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America’s adventures in space started right here in Southern California. Test rocket firings reverberated through local backyards as the aerospace industry boomed through the 20th century. On August 5, with the world watching, NASA’s Curiosity rover plunged through the Martian atmosphere in seven minutes of terror and put its wheels down on the Red Planet–guided by engineers in Pasadena. But a debate has been raging about what to do next. What should Southern California’s–and America’s–dreams of space look like? And what will happen if we lose the ambition and will to send explorers–human and robotic–to the great beyond? Planetary Society Co-Founder Louis Friedman, Flight Director of NASA’s Curiosity Rover Bobak Ferdowsi (also known as “NASA Mohawk Guy”), and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Vice President John Vilja visit Zócalo to talk about what we get when we aim for the stars and what’s at stake if we stop trying.