he's. Not only doing that is caring cargo space station, so he's succeeded in gathering people together and having some
good fortune in several of the successful ones had little things went wrong. That could have grasped the whole thing I told by my son, who works for Boeing, unlocking joint venture, gone united, launch alliance with big companies that big overhead and more expensive rackets and space ecstasy, but space Ex, wants to take its expertise and not listen to anybody out, especially me about how to get to Mars and he's gonna go to Mars like himself and then left off and come back
It is like one company and a rather egotistical director that one company trying to run the whole space programme for them It's not international is not national is one company. king somebody there. Then we went over to talk to you I'm and explain my discovery. Cycling orbits and how we can build things up gradually we didn't get to it. moon around Mars from that weaken lesser site, we can build the base on Mars before anyone goes down here in order to really know how to do that. We will build the base. or the other international countries on the moon S. Our contribution, bringing things we won't landed there
and how will we learn how to do that? The big island of Hawaii is where we will practice. We all position these, prototypes and then through a satellite will bring them together and when it doesn't, work will go after fix it and it'll work the next time. We will do this over and over again, so that when we do it at the moon from a remote station on the far sighted and not on the surface, with fifty thousand miles away stable point, a gravity, one on earth side is called one and we can use it to control things on the right side of the moon and the one on the back control things and the backside and elsewhere. We want land because s worthy
dark, craters, dark areas, shadowed of craters better, because you down low there always shadow and it s extremely cold. and so, when things crash into the moon, asteroids comets, wherever they are, they contain a certain amount of water, her eyes and run a crash and to those areas they I see is preserved. It doesn't go up, so we ve discovered that and that can be a source of water, to support people on the surface, but deem much more important to get that water in the sun. In orbit, and now the sun was separated and tough hydrogen and oxygen, and that is rocket fuel. so we now have a refueling base.
The moon to be able to commercially the developed and commercially sold to the different nations are used that including ourselves. So, developing the things like. How do you build a base as moon had he get the refueling and we do these by commercial and we don't need the land ass astronauts to do any of that. That is very expensive. As we found out need bring rockets, you need big landers, then you have to supply people. So it's a distraction to go back to the moon, with humans when robots will do just as well and Tape NASA astronauts and do fifty years after we did it before we need to take
those resources and gradually build outward the capable or need to go to the moon of Mars. And now, when we are That which is easier to get to come back, we build the base on the surface of Mars and is complete. they take for six years to do that, but then, having built that base by people to the moon Mars and then came back when I discuss Were there no nineteen. Eighty five call cycling orbits.
the early ones are called all grown orbits within one one cycle where the earth it approaches Mars from inside and ass, the optimum time to travel to the twin earth and acquires every twenty six months two years. A little bit more and Mars has gone around once and along with more and they are going ahead. As go around twice and catches up with the with Mars. So every twenty six months weaken go from earth tomorrow and the Morrow Stir. Faculty, I'm coming from Mars to earth, is at its very expensive to get the fuel where to be about things back.
Not only that, but when we go to Mars, we want to build up a sustainable number of people. and it is slow in being realised that most people realising that, if we send humans to the surface of Mars, it should be permanent, there's even their company and the Netherlands Mars one one way: trips. Now I've avoided the term one tribes. I dont think the pilgrims Guarana Mayflower really calling themselves at one way trip.
We're coming over here, not to wait around for a return trip at Plymouth Rock, but they came here the saddle and when we go to Mars it should be to settle the moon someplace. You could get two three four days you can turn around and get back and three four days, it's a very inhospitable place. Thirteen fourteen days of sunlight sunrise is good. Ask us that's how long it takes the moon to go around here. That's got fourteen days of darkness and very wary. Go one way, not a good place to set up a housekeeper. This does call and half a round trip a permanent vacation. That's a pretty the kind of person tat would just say now the others go to leave behind and never come out, even though how most people would survive.
