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Andy Aldrin of United Launch Alliance on the benefits of the Mars rover project and how it will impact the future of space travel.
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-- much NASA's curiosity rover created quite a stir when it transmitted images from the surface of Mars last night but according to NASA.
It also created a bunch of jobs the space agency says that the rover program.
Is credited with supporting 7000.
Jobs over eight years.
I'm just like -- -- director of business development at the united launch alliance and of course he -- sign of the famous moon walker Buzz Aldrin.
And eat -- you so much for joining me.
Thank you firmly on the film with the so how many jobs to the curiosity program sustaining your company.
Well it.
We've got about 3700 people -- united launch alliance and for every launch you know everybody's participating in -- so we didn't actually hire additional people for this particular launch.
But the robust.
Launch base that we've got sustains a workforce of about 3700 and in fact right now.
We're actually looking to increase our staffing at our main factor indicator.
By a couple hundred people.
And you're you're thinking about doing that in spite of the fact that the government is cutting back so much on spending and that they have.
Cut their budget for now cent -- space program you would still consider expanding.
Well also if you look at into very long term let's say ten years -- beyond that we see.
The possibility.
Some declining.
Orders for our business but if you look over the near to mid term we actually have a very robust manifest in fact.
We're as I said we're having to ramp up to support of about twelve launches a year.
Over the next few years so near term near to mid term we see very good -- market for -- for business.
You heard the CEO before you just seconds before you saying almost exactly the opposite saying that they air cutting back on spending and their customers are as well because government funds are drying up.
Do you think that the victory today.
Or -- last night on Mars helps you.
-- I think it'll absolutely help the NASA planetary science missions and that's good for our business.
But as I said before we we have actually a fairly strong backlog because it takes a long time to build these spacecraft down some of these spacecraft take and -- 108 or ten years so.
They're already being built and waiting the launch on our vehicles.
-- that we -- looking at some of the map behind this project 2.5 billion dollars for this you know need to -- vampire population that's eight bucks a person.
Certainly worth it to me why does it important to do missions like this one that were all watching on Twitter and on the Internet.
Well it's really I think about science.
And inspire -- generations to come out there there are no more fundamental questions.
That understanding.
What the possibility of life on Mars and on other planets and while.
Curiosity is really just going to be understanding whether the conditions are there for that.
It's a tremendous step forward toward learning what I think is one of the most fundamental questions of humanity in this for -- at least.
Yet know it is absolutely and -- -- you for coming on you know my five year old my two year old are absolutely glued to this and it gets them all excited about math and science.
Which makes me so happy and is good for our country thanks for coming on tonight we appreciate your time good luck to you.
Thank thank you very much.
