Would I have just killed us?
No, not at all.
I’m at the world’s largest space conference
about to fly to the International Space Station
in this simulator.
I’m in Adelaide, Australia
talking to science expert Bill Nye,
meeting astronauts, policymakers,
companies and space agencies.
I get to be the pilot.
Oh, and Elon Musk is here.
It’s 2017, I mean we should
have a lunar base by now.
But when you think of space,
the first name that comes to mind is NASA.
NASA is the best brand the United States has.
That’s it.
People have mixed feelings
about the United States, putting it carefully.
But, however they feel about the U.S.,
they respect NASA.
Bill Nye’s organization,
The Planetary Society,
is a nonprofit group,
so neither private nor government,
and it's trying to advance space research.
Okay, so where is NASA here?
Uh, I don’t think NASA is here, are they?
I don’t know.
No NASA. I see Boeing, and others.
Yeah, I see Boeing, Lockheed…
Many nations' space agencies
have a large presence here.
Korea’s Space Institute has
left their booth unmanned.
Germany’s Space Agency
is throwing a pretty big party.
Dubai is home to the
tallest building in the world,
when can we expect
the fastest space ship?
The biggest in the world?
Maybe within 20 years, 30 years.
Several space missions for
NASA have been cancelled.
So was the education program
responsible for outreach and grants.
President Trump has proposed a slight cut
to the fiscal budget for the U.S. space agency.
And since the 1960s,
NASA’s budget has become a smaller
and smaller percentage of
the federal budget.
I found NASA.
Sort of.
But despite NASA’s name recognition,
it’s private companies more than ever
that are the ones moving the needle
on space exploration and space travel.
It’s often very difficult to
get governments on board.
Governments are more likely to spend money
on arms deals and stuff like that.
SpaceX is changing the game.
They’re pushing everybody,
everybody else who builds rockets
is being nudged
by SpaceX’s accomplishments.
And then Virgin Galactic is one thing,
that’s cool, using these
new composite materials.
But the other one is Blue Origin,
and there’s where Jeff Bezos,
crazy rich from Amazon,
and he’s another space guy.
While these new companies
are getting into the space game.
Boeing, which may be
more than 100 years old,
is hoping to challenge these new players.
I’m pretty sure I’ve been
on a Boeing Dreamliner,
when will I get to ride a
Boeing Starliner and where will I go?
Flights to the International Space Station
start in 2018, and as we open
the market of human space flight,
of low earth orbit transportation,
more and more people like you and me
will be able to conduct science, research.
Low earth orbit sounds cool.
But what about another orbit?
Elon Musk wants to take it to the next level,
aiming to have humans on Mars by 2024.
It’s all very complicated.
Where do I buy a ticket to Mars?
I’m not sure.
Does Mars Tourism Board have a booth here?
Again, the inquiries desk will tell you.
Bill Nye isn’t so sure.
People think there’s
a business case for going to Mars.
And you would sell tickets to Mars.
That is an extraordinary idea.
Mars is fantastically far away
and amazingly hostile.
There’s nothing to drink,
there’s nothing to eat,
and you can’t breathe.
Well when he puts it that way,
I can certainly think of better
travel destinations, here on Earth.