Episodes
Tuesday Jul 28, 2020
Episode 1203: 3 Missions, 1 Planet
Tuesday Jul 28, 2020
Tuesday Jul 28, 2020
On this episode of Talking Space, the main focus is on Mars as three countries send missions to the red planet.
We discuss the United Arab Emirates first mission to the red planet and the implications it has for the country and that part of the world.
We then discuss China's mission which was also launched, their first solo mission to Mars, and discuss where their space program stands right now and if they could become a major player again in space.
Finally NASA is up with their Mars 2020 mission and the Perseverance rover.
We discuss some launch successes and one failure unfortunately for Rocket Labs of their Electron rocket and what it means for their future. We also discuss another delay of the James Webb Space Telescope and what you can do to see Comet NEOWISE before it disappears.
Kat Robison brings us a special piece on a space pioneer you may not have heard of, Ed Dwight. You can read the original article by clicking here.
Finally we remember U.S. Representative John Lewis and his surprising connection to the International Space Station.
Show recorded 7-19-2020
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelists: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, Kat Robison
Tuesday Jun 30, 2020
Episode 1202: Suborbital, Orbital, and Interplanetary
Tuesday Jun 30, 2020
Tuesday Jun 30, 2020
The “band” is back together to review some breaking news on the launch date for NASA’s upcoming Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover. We talk about the activities on the International Space Station, where NASA Astronauts Chris Cassidy performed a 6-hour 7-minute spacewalk to replace a set of lithium-ion batteries on the facility’s S6 truss. Completing this work will leave the ISS in an exemplary power configuration for the remainder of its operational life.
Attention turns to a Pre-spacewalk briefing NASA’s Kenny Todd, and Steve Stich had good words on how well the SpaceX Crew Dragon is performing for its first-time on-orbit and information on when perhaps the Crew-1 mission could fly. Also included was a status on where Boeing was with remediation work on the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft.
There was an abrupt “changing of the guard” at NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations office. Kathy Lueders, the Director of the Commercial Crew Program, was promoted to Associate Administrator for the Human Operations and Exploration Directorate replacing Douglas Loverro. He resigned under a ‘dark cloud’ for what he called ‘a mistake’ in his final letter to the HEO organization. That “mistake” is now under the microscope of the NASA Inspector General’s office.
The NASA Headquarters Building in Washington DC has a new name; we tell you who it is and why that honor was bestowed, plus give you a little hint about another historical figure of note we’re going to discuss on a future show.
Our grand ‘pundit of podcasts’, Mark Ratterman has a NASA Podcast that you may wish to add to your diet of space news and information: NASA Johnson’s “Houston We Have a Podcast.”
Want all of the Earth Observation satellite data that NASA, Europe and Japan have gathered about how the COVID 19 pandemic has impacted socioeconomic activity all in one place? There’s now an appfor that! Introduced by all three space agencieson June 24th2020, it aggregates all of the data tracking air and water quality plus agricultural and economic activity all in one place.
Show recorded 6-28-2020
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelists: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, Kat Robison
Sunday Jun 14, 2020
Episode 1201: Dragon, Arriving
Sunday Jun 14, 2020
Sunday Jun 14, 2020
On this special episode of Talking Space, we devote the entire episode to the successful launch of Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station.
The crew successfully launched in their Crew Dragon capsule on Demo-2, marking the first time humans have launched from the US since the end of the shuttle program in 2011.
We go through the differences between Space Shuttle and Crew Dragon all the way from the suit-up room to orbit.
We discuss the origins behind the spacecraft's name, Endeavour, along with a stow-away. We also talk about the small, New Jersey group that played a major role in the design of one of the aspects of the capsule.
Then it's a look at their mission so far and what's to come. Plus, we've heard so many people try and take credit for the commercial crew program, so how did we get to Demo-2?
Finally we reflect on the significance of the launch during a time of civil unrest and amidst a pandemic.
