Zócalo Public Square

It’s an exciting time to be studying, thinking, and dreaming about space, with the NASA Curiosity rover’s exploration of Mars and the rise of private companies like SpaceX. But as we tighten our belts here on Earth, there have also been questions about whether space exploration is worth an annual investment of billions of dollars. At an event sponsored by the Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation at the Petersen Automotive Museum, NASA Mars Curiosity rover flight director Bobak Ferdowsi, Planetary Society co-founder Louis Friedman, and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne vice president John Vilja talked about what we lose if we don’t go to space - and what we gain by going there.