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Squyres, Steven W.
Oral history interview with Steven Squyres, 2021 June 10.
In this interview, Steven Squyres discusses: taking Chief Scientist position at Blue Origin; current interests in planetary science including the shift toward sample return missions; changes to human and robotic spaceflight; private enterprises emerging role; family background; decision to attend Cornell undergrad in geology; how a course on the results of the Viking mission influenced his decision to pursue robotic exploration of the solar system; involvement in underwater exploration; PhD at Cornell under Carl Sagan and Joe Veverka for the Voyager project; details of the Voyager mission; dissertation work on the geology and geophysics of Ganymede and Callisto with Gene Shoemaker; postdoc and later job with Pat Cassen and Ray Reynolds at NASA Ames; working on Mars with Michael Carr; reaction to the Challenger tragedy; decision to take position at Cornell and to study the Martian surface; 10 years of proposals to NASA, including one that led to Spirit and Opportunity; Martian habitablity; question of how life arises from non-living material; details of his approach to the Martian geological exploration project; discussion of Spirit and Opportunitys honorable demises; experience as rovers Primary Investigator (PI) and his internal management strategies; communicating information to the press; reflections on the nature of science; conclusions from Spirit and Opportunity missions; involvement with the Magellan mission; work on the Cassini imaging system; chairing NASAs planetary decadal survey 2013-2023, recommending Europa Clipper and Perseverance; chairing the NASA Advisory Council; writing Roving Mars; stories of innovative problem-solving from the rover missions; meteorite science; reflections on his time as faculty at Cornell; transition to Blue Origin; and his long-term view of potential space occupation and habitation. Toward the end of the interview, Squyres reflects on the question of whether other lifeforms exist and on the importance of experimentation to answer that question.
American planetary scientist. Ph.D. planetary studies, Cornell University (1981). Professional experience includes: postdoctoral associate, research scientist, NASA's Ames Research Center; faculty, Cornell University.
Carr, M. H. (Michael H.)
Cassen, Patrick
Reynolds, Ray T.
Sagan, Carl, 1934-1996
Shoemaker, E. M. (Eugene Merle), 1928-1997
Squyres, Steven W.
Veverka, Joseph
Blue Origin (Firm)
Cassini (Spacecraft)
Challenger (Spacecraft) -- Accidents.
Cornell University
Europa Clipper (Spacecraft)
Magellan (Spacecraft)
Mars Exploration Rover Mission (U.S.)
Perseverance (Spacecraft)
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Viking Mars Program (U.S.)
Voyager Project
Geology
Geophysics
Life on other planets
Life -- Origin
Meteorites.
Planetary science.
Space colonies
Space flight
Callisto (Satellite)
Callisto (Satellite) -- Geology
Ganymede (Satellite)
Ganymede (Satellite) -- Geology
Mars (Planet)
Mars (Planet) -- Geology.
Mars (Planet) -- Probes
Interviews. aat
Oral histories. aat
Transcripts. aat
Zierler, David, 1979-, interviewer.
AIP-ICOS
American Institute of Physics. Niels Bohr Library & Archives. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
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