Episodes
Tuesday Nov 19, 2019
Episode 1106- On the Shores Of the Ocean of Storms: Celebrating Apollo 12
Tuesday Nov 19, 2019
Tuesday Nov 19, 2019
In this installment of Talking Space, on the very day fifty years ago we look back at the accomplishment that was the Apollo 12 mission by letting its crew Mission Commander Charles " Pete" Conrad, Command Module Pilot Richard Gordon, and Lunar Module Pilot Alan Bean tell their "travelers tales" to us during a post-flight press conference.
Apollo 12 did a lot more than simply get hit lightning on its way to the Moon, Conrad and Bean brought on board their Lunar Module, Intrepid, accomplished the first piloted precision landing on the lunar Ocean of Storms region some 500 feet away from where the Surveyor 3 spacecraft had landed some 31 months earlier. A precision landing was key to future exploration of the lunar surface.
The duo of Conrad and Bean performed a geological survey of the landing site, successfully set up the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package or ALSEP, and conducted a full inspection of the Surveyor 3 spacecraft, removing three items from the probe to return to Earth for material study.
Richard Gordon on board the Command Service Module Yankee Clipper was able to locate the landing site from lunar orbit and perform a photographic study of two future landing sites, the Fra Mauro Highlands targeted for Apollo 13 and the Descartes Region which would be the landing site for Apollo 16.
Join us as we recount the story of Apollo 12 with those who lived it.
Host: Gene Mikulka
Monday Jan 28, 2019
Monday Jan 28, 2019
In this special edition of Talking Space, we talk to the man who was for many years was the voice of Shuttle Launch Control at the Kennedy Space Center, Mr. Hugh Harris.
Born in December of 1932 he served as an information specialist with the US Army from 1952 until 1954 and graduated from Western Reserve University in Ohio in 1956. Mr. Harris worked as a reporter for a metropolitan daily newspaper, a magazine writer for Standard Oil, and a radio personality at WMTR in Morristown, NJ.
According to his NASA bio, He started his NASA career in 1963 as an information officer at what was then the Lewis Research Center, in Cleveland Ohio ( Now the John H. Glenn Research Center). He was promoted to Chief Public Affairs Officer in 1968 and was transferred to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in 1975. ten years later he assumed the role of Deputy Director of the KSC Public Affairs Office.
Harris Earned NASA’s Equal Opportunity Medal in 1979 and was awarded Exceptional Service Medals in 1985 and 1988. He’s also earned a Distinguished Service Award. form the SPacecoast Chapter of Federally Employed Women for 1978-79
Harris retired from NASA in April of 1998 but still volunteers on occasion at the Public Affairs Office. He is the author of the e-book: Challenger an American Tragedy where he recounts his observations of that fateful day in January 1986, and the events thereafter.
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 Mar 14, 2016
About Talking Space
Monday Mar 14, 2016
Monday Mar 14, 2016
The Talking Space Podcast is a free and open exchange of all things space! Founded in September 2009, Talking Space began with a focus on the space shuttle program, broadcasting the last three launches live on the radio from the Kennedy Space Center. Since then, the program has evolved into a news show which looks at everything related to the world's space programs on the ground, in orbit, and beyond. The program does this through through research and interviews with the people involved in the news with experts like PBS science correspondent Miles O’Brien, Meteorite Men’s Geoff Notkin, astronauts Mike Mullane, Walter Cunningham, and more! Besides being downloadable on iTunes, Talking Space is also simulcast on the internet radio station Astronomy.FM.
Saturday Oct 10, 2015
Episode 711: Water, Water, Everywhere...
Saturday Oct 10, 2015
Saturday Oct 10, 2015
So you want to be a Martian? On October 1st NASA held an event at the Kennedy Space Center to explain more about the agency's push to send the first humans to Mars and our own Mark Ratterman was there and provides insights. We highlight Two Deserts, One Sky a project by Danielle Adams a doctoral candidate at the University of Arizona, and briefly discuss new solar power technology. United Launch Alliance (ULA) puts 100 successful launches in the books sending Mexico's Morelos-3 communications satellite into orbit on into orbit on October 2nd. However as the company looks toward Launch 101, the joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing heads into uncharted territory and uncertain waters as a launch services provider. The team discusses.the challenges that lay ahead for the firm.
On September 28 NASA announced the confirmation that brine water has at certain times, been collecting on the surface of Mars. The initial report made on 4 August 2011 (which we discussed on Episode 334 ) was confirmed with a NASA press conference and the team examines the announcement itself, the reaction to the announcement in some circles, and the implications not only for NASA's planned human Mars exploration efforts, but for the future of human solar system exploration going forward.
Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein,
Panel members: Mark Ratterman, Kat Robison, Kassy Tamanini (CraftLass) & Gene Mikulka
Wednesday Jul 29, 2015
Episode 706: Lost and Found
Wednesday Jul 29, 2015
Wednesday Jul 29, 2015
On this episode of Talking Space we begin with the preliminary conclusions released by SpaceX regarding the loss of CRS-7, leading into a discussion of the succession of resupply issues over the past year and how it might impact today’s commercial space race for future NASA contracts. Heading over to the purely commercial side of things we speculate on the National Transportation Safety Board’s public hearing on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShip Two crash from last fall (which took place the morning after recording). Quickly shifting to much happier news we devote the bulk of the show to the New Horizons Pluto flyby with special commentary by our own intrepid on-the-scene reporter, Mr. Mikulka, who was at Johns Hopkins for all the festivities. From the images and data that rocked the very foundations of geological knowledge to international coverage and the incredible reach of this particular mission, we look at how New Horizons has and will change our ideas about our solar system. Speaking of images, we round things out with DSCOVR and its new Earth portraits before announcing a special plan to show NASA some more appreciation. Winding things up is this week’s Spinoff and one aspect of how space research is contributing to cleaner drinking water for people at all altitudes.
