Talking Space

Episode 1305: Space is Open for Business

If it seemed like average people flying into space was something from the future, this episode is proof that the future is now...or is it?

In this episode of Talking Space, we start with the launch of the first all-civilian orbital mission, Inspiration 4. We report what it was like from the grounds of the press site (including some fantastic Falcon 9 launch audio) and the reception it received from the public. However it's not all cheers to a new era of spaceflight as some of our team members and the public say space isn't for everyone just yet. 

We also discuss the upcoming private Axios mission to the International Space Station getting a launch date, and how the launch of a Russian actress is delaying important work to the newly-installed Nauka modules, which has had some issues from the moment it arrived at the station.

We then dive into the delays for the Human Landing System because of a lawsuit. The question remains, even without the lawsuit, is 2024 still viable to land on the moon?

We then also discuss the reorganization of NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. It left a lot of questions about what that means for the agency, especially this far along with Artemis, which we hope to answer.

Finally, we've heard about unruly passengers on commercial flights, but our FAA expert Mark Ratterman looks into what might happen if you get an unruly passenger on a spaceflight.

Host: Sawyer Rosenstein

Panelists: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, Dr. Kat Robison

Episode 1205: "Scrubtember" Leads to "Grabtober"

On this episode of Talking Space, we go from the high-highs of space exploration to the low-lows of launch scrubs.

We begin with the announcement of water being found on the light side of the moon. We talk about the unique way it was actually discovered...and what we need to know before we can mine it and use it during future missions.

Then it's onto the continuing story of OSIRIS-REx, which successfully captured its sample from asteroid Bennu. We'll look at the unexpected issue it encountered and why every sample won't be studied when it returns to earth.

Then it's a review of "Scrubtember" and "Scrubtober" which saw an entire month without a U.S. launch, and Talking Space was there for many of them. Hear what it's like to scrub with an engine fire...then scrub again...then scrub another time as the press grows anxious and frustrated, and what it took to finally break the bad luck streak.

Next new crewmembers are now aboard the ISS, including the historic way they got to the station...and why the next crew will also make history.

After that, do you know how many different groups or organizations need to get clearance before a rocket can launch from the U.S.? Mark Ratterman takes us inside licensing for rocket launches and landings.

Finally, we go in-depth into the Artemis Accords, the follow-up to the Outer Space Treaty, and the one article in particular that could cause problems as private companies begin mining the moon, Mars, and asteroids.

 

Show recorded10-27-2020

Host: Sawyer Rosenstein

Panelists: Mark Ratterman, Kat Robison

 

Episode 1010: Wisdom From A Legend in Heliophysics

Back in mid -August of 2018 as a phalanx of reporters and social media attendees awaited the launch of the Parker Solar Probe, we were all given a grand opportunity to listen to and glean a little wisdom from Dr. Eugene Parker, the spacecraft’s namesake. Dr. Parker’s contributions unveiled the supersonic nature of the  Sun’s solar wind, an observation he was at first ridiculed for but eventually was proven correct by the Mariner 2  spacecraft.

This was an unprecedented opportunity and one that was not announced until those in attendance were told to stay for an incredible thirty minutes of wisdom from the 92-year-old astrophysicist.

This rare 30-minute event so far as we know, has never been broadcast in its entirety. NASA indicated they planned to use segments however no other media outlet has offered any of the contents of the event, until now.   

Born on July 10, 1927, Dr. Parker Received his Bachelor’s Degree in Physics from Michigan State University in 1948, and his PhD. from the California Institute of Technology in 1951. He then spent 4 years at the University of Utah then the University of Chicago form 1955 until present day.

Dr. Parker developed a theory on the supersonic nature of the solar wind and predicted the spiral shape of the solar magnetic field in the outer solar system. His predictions were very controversial in fact two reviewer’s rejected Dr. Parker’s work outright. His theories were later published and in the 1960’s proven by the Mariner 2 Satellite.  Dr. Parker’s work contributed greatly to the understanding of the nature of the solar wind, the solar corona and magnetic fields. 

He is the S. Chandrasekhar Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Enrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago and recipient of the Medal for Exceptional Achievement in Research from the American Physical Society.  NASA named the Parker Solar Probe to honor his body of work and is contribution to the field of heliophysics. Dr. Parker is the only living scientist to have a spacecraft named in his honor.

To learn more about Dr. Eugene Parker,  click here.

To learn more about the Parker Solar Probe