Leaving the Cradle: Kim Stanley Robinson on Traveling Beyond Our Star System

Russian rocket scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky once said, "The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but mankind cannot stay in the cradle forever." Kim Stanley Robinson takes this idea as the premise of his new novel "Aurora," which chronicles a 200-year space voyage outside of our solar system. For Robinson, contemplating the journey was both technical and emotional. Several generations would live and die on the spaceship. Robinson says the story turned into a "prison novel." He talks with Steve Paulson about his vision for science fiction and for humanity.