psychologically the trip so one year when you when you're an I mean you probably answer these questions a million times in the past few decades. I apologize when you're on your way to the moon cycle, ugly honey. You prepare for that. Had you not freak out because its kind weird thing for a human being to not happy earth under his feet. To most of us that were on parliament, flew previously and mercury or in Germany, and we went into orbit for several number of days and then we were gonna come back. This gesture goes a little bit further, but it's going to the moon and the first like to move just orbit it for twenty hours, ten, ten orbits and then make
back tolerate, but it was a pay setting achievement to be able to get there and, of course, its remembered at the end nineteen sixty eight around Christmas time that the crew read from journalists ever was extremely moving here. Next thing we need to do is to develop the lander so worried about the lander and earth orbit and then took the lander and flew up to the moon. and a dress rehearsal. Neil Armstrong and I were under backup coup that first flight APOLLO eight. So there was already a coup,
assigned to nine and ten. So we were back a coup that we would be an upright coup of the third mission from Neck Paolo eleven, and if everything worked out right, we would be given the try, the attempt to make a successful landing one guaranteed and clearly it was the most difficult thing been tried? I any spacecraft to be an orbit unknown to slow down the engine. Quit you gonna hit, but the engine slow you down and eventually get control you to a decent and our case with fifteen seconds of your left? You when you when you go off on this mission, do you say to yourself? Well, I may never come home
or do you just not think about idea? Just are you do you go? You know what we we ve worked at the sides as best we can. Probably be ok, we'll go out and buy insurance policies. I'd say I think the Rachel had been pretty high. Think somebody somebody did Fortunately, we can never do have families cash in on your nose. I think we all agreed in the programme that the way it was put together the chances of returning safely or anywhere at ninety five percent. That's an acceptable. When you have such a significant nation now. Does that mean that you will land? I come back now you a lot of things can go wrong. Why you're going
it won't allow land will still be able to get back. So we re Mr Solana, estimated what our chances were too The launch and land successfully combat only four years where sixty percent that ended before other cases, we have to change. The mission are born here or there, but we make it safely back. and seven motions led attempted the land, sexism or a successful and aspirin. To sixty percent armies just a wild gas on our part. But that's that
the sense of success. I think we're indicates what the crew bout like before going on. First planning be given the chance to land, and maybe they could maybe they couldn't, but coming back safely might justice tat, if you doubt you're, not gonna, survived buried along until you run out of oxygen and that's not too bad away to pass away to stir asphyxiated Baxter anymore. How did you ve had a how're? You changed when you came to me that you had to have. bad and felt you must have seen your differently. You must have seen regular life differently. How did you feel, like the experience, shows you when you up
Certainly. We were involved in parades, oh yeah, sleep dinners, and then they came to the three of us. Instead, what we ve got this round the world drip planned twenty five, twenty six different countries as gonna take of forty five days to do this. You don't have to go. If you don't want to imagine but he had gone to the bone in getting a presidential model of freedom and then saying to NASA planning the President plan. This round trip saying well
I I just don't think there was absolutely no choice. We heard calling whether we like it or not- and it was it- was a bit stressful, combined from lad and knew TAT dinner and the White House and the President, says? Well, I think I know what might cause was dead because he's talk to the Secretary of State Secretary, Rogers and now and I'm gonna position end up NEO. I would you like to do at the US as well. I'd like to stay with NASA and work in the aeronautics department. He was a test pile of airplanes having cloning
fifteen clearly oriented toward airplanes, sure I'd better, combat shot down a couple airplanes, but my emphasis at MIT was doing things in space and I felt that staying with NASA. There were just about that, but kind of opportunities, side, said the justice and go back to those very service that I came from and was still living
AIR Force graduate from West Point at this point, a colonel and had about the eighty nineteen years service and a good retire at twenty years. But in my background I had been at their force a canopy and nineteen fifty fives when first opened up and a cadet came in and the doing of faculty an aid That was me. That's all I was there and saw the air force may open up ten and any sort of ease the tea now for some reason: I flew with the upper class women who, in your brain the first class, then there is no requirement or rather later
Lieutenant suddenly gone through pilot training were firefighters, single engine, whether a second lieutenant- and I said now, if you guys, will give us two years of your career and be upper class women again because many of them onto a service economy. Will let you fly Effie Sick, Sabre jets in and then were pretty high altitude reassure runway. So when, when the dean left, I was an instructor for those guys. I've heard last until I certainly negotiate a very large assignment the best overseas assignment, trying the best aircraft that the air force had, which was supersonic f. One hundred in german
It's your favorite, disable jet and careers. That waste is a much better behaved airplane dingoes fast but they also have turned a large sharper, and you really had to one pair All I ask what you do you come in and make a pass on somebody or something, and then you get get out of there with afterburners passage again. What I think before some were what I'm trying to get it is. What does it do to your personality? Even obviously you come back from the moon and you certainly everyone knows doings parade and everything, but has a change look on life. I mean do. Do you not get upset about stupid things anymore. You appreciate life in a different way. Do you feel like I've done this? I could probably do anything like do you feel
change your emotional way. Well, later flights were going on and until nineteen seventy two the end and eighteen, seventy two I wasn't assigned to the AIR Force Academy. Unfortunately, one of their characteristics, my aunt bring. The astronaut programme is that I have chosen not to be India is a test pilot. I had put more emphasis on understanding fighters in what they do and then writing my doctoral thesis at MIT joining spacecraft. Again joy was spaceman. Neil wasn't
airports, but where did they send me not to therefore, stick around I command to become common attic heads which I would have loved to be but to be commented, the test pilot school, not exactly what I wanted to do when I did the best I couldn't tell it became clear that this was not leading to a good rejuvenated, airforce career. So now I retired and now things are not going. Well, I don't know for sure what to do in the air force here, not emphasising space. We began the wind down the APOLLO program, guys growing up in the sky- lab twenty eight thirty action. Eighty days- and I we do a joint motion rather Russians.
