April 12, 1961: Yuri Gagarin becomes the first person to leave earth and travel into space. But in the near half-century since that day, only 500 others have taken that special voyage. Is that now about to change? Do problems here on earth mean we should start thinking about a new home in outer space?

Chris Hadfield is a Canadian astronaut, engineer, and pilot. He has made two space flights--one in 1995 and one in 2001--and he is currently training for a future stay on the International Space Station.

Chris McKay is a planetary scientist with the Space Science Division of NASA Ames. His research focuses on the evolution of the solar system and the origin of life. He is playing a significant role in the planning of the MSL mission for 2011 and is also the deputy program scientist for Constellation--the NASA program for future human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Bob Richards is the founder and CEO of Odyssey Moon Ltd., a commercial lunar enterprise based in the Isle of Man, and the first official registrant in the $30M Google Lunar X Prize competition. He is also the Director of Space Technology at Optech Incorporated of Canada, where he presided over the first commercial lidar scanner flown in space.

Donna Shirley is a former manager of Mars Exploration at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the author of the book Managing Martians. She managed the team that built Sojourner, the Microrover, which was landed by the highly successful Mars Pathfinder project on the surface of Mars in 1997.

Lawrence Krauss is an internationally known theoretical physicist and author of several bestselling books including The Physics of Star Trek. His research interests include the interface between elementary particle physics and cosmology. He writes regularly for various newspapers and magazines, and appears frequently on radio and television.

Karl Schroeder is a science fiction author of several popular books, including, The Sunless Countries: Book Four of Virga. He also consults in the area of Strategic Foresight (technology foresight, chiefly in scenario design).

Chris McKay is a planetary scientist with the Space Science Division of NASA Ames. His research focuses on the evolution of the solar system and the origin of life. He is playing a significant role in the planning of the MSL mission for 2011 and is also the deputy program scientist for Constellation--the NASA program for future human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Bob Richards is the founder and CEO of Odyssey Moon Ltd., a commercial lunar enterprise based in the Isle of Man, and the first official registrant in the $30M Google Lunar X Prize competition. He is also the Director of Space Technology at Optech Incorporated of Canada, where he presided over the first commercial lidar scanner flown in space.

Chris Hadfield is a Canadian astronaut, engineer, and pilot. He has made two space flights--one in 1995 and one in 2001--and he is currently training for a future stay on the International Space Station.

Karl Schroeder is a science fiction author of several popular books, including, The Sunless Countries: Book Four of Virga. He also consults in the area of Strategic Foresight (technology foresight, chiefly in scenario design).

Lawrence Krauss is an internationally known theoretical physicist and author of several bestselling books including The Physics of Star Trek. His research interests include the interface between elementary particle physics and cosmology. He writes regularly for various newspapers and magazines, and appears frequently on radio and television.

Donna Shirley is a former manager of Mars Exploration at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the author of the book Managing Martians. She managed the team that built Sojourner, the Microrover, which was landed by the highly successful Mars Pathfinder project on the surface of Mars in 1997.

Sandra Gionas is a producer for The Agenda with Steve Paikin. She has been at TVO for eleven years, first as a producer for the Daily Unit at Studio 2, and then as a producer for More 2 Life. She has covered health and education issues extensively for TVO. Sandra is a graduate of the University of Toronto, and Ryerson University’s School of Journalism. Follow Sandra on Twitter.

Sandra Gionas is a producer for The Agenda with Steve Paikin. She has been at TVO for eleven years, first as a producer for the Daily Unit at Studio 2, and then as a producer for More 2 Life. She has covered health and education issues extensively for TVO. Sandra is a graduate of the University of Toronto, and Ryerson University’s School of Journalism. Follow Sandra on Twitter.

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