Show recorded 6-7-2020
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelist: Gene Mikulka
Wednesday May 27, 2020
Episode 1108: The Path to #LaunchAmerica – In Flight Abort
Wednesday May 27, 2020
Wednesday May 27, 2020
With astronauts set to return to space from U.S. soil for the first time in almost nine years, Talking Space is going back through the archives to bring you never-before-heard episodes on what it took to get to the historic Demo-2 launch in May 2020.
For this episode, we go back to January 2020 when SpaceX tested the in-flight abort capabilities of their Crew Dragon capsule. Hear what it sounded like from launch to explosion...to a surprise after the intentional destruction of a Falcon 9 booster.
Here's what it's like to root for a rocket to blow up.
This episode also includes an EXCLUSIVE sit-down with the Demo-2 crew. Shortly after the abort test, 15 media members sat down and talked with the crew of Demo-2 ahead of their mission. The audio has never been released in its entirety...until now. Hear it inside this episode.
Show recorded 2-21-2020
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelist: Gene Mikulka
Tuesday May 26, 2020
Episode 1107: The Path to #LaunchAmerica - Demo-1
Tuesday May 26, 2020
Tuesday May 26, 2020
With astronauts set to return to space from U.S. soil for the first time in almost nine years, Talking Space is going back through the archives to bring you never-before-heard episodes on what it took to get to the historic Demo-2 launch in May 2020.
For this episode, we go back to March 2019 for the Demo-1 mission. This was the uncrewed version of the Demo-2 mission, instead with a "test dummy" onboard, even if SpaceX doesn't call it that.
Hear the sound of the launch, as well as hear of the significance of this mission from the heads of the Kennedy Space Center and Johnson Space Center.
We'll also hear from NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine on why more innovation is happening now than during the entire Apollo program.
Show recorded 3-2019
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelist: Gene Mikulka
Thursday Feb 21, 2019
Episode 1104: Mars Done?
Thursday Feb 21, 2019
Thursday Feb 21, 2019
After examining the current launch log book and going over some significant breaking news with the Mars Exploration Rover Mission and NASA's current lunar aspirations, the team discusses the latest findings from the New Horizons mission. We then celebrate the naming of the European Space Agency's Exomars mission rover. The ExoMars set for a 2020 launch attempt will be called the Rosalind Franklin after the British chemist who helped discover the true nature of the structure of Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA. Is the Mars One colonization effort finished after its bankruptcy filing or is it simply attempting to respawn? The team does its best to find out. In the final segment, Mark Ratterman observes the passing of one of the Apollo Program's unsung heroes and we ask help in seeking out anyone who may have had an impact on Apollo's success to tell their story on the program. We also mark the untimely passing of space flight historian and good friend, Kate Doolan.
Sunday Jan 27, 2019
Episode 1101: China Has Landed On the Moon, Whither America?
Sunday Jan 27, 2019
Sunday Jan 27, 2019
The Talking Space Team says hello to 2019 with a wrap up of 2018 launch activities and a very spirited discussion of what the future may bring in the area of commercial space launch here in the US with new major players coming on the field. How will they fair against the international commercial launch services companies long term for new business?
We’ll travel with New Horizons spacecraft to Ultima Thule and recap the flyby that occurred New Years Day 2019 and update about the mission’s progress. We also fly out to check on the progress of the OSIRIS-REx mission orbiting the Asteroid Bennu, and the Mars Insight mission.
We then review China’s and humanity’s first landing on the lunar far side and discuss the implications of this historic moment. However, does it mean that China is now the lead in space or is it an exaggeration? Also, we examine how China handled the coverage of the mission thus far.
All this and more in this first edition of Talking Space for 2019.
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein, Panel Member Gene Mikulka
Monday Dec 24, 2018
Episode 1011 : Apollo 8 - A Christmas Card From 1968
Monday Dec 24, 2018
Monday Dec 24, 2018
What would Talking Space sound like if it were able to reach across the gulf of time to 1968 fifty years ago and cover the Apollo 8 mission: humanity’s first piloted spacecraft to successful orbit the Moon and return home to Earth?
