Episode 159: The Pitfalls of Space Exploration
University of Arizona research associate Marcia Neugebauer worked for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the early 1960s, as the United States and Soviet Union competed for scientific discoveries in the solar system. She helped design instruments for the Mariner 2 spacecraft's study of the solar wind, energetic particles flowing outward from the sun. Mariner 2's findings were recently confirmed and expanded upon by the UA-backed Parker Solar Probe, which was launched into solar orbit last August. Marcia Neugebauer spoke with Tim Swindle of the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Lab.