The future of manned space flight is entering an uncertain phase, our once vivid dreams of returning to the Moon and landing on Mars shattered by budget cuts and lack of will. This month on The Sky at Night, Sir Patrick Moore discusses the demise of the shuttle programme with astronaut Piers Sellers, whilst also going on an interstellar journey with Project Icarus, the visionary idea of how man might one day visit other worlds.

As Mars returns to the night skies, Sir Patrick Moore discusses its four faces. Dr Chris Lintott travels to Nantes in France to a world gathering of planetary scientists to find out about Curiosity - the NASA mission which will soon leave for the red planet, in search of signs of life.