That is what this episode tries to answer bringing to you some of the historic moments from the Apollo 8 mission, the first to carry humans beyond Earth’s gravity well into deep space to explore the Moon with human eyes and close up photography. This installment makes extensive use of NASA's audio archive from that time period, and we thank the space agency for making these moments in history available for use. It also includes the historic Christmas Message that the flight will be long remembered for. This installment is a tribute of sorts to the individuals known and unknown who made the voyage of Apollo 8 possible 50 years ago.
This installment makes extensive use of NASA's audio archive from that time period, and the Apollo 8 press kit itself. We thank the space agency for making this historical material available for use.
This episode is a tribute of sorts to the individuals known and unknown who made the voyage of Apollo 8 possible 50 years ago.
It's also an audio holiday greeting card to you our listeners to say thank you for your continued support of the program during both the good and challenging times. We'll be back in 2018 next time!
From all of us at Talking Space, Season’s Greetings and hopes for a happy and prosperous New Year.
Friday Oct 05, 2018
Episode 1009: To the Moon, Elon!
Friday Oct 05, 2018
Friday Oct 05, 2018
On this episodes we may be mentioning routine launches but it's anything but routine as we return for a news round-up.
On this episode we begin our launch round-up with some past and present SpaceX launches, including the Telstar-18V launch and the upcoming first RTLS mission from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. We also check in on our rover friends on Mars, Opportunity and Curiosity. One remains silent while the other deals with a data glitch.
We then move on to the ISS to discuss the recent Japanese cargo vehicle launch, the HTV, aboard an H-IIA rocket. This HTV vehicle, however, has a unique return capability. Hear all about it in the episode. Then, it's what we're calling "hole-gate". A look at the history behind the hole discovered on a Soyuz, how NASA and Russia handled it, and who really could be behind it. We also congratulate Japan on their first successful landing on an asteroid, and why members of the OSIRIS-REx team are watching closely.
Then we get into the big announcement from SpaceX of design changes to the BFR as well as the first private citizen to pay to fly aboard it. Elon Musk is saying 2023 but is that realistic or is it just "Elon Time"? We give our opinions and our thoughts on where the program should go.
Lastly it's a story you'll only hear on Talking Space, about NASA 502. The research plane flying in and out of the airport in Gainesville, Florida, where our own Mark Ratterman works. Find out why a NASA plane from California is in Florida and studying Hurricane Florence and why it has an odd disk underneath it.
For more information on the UAVSAR instrument, visit https://uavsar.jpl.nasa.gov/.
[An image gallery was inserted here. To view it visit http://talkingspaceonline.com]
Show recorded 9-23-2018
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelists: Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman
Friday Sep 21, 2018
Episode 1008: Up-Close with the Sun: Part 2
Friday Sep 21, 2018
Friday Sep 21, 2018
It's not just about getting to the sun, it's about the people behind the mission making it all happen. That's what this episode of Talking Space is all about.
We speak with four integral members of the Parker Solar Probe team. The mission launched successfully in early August. To hear more about the mission along with the spectacular Delta IV Heavy launch audio, be sure to check out Part 1 in Episode 1007.
In this episode, we begin speaking with Dr. Adam Szabo, the mission scientist for Parker Solar Probe. From him we learn more about the mission objectives, how the gravity assist will be different from those in the past, and how PSP fits in with the host of solar observing missions already in orbit.
Next, we speak with David McComas of Princeton University who is in charge of the ISʘIS experiment. We discuss more about the role of the instrument, along with his excitement, plus a person "struggle" so-to-speak that's he's used to his advantage and hopes to share with others.
Then, we hear from two of the mission's leads immediately following the successful liftoff. That includes project scientist and soon to be head of Heliophysics at NASA Nikki Fox and Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen about the status of the mission and what's next for the spacecraft as it nears its first Venus encounter to help slow it down.
Stay tuned for Part 3, following our normal news episode, featuring a Q&A which you can only hear in high quality in its entirety here with Dr. Eugene Parker. The session was held for a very limited audience before launch and has never been aired in its entirety, so stay tuned!
Show recorded 8-19-2018
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelist: Gene Mikulka with special guest interviews recorded on location at the Kennedy Space Center.