Packing for Mars (Part 2)

About This Episode

Preparations for a manned mission to Mars continue when astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson delves into the more personal aspects of space flight with NASA astronaut Mike Massimino and “Packing for Mars” author Mary Roach. Co-host Chuck Nice learns how to go to the bathroom in zero gravity, why urine recycling is critical and the dangers of methane on a Mars mission. Moving out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, find out how astronauts deal with sex on long missions, if it’s possible to conceive a child in space, what zero gravity may do to embryo development, and the risk of isolated human colonies adapting to new environments so that over generations, they become something… different.

NOTE: All-Access subscribers can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: Packing for Mars (Part 2).