Show recorded 7/27/2015
Host this week: Kassy Tamanini a.k.a. CraftLass. Panel members: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, and Kathryn Robison.
Listen now:
Wednesday Dec 17, 2014
Episode 621: The Dawn of Orion
Wednesday Dec 17, 2014
Wednesday Dec 17, 2014
On this special episode of Talking Space, we look at the launch of Orion, NASA's next manned capsule, and its unmanned maiden voyage on EFT-1. We discuss the mission itself from scrubs on December 4th all the way through a successful launch and landing in the early morning of December 5th. We look in depth at the mission itself, the goals it was to accomplish, and even analyze the NASA TV coverage of the event, which included live views of re-entry from a drone as well as onboard the capsule. We try to put to bed the comparisons between Apollo 4 and EFT-1 with the help of NASA's Orion Program Manager Mark Geyer. We also talk to a few NASA astronauts who are working on making Orion possible. Plus, as always with these launches, we have the raw launch audio as heard from just a few miles away, so get out your best headphones or crank up your car speakers and get ready for a wild ride.
Show recorded: 12/9/2014
Host This Week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka, Kathryn Robison and Kassy Tamanini aka Craft Lass..
Saturday Nov 22, 2014
Episode 620: Catching a Comet
Saturday Nov 22, 2014
Saturday Nov 22, 2014
On this episode of Talking Space: Rosetta and the way the Philae lander had captured the imagination of the public. Even though the lander has gone into "sleep mode', its batteirs starved for power, reports of Philae's passing may be greatly exaggerated. NASA's OSIRIS-REx team was also carefully following the journey of Philae. Launching in 2016, OSIRIS-Rex,will attempt a landing on an asteroid in the hopes of returning a surface sample to Earth. The team moves on to discuss the upcoming EFT-1 test flight. Set to go for 7:02 on 4 December. There are 8 things to look for during the Orion's flight that Jason Rhian of Spaceflight Insider profiles. So is Russia really saying do svidaniya to the ISS partnership and building their own station in 2017? Thie Russian news service RT Seems to think so. Is this fact or is this claim as IB Times thinks full of sound and fury, signifying nothing? The team takes this claim to task. Finally the panel looks at a Lunar mission for everyone. A UK based group, Lunar Mission One, is preparing a new mission to the lunar South Pole in ten years. and YOU can be a part of it.
Show recorded: 11/19/2014
Host This Week: Gene Mikulka. Panel Members: Mark Ratterman, Kathryn Robison and Kassy Tamanini aka Craft Lass
Friday Oct 31, 2014
Episode 617: The Loss of Antares
Friday Oct 31, 2014
Friday Oct 31, 2014
On this special episode of Talking Space, we throw out our originally-scheduled show to discuss the loss of the Orbital Sciences Orb-3 mission. The Antares rocket had a failure upon launch and exploded within 20 seconds of lifting off. The rocket was unmanned, carrying a Cygnus spacecraft with more than 5,000 pounds of supplies and science experiments to the International Space Station. In this episode we break down the facts of what is known and what is not known. We also discuss what was said in the press conference and where both Orbital and NASA stand. One interesting examination we look at is how all different forms of media covered the event from national news to local to Orbital themselves. We then look at the next steps in the investigation and the future state of the ISS as well as Orbital Science's contract with NASA for these resupply missions. Also included is a brief discussion of some of the science experiments onboard that were lost.
If you find any debris, DO NOT keep it as a souvenir or even touch it. Call the Incident Response Team at 757-824-1295.
This is obviously an ongoing story, and keep in mind this was recorded on the night of the launch failure. We will continue to update via Twitter and future episodes as information becomes available. Our hearts go out to the team at Orbital Sciences and to all of those who had experiments or equipment onboard.
Show recorded 10/28/2014
Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Milulka, Kathryn "Kat" Robinson and Kassy Tamanini aka Craft Lass
Friday Oct 24, 2014
Episode 616: Here Comes the Judge
Friday Oct 24, 2014
Friday Oct 24, 2014
The Talking Space team plays "catch-up" this week opening the discussion with NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) decision. NASA decided on 16 September, 2014, to go with the conical shaped spacecraft offered by Boeing (CST-100) and SpaceX (Dragon Version 2) over the Sierra Nevada Corporation lifting body design, Dreamchaser.
This week, a judge with the US Claims Court allowed NASA to continue
work on CCP related activities while the US General Accounting Office
considers SNC's challenge to the overall decision.
The International Space Station is becoming a very busy place with robotic cargo vehicles coming and going. The team gives a traffic report for the orbiting laboratory with cargo ships from SpaceX, Roscosmos and Orbital Sciences.
Want to go to Mars? You can, well okay, virtually. The team describes how to pick up your boarding pass not only for NASA's upcoming Exploration Test Flight 1, but for a future mission to the Red Planet.
Our Mars focus continues with the once every million year encounter that occurred on 19 October, 2014 when Comet Siding Spring made its historic close encounter with the fourth rock from the Sun.
Additional Links:
Aviation Week: NASA Document Spells Out Reasons for SNC's Commercial Crew Loss
Show Recorded 10/22/2014