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Author
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Topic: Carl Sagan's early planetary exploration videos
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Alan
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posted 07-08-2002 05:18 AM
   
This weekend I had the time to check the CD-ROM that is provided with Apogee's NASA Mars Mission Reports.
Happy to see there's a 30 minutes video in which the late Carl Sagan explains the images taken by Mariner 9.
I must say I have seen several short (NASA? Caltech? Cornell University?) movies in which a very young Dr Carl Sagan talks about the possibility of life on Mars or on Venus, etc. Wondered if anyone on the forum has these or could point out to a source?I don't mean the Cosmos series, which are 12 great episodes of space-related science and that are now available on DVD or videos. I especially seek the earlier movies in which Dr. Carl Sagan talks about planetary exploration. |
WAWalsh
Member Posts: 809
From: Cortlandt Manor, NY
Registered: May 2000
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posted 07-08-2002 07:23 AM
While I appreciate the enthusiasm and interest Carl Sagan brought to astronomy, I have been off the gentleman ever since I read Frank Borman's autobiography. Col. Borman noted a visit to Cornell where he had to tolerate Sagan's belittling of the manned space program. I have seen other references to Sagan's attacks against the early programs. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 07-08-2002 08:22 AM
Sagan was known to favor robotic exploration over human expansion into the solar system until late in his career, when he became a champion for a human mission to Mars.I met Sagan at Cornell when I was a freshman in high school. My grandfather invited me to accompany him to the university for a multi-day introduction to cosmology lead by Dr. Sagan. Admittance was kept small by design, but even so my chances to interact directly with Dr. Sagan were limited to our last day on campus just prior to a lecture he would present to both our class and students from Cornell. I told him of my aspirations to be an astronaut and my desire to study astrophysics in college. He advice was not to sweat where I attended my undergraduate studies, but to do as well as I could so I might be accepted to Cornell for my masters and doctorate (so, in part, I could study with him). Having read many of his books, I was aware of his preferences and expected him to dissuade my interest in joining NASA's corps, but he did not and in doing so gave me the encouragment to continue forward. For that I am grateful. (Sorry Alan, before we get too far off topic from your original question, I am unaware of any early videos describing Sagan's belief in extraterrestrial life elsewhere in the solar system [other than Cosmos].) |
Dennis Talbot
Member Posts: 172
From: Terrigal NSW Australia
Registered: Jun 2000
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posted 07-08-2002 09:29 AM
I have had a long admiration for Sagan irregardless on his veiws of the manned space programme. We have have regrets about not writing to certain people and he is one of my big two regrets the other being Cousteau.Dennis |
Scott
Member Posts: 3307
From: Houston, TX
Registered: May 2001
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posted 07-08-2002 11:26 PM
I wrote to him a few times - once when I was just a kid. I never received any sort of response from him. |
Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 07-09-2002 01:41 AM
There are several short movies of Carl Sagan talking about life on Mars and on our sister-planet Venus. Everybody interested in these short films should buy the excellent DVDs entitled "The Planets" by the British Television BBC. These two DVDs contain the eight superb documentaries and these show several of these short movies of Carl Sagan. |
Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 07-09-2002 06:26 AM
For those having good memories about Dr Carl Sagan's popular science series Cosmos, the DVD set can be bought via the carlsagan.com website.The 1997 Pathfinder landing site on Mars was named Dr. Carl Sagan Memorial site. The early 1960s and 1970s videos of Dr. Sagan are amazing, you need to see those! |
ALAIN
Member Posts: 355
From: GENT, Belgium
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 07-10-2002 04:03 AM
I remember the Cosmos series as it was yesterday. At the time I was a 12-year old and stayed at home Saturdays (instead of obligatory shopping with my parents) to see every episode. In those days (1980s) after seeing the episode in which Dr. Sagan showed photos of the planets to schoolchildren, I wrote to NASA JPL and got a great package of 40 B&W photos of the Moons of Mars. That doesn't work anymore!I e-mailed JPL public affairs and they don't send any more photos. But if anyone could help me getting the photo of Pathfinder-Sojourner on MARS I would appreciate it. No wonder nobody is into unmanned space exploration. If NASA JPL would do the same as NASA JSC is doing with astronaut portraits, interest of the general public would be increased I guess? |
Rodina
Member Posts: 836
From: Lafayette, CA
Registered: Oct 2001
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posted 07-10-2002 10:50 AM
If the International Space Station wasn't choking the budget of NASA to death (or if Congress could send a little more cash to NASA and a little less milk price supports), the unmanned programs might have a little more cash for PR. |
Alan
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posted 07-11-2002 10:56 AM
Didn't know that Dr. Sagan was against the manned missions. I remember him always wearing the brown leather Aviator G2 flight jacket. Anyway he boosted our interest in space in general for a lot of us! |
Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 09-30-2007 12:50 PM
It has been exactly 25 years since I've seen Cosmos for the first time. |
heng44
Member Posts: 3386
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 09-30-2007 03:01 PM
"...hundredzz of billionzz of galaxies and starrrz..."  Fond memories!Ed |
Jay Gallentine
Member Posts: 287
From: Shorewood, MN, USA
Registered: Sep 2004
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posted 09-30-2007 03:19 PM
Sagan would have to be in my top five for those individuals most responsible for stirring the greatest public enthusiasm for spaceflight - manned or otherwise.Jay Gallentine
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