All the time were beginning to build this shadow. It's a big machine. It really wasn't what was posted, follow but that's kind of another story, it didn't work out and instead we built the shovel system, solid rockets in a big tag. A lot of us didn't really think that that was the optimum design, but rather we say it didn't live up to expectations. It was big crew and cargo together
was to fly forty, maybe fifty flights ear ass. We ever did was nine mostly was six, it wouldn't safely killed to crews have seven age, and it was not something the EU comply quite regularly ended because it that it turned out to be quite expensive sure we built a space station, bringing things up with the Cardinal Bang, but the space station, as marvellous at technical achievements is, it is man Sir hadn't saw cancer has done other things that we wildly thought we would be able to do and floating microgravity it's the air, but tests, crews
and their ability to withstand times in space. So as a bio medical examination is serbian, quite good testing endured so people interpreter of equipment and, of course, doing some experiments quite experiments. Where I can recall the really big ones made a big difference in our lives down here, they'll crawled out, there was something that was adopted in time found to be
very convenient Tang was just a mixture of orange juice, felt, haven't tat line as pretty good for a frightened pens, the right up side down? I have a space pen ever Fisher Space Time, just pressurized cartridge you must have questions met, met my wrist, the biggest gums listening a lot of money to listen. So what did you so the? How long will you were at the centre again until what like seventy percent off. I was there a year and I retired, and I wrote a book at our bilateral maybe started it while I was still there wasn't called journey to the moon, it was called returned
because I can clearly see that that was the biggest challenge to me as an individual writing. An autobiography was coming back from. Having done that, now seeing domestic. lay my family life. Coming apart, I sought psychiatric help. I became a member their National Association for Mental Health. Giving talks to different chapters exactly what I had in mind as a youngster to be a spokesman for mental health. They decided to make a movie out of my first autobiography return to earth.
They talk about coming back and having these difficulties and being made chairmen for my house, so they put that into a movie cliff Roberts and playing my pardon Stephanie. hours, the diversion divorcee in New York and other people my family. I saw things were rather disrupted, but when cliff came down to see me find out, who is this guy? I was in my first rehab for alcoholism having consulted the number of people and it wasn't the most immediate solution to quoting drinking, took a couple
yours, but now I have thirty four years sobriety and gradual, I'm beginning to get my life back together again and become a very functional person. Thinking of the future, because that's what I've been trained to do thinking of mission planning for the future, I'm not immune from banks or discouragement for the time. Maybe we two weeks maybe a day or two, those sorts of things are part of your make up. How do I oh that, because my grandfather of my mother's side committed suicide, my mother and commit suicide. A year before I went to the moon answer my niece
my uncle side also committed suicide, and I inherited those genes and so have other people and my family, but was there less focused, there's playlist focus on mental health of the time was it like. I would imagine, people didn't want to talk about it and they thought. Oh, if you seek out help your broken or you can like. Now it's very accepted. Were people go, get em Gary. It's about that. That's why the reaction to my also Biographia returned to earth was surprising to me by a really one to me, because I felt I needed to to tell that story and not sweep it underneath the run, but guess into the future how things might work out and they didn't
go away. I thought I became an alcoholic like an emergent. I mean I I just I can guess nationally, but especially that time you come back from the moon or any good, she meant a few. You know if you climb a giant mountain and then it's you know, what's the combination of so much work and then then it's over everyone knows you're life while you until the moon alone and became an alcohol again and we ve forgotten. Not me. I knew enough to get involved in the things that I felt would move the programme beyond the space shuttle and The space station I had different designs, fairer space. She said I tried out on people Buckminster fuller.
