Image of the moon taken by an ASU space camera

Is a weekend on the moon around the corner?


Penny Walker

Having grown up watching U.S. astronauts land on the surface of the Moon, Jim Bell knew he wanted to be a planetary scientist. 

Today a professor at the ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration, Bell is heavily involved in NASA solar system exploration missions, such as the Mars rovers Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity. He is also leading the ASU NewSpace Initiative that is working to establish and foster partnerships between ASU and next-generation, non-governmental space exploration science and technology companies.

In his KEDtalk, Bell makes the case for why deep space is the new economic frontier and what that will mean for humanity.


Bell’s talk is part of the ASU KEDtalks series. Short for Knowledge Enterprise Development talks, KEDtalks aim to spark ideas, indulge curiosity, and inspire action by highlighting ASU scientists, humanists, social scientists and artists who are driven to find solutions to the universe’s grandest challenges. Tune in monthly to to discover how the next educational revolution will come about, why risk is not just a four-letter word when it comes to innovation, and more.


Top photo: The moon photographed by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera team at ASU. Photo by NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University