Wednesday 6 April 2022
12:30
Martin Rees
The End of Astronauts
The thrill of space travel for astronauts comes at enormous expense and is fraught with peril. As our robot explorers grow more competent, governments and corporations must ask, does our desire to send astronauts to the Moon and Mars justify the cost and danger? Martin believes that beyond low-Earth orbit, space exploration should proceed without humans.
Martin is a cosmologist and astrophysicist. He has been Astronomer Royal since 2005 and is a member of the House of Lords.
He was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge from 2004 to 2012 and President of the Royal Society between 2005 and 2010. Formerly he was Director of the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge. Martin has made important contributions to our understanding of cosmic phenomena and has also been extensively involved in issues of scientific and environmental policy.
'Meticulous and vivid. Goldsmith and Rees paint a striking picture of the future of space exploration, one that might surprise you!'
Cosmologist, astrophysicist and current Astronomer Royal
Martin is a cosmologist and astrophysicist. He has been Astronomer Royal since 2005 and is a member of the House of Lords.
He was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge from 2004 to 2012 and President of the Royal Society between 2005 and 2010. Formerly he was Director of the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge. Martin has made important contributions to our understanding of cosmic phenomena and has also been extensively involved in issues of scientific and environmental policy.