where's, quite an inspiration. I had a lotta toothpicks and glue guns doesnt things together here, so at the time I myself and things like what my future landers be going to the moon and we were beginning to think about taking. Ordinary people into space. So that's where I got the idea of a lottery and another education things up. Then I started looking at well. How can we come up with a better way? go on between the earth and the moon and back and back, and that can we have something that continually does that, while northern? Basically,
leave earth you cycle around a moon. You come back you when you go back out again moon aneroids over here. So you further. You come back next time. You go out the moons over here, the third time, one month later it's back here, so you go circle around again and their several combinations. If you can imagine, the moon and it'll turn your outward velocity into inward. Maybe you can go out, and you come by and the moon takes your word velocity and turn it back on again. Do you think people do? I whether that works not sure, but I suspect it my that didn't turn out to be too attractive the NASA, because it was good for tourism and NASA was not ready to send
people skim by the french side in the backside and and the Russians have been thinking about it for their own employed. I get, but because that wasn't received that well, It was suggested by our former administrator NASA buys why don't you see, straight or a NASA when we went alone, he said, but I want you to look at these cycling or written tween earth and Mars. So I got out the back of a novel open, a couple of other things and trusted cedar. My pants, I learned enough about it acclamations, I thought. Well now I feel, and lo and behold worked, you could to partners. Five months later, you swing by March, and then a total of twenty one months later you can buy the earth again. Just the rights be right angle and it keeps doorknob beautiful, ready,
now. Why do you thought of that? Now? He did. restrained and ass. I used it in his study for the future that came out and eighteen, eighty six since that time you think one and NASA has use cycling orbits as a basis for taking people from the earth to Mars this kind of disappointing, but now they happened. While I worked with Purdue University, we breathe these concern LISA there. There are much more attractive than my original mortgage- and there is no doubt in my mind that that's what we're gonna do, despite d, not invented here, attitude of companies and governments,
is called an age if they didn't think at the idea, can't be any good deserves, forced to be who you a couple. Questions from twitter people was a nurse. I just really fun specific Sup Professor Abbe, what did the outside of your spacesuit smell, like I've heard it smells Bert when we got back in a space grab one hour flight, we were a little dusty, not so much as I later flights, but there was just so we tracked din and despite vacuuming with their return, down I'll, lay down on the floor- and there is a very bad understand. The floor tried to go to sleep,
while I was there, I noticed something that shouldn't have been there. It was broken circuit, breaker, Tipp, brand of it broke up and that's what used to pushing pull out then make the circle Work has got interested in what circuit breaker it was so I looked at them rose Circa Bragger nearest one programme. The engine arm said the breaker. One. That's gonna be in delight the diesel the ancient, and then you go around get ready? Leave the moon me ass. An engine push circa breaker, Otherwise, he s an engine is again light up. Some aspirin
crucial discovery, but while their land and before we got to get a smell of what does was lying and it was real characteristic, it was reinforced later, as as being some. Let's go sprinkle ashes under dust of a fireplace and you get that burnt charcoal. Oh right, odor and it s pretty much what it was. What did you guys were near when you're heading back to earth They re able to have any kind of normal conversation. Was everyone kind of silent to readjust. Was it all worked out? Her really went home. Razor what happened.
