PATRICK Moore is adamant that if we wanted to, mankind could make its next giant leap onto Mars within the next 20 years.

This means, in the legendary stargazer's own words, the first man or woman to walk on the surface of the red planet has already been born.

Although many people see the space age as a thing of the past, Moore's faith in human endeavour is hardly surprising when you consider that he has interviewed both Orville Wright and Neil Armstrong - the first man to fly and the first man to walk on the moon.

"They could have met, although they didn't, because their lifetimes overlapped," said Moore.

The last time I spoke to Moore, he was bursting with enthusiasm, telling me that the first manned Mars mission was only around the corner.

But on Saturday, February 1 a shadow fell over the space programme when seven astronauts died when the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated as it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere.

I asked him if this was as bad as the Challenger disaster in 1986, which crippled public confidence in space exploration.

"It's worse," he said.

"When Challenger went wrong we knew what had happened - it was human error. But with Columbia we do not know.

"It is a set back indeed. A very nasty hiccup."

Even though, Moore's enthusiasm for the Mars project remains unabated.

"This is very much Mars' year," he said. "We have the Beagle 2 probe going up next January," he said referring to the British project to send a 60kg blue disk to the red planet.

It will take seven months for Beagle 2 to travel from Earth to Mars at a cost of £8m, with the task of finding life.

"When I say life I don't mean little green men or cabbages, I mean microbiotic organisms."

Shame.

But stirring the imagination somewhat more is Moore's faith in the first footfall on the surface of Mars.

"I am guessing, if we want to, it could be in 2020, if politics and finances permit," he said.

"It all depends on the world leaders, but I don't have a great deal of confidence in the current lot."

Despite turning 80 on Tuesday, March 4, Moore is still an irrepressible force speaking faster than the speed of light.

He also has no plans of hanging up his monocle for The Sky at Night, running for 46 years which has earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest running TV presenter. The much-mimicked Moore's interest in star gazing began at an early age.

"It was by reading a book, The Story of the Solar System, when I was six years old," he said.

"The plan for me was to go to Eaton and then Oxford, but because of poor health as a child I didn't go to Eaton, and then I didn't got to Oxford because war broke out."

Lying about his age, Moore served as a navigator with the RAF. Returning to his love of astronomy he went on to academic success, beginning The Sky at Night in 1957 and helping map the Moon for NASA ahead of the moon landing in 1969, among other highlights.

A keen musician Moore is also famous for his xylophone playing and compositions including a number of operas.

But with more than a little anger and frustration in his voice he says he can no longer play piano or xylophone because of arthritis.

Still, this is not something he is going to allow to stop him from talking about his true love - the science behind the infinite mysteries of space.

Patrick Moore, Mars: the Next Frontier, Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, is at 7.30pm on Sunday, June 1. Tickets are available on 01684 295074.