Dr. Robert Zubrin's Australian Tour

Mars Society President Dr Robert Zubrin recently visited Australia on a lecture tour during March of this year.

The itinerary took him to Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane, where he lectured to several thousand people and appeared at other smaller events. The tour was organised by members of the Mars Society and National Space Society of Australia, with assistance from individuals from a range of other space-related associations and universities. Dr Zubrin was interviewed by three newspapers, three TV stations, and about twenty radio shows, including 'The Science Show' and 'Ask Dr Karl' on the ABC.

In his talks, Zubrin emphasized that Australia, which produced some of the world's greatest explorers in the past, should not allow itself to be left out of the defining human activity of the 21st century, the exploration of space. He also pointed out that pleas of inadequate resources don't wash. "The Pathfinder Mission cost $175 million," he said. "Australia could afford that. That's the price of a shopping mall. It is a disgrace that for the past forty years, Australian politicians have told the country's brightest young people: 'If you want to explore space, emigrate.'"