Well, we were kind of wonder and what's gonna happen, hopefully will splashed, and then we knew ahead of time that if we had been on the surface of the moon, some people felt very strongly that the dust just might germs ended or some property is sure that could be advantageous to human beings back here, so we were contaminated, suffer what when we landed in the water they up. You d D, the divers with their swim fence in everything up put a float around the hatch They threw a new suit for us to put on the covered over
what we had and had a little filter. So when we got out into their life raft, we were all bundled up in these areas, shoot sorted out. There is a sure enough. I am out of kosher mats gonna, go shoot, we're gonna, wrap this up match, shooting a video for us so so. We were in quarantine for Wanna people know what kind of germs, somebody reinforcements, let's get twenty one days waiting around should be enough time that eventually they rode back it'll die by the time of twenty one days We we got out of their shortly thereafter. We flew from Houston to have ticker table
rain, New York visit, the, U N, and then we get back an airplane Lunch in Chicago with Mere Daily another take her day parade We have a little bit longer light and to LOS Angeles before estate dinner at the century, pleasant, and there were gonna be presented with the presidential metal freedom. Sorgen to give a speech. So all the while I'm coming back, I'm consulting with their with a friend of mine who was aim I cast over ABC jewels. Bergmann done rather remember. He helped me put some notes together and this was the most nervous thing. I think I ever did stand and update the podium at present
now these other people that- and I am certain that the end just download, but I was at first up many of these round. The world judge pronouncements on our. Do you outside my movies and, if so, which ones your favorite? Well, I I did abrasion eight the stories that Arthur Clark add to portray, even before that Isaac, Asthma and h G Wells Matter back when I was an eighth grade, I reviewed several science fiction stories for my english class. The english teacher did think too merchants heightens Berkshire right and get to go the great whenever there was one reading those stories
an hour later on a course, I think, even before we went to the June two thousand and one came I think it was nineteen sixty eight I would ensure I understood all the things near the end of its manufacture. I fell asleep, learn now. Many years later, I began to appreciate just what a year predictor of the Future Arthur Clark was, he wrote a very wonderful book. Well, actually, the three of us wrote a book and then he wrote the epilogue for it. When we came back
and so ass time went on. I had different laboratories to go and cruise ships were, and so I vow that in two thousand and one I was gonna, go and visit him in Sri Lanka Forbad day before getting on a cruise ship and sure enough, I didn't we, we became quite close friends. I never did go diving with him, but he time to have discovered some. My treasure somewhere and loved the polycentric. This way when on a trip to Australia, came back and only decided to live arrested, life and Sri Lanka. There was a lot of you know. You told the story with you
on the tv show, but a lot of people are so fascinated Adam, as I'm sure you here all the time about you punching a guy in the face which you said on the show felt really pretty good That was a split second bromley. I wouldn't do that if I had to do again, I'm not sure what I would have done, but two guys called liar than she did of course, once made a sign his Bible, where, is whether I went owner didn't go the more I could understand. What are you going? without this except elevate himself sure some claim of look at what I've gotten from these different people, and I just wooden- will willing interested
and play the game. I tell you what I when I hit him, is weak a punches. It was a meeting, He cried out to his tv guys. Did you get that? Did you get that will honour their on tv and I had to get the case dismiss, took the battery in Beverly Hills, but what I, as friends, Stephen AIDS, wants to know what was the most surprising aspect of the environment and the moon, it. We. We had attempted to train under the conditions that we thought we might have. We went to Hawaii Iceland, we did survival.
Turning now to replace Panama, desert and attempted to see what we could observe through the telescope under a night nations many different situations, but one might be like the land locked out the window and see something that no body also seen that close and then up to the telescope. We could look back and see the earth. We could see the earth as we got closer and closer, but we lost interest in that. We got close to the moon, but then to do a little window seat.
he'll prancing around one frame, a second camera, picking up a certain when the burgeoning contingency sample. In case we had days scurry up, get it back in and head back before. We filled the rock boxes, which pretty heavy in quite involve two to go round and sample the pictures and do that when you wish, but we then Marta get outside and give back in a hurry and not have some dust. So he did that, but we had a very sophisticated transportation device from up in the cabin down through the hatch
down to the surface. It was called Paulie like a close dryers bounds at their head, and I hope the camera Agnes and transported the camera down brew kneel to take pictures that wasn't the real purpose because later on, the rock boxes were pretty heavy. Even moon gravity one. Sixth, but we had to carry those black boxes The same sophisticated transportation system goes pretty hard going up. The ladder carry a big rock. A big box of pressure eyes closed contained rocks sanding does, but I can see that it was pretty easy work for him to move
So when I get down. Oh sure, I've been space working in my first mission and it was even easier to move around then than I thought it might be. There is no. concern about losing your balance if he began to lay a little too far you just push. Often your foot go up, go down like that, and you do that here and a new lean over and you got to skip pretty fast to keep from smack anew yeah. So by the way, did you stay? Where did you follow? Were manner had failed in all of the I did. I did yeah yeah. I think he must have gotten. for a man from my doing my lord. With that the rocket experience
that was the what what is it a Letterman yet now wouldn't wasn't lighterman. It was out and Johns recommend man. I did a monologue rocket. Man did you did not see the overlooker manipulated the right up again now doing some other things in public because it just national air were played a cameo John Travolta, where I visited him and a plastic bottle yeah I than the Simpsons Simpsons in here episode may not remember. Pankey booster have not given up by about I've, been here too.
