What do you think the future of space travel holds?

I share most space futurists’ belief that colonizing Mars is both a threshold-smashing idea for humankind and an important practical base for the truly grand adventure of deep-space Star Trek-type exploration of the universe. I think it’s probably our destiny.



If you were to look at Earth from space, what would your thoughts be?

When I was directing Apollo 13, several astronauts, including Jim Lovell, described the feeling of looking back at Earth and finding all our societal differences and conflicts to be so ludicrous and small-minded when the planet was viewed as a single entity alone in space. I bet I’d feel the same.



Let’s say you could send a postcard to Mars from anywhere on Earth. Where would it come from?

I’d send it from Cedar Vale, Kansas, because that’s where I heard my late paternal grandfather say that he didn’t believe astronauts ever went to the moon. He figured it was impossible and that it was a televised hoax! I’d enjoy the irony of mailing a postcard to Mars from that town. Sorry, Granddad!