enjoy the interesting people had in the space programme, and so I began to do these things out and the public, because they, the public, would wonder what did he do empty up years ago, and I wonder if he has any idea what the space programmes doing now and I wonder whether he thinks that we ought to do in the future and in that serves me very well in identifying to people. But I do have distinct ideas given up the thought and and people ask me questions about what I think we ought to do and it gets better and better, and now it's again in very crucial decision making
as to whether we oughta do again what we did fifty years ago and ass soon ass? He asked back to the moon is not what I think we can help. Other nations do that we can put our resources into gradual cycling, orbits, building the base on the surface of Mars and establishing permanence, and I think
at present it could make that tackle herbaceous somewhere around twenty twenty at the election and Monday patient fiftieth anniversary of our landings on the moon for two decades to establish American led international permanence on the planet Mars and that practical nation. That commitment is gonna, be remembered for hundreds of thousands of years in the history of humanity on the earth deciding to begin to populate, settle grows. Settlement had another planet, that's a big deal, and I just
so proud to turn around the time period. My mother was born, the Wright Brothers flew. I got a chance through education, be unable to be at the moon, and now I'm given the opportunity, with my experience in ITALY, to begin to plan how humanity should begin to occupy another planet. Who else can say they ve been given that a tremendous opportunity during their life? time. I think, just you- and this is the main literally have maybe just do your book to Mars my vision for space exploration and you look good by the way I don't know what you're health regiment is, but you look fantastic is it? I think I need to keep it a secret, because you really don't
What now? Why do you drink? That's good! I noticed that help to give young This has been. This has been really fun. Irene they really brother. I dive with well sharks. Ah, that's create and I had arrived and the doors fan. Not many people make sure you said that I didn't see the soup Doug Video here day. We did a few years ago now. I will put it up on funny business, thereby made his rats. Oh that's bitter experience. I know I am against large. Another thing is a yellow submarine French went down to see the titanic de around I went to the North Pole, russian nuclear icebreaker. I'm not gonna, climb Mt Everest, that's load to strenuous programme. Standing
I, for somebody to give me a cushy ride to the South Pole and so far have materialised, nor put not ok, north pole or moon. What do you call it? What you were all what's he like? north follow the moon is ready, noisy and an icebreaker. You know. Is it shut ranches through the ice and backs up and charges wouldn't much of a hazard there weren't too many, she'll crucial decisions now you're sort of along for the ride, but the pioneering spirit, an opportunity of doing something with the help turn fifty thousand miles away of the guys in Houston, who are miraculously reading all sorts of things that are in our spacecraft. They know exactly what's goin on a nest
just amazing progress will maybe someone on the purchase audience can help you get a cushy ride to the South pole standby. As to the South Pole, the one place he hasn't been there are some guys who may be listening in are put together, hummers home. with a caterpillar treads Nobody workin, however, for five years now, listen, you said Erica were due to the Tipp of South America. Walked poppy over to the South Pole will gain their over. The time could see a fix, a good thanks for coming on again. Thank you both my pleasure beside them A pretty good cookies, you would you like a cookie. Now you definitely deserve a cat. You ve earned. A cookie was always going to enjoy. you guys enjoy. Very don't you realize the elevation of the South Pole now? What is it May I now nine thousand feet above sea level.
I had no idea how much of that you think his eyes. Nine thousand six thousand three, so that the earth is only three thousand t shirt. Next, six thousand just just ice. You gonna get out when you go there. It's gonna look at it fight back, I may guarantee their railway again. It's good to see you well. Thank you. I don't know when we started you have to see to it that for gas network that people to stop him about the most stupid open like playing a lie
like Burma cursing at the moon, Retainer Faye. Israel could not opportunity ochres anything. What did you say? I worked on your face. someone someone on Twitter, one alone, you sheriff alone Avatar So now we start over this time for real now leaving noticed dot com, you're, worried, This episode, the notice board guesses brought you buy Hulu, plus, don't forget to sign up for your free trial, Hulu plus and start watching. Your favorite hit shows right now go to Hulu, plus dotcom forts. Noticed all lower case for your extended free trial again, who plus d come forward. Slash in earnest.
Transcript generated on 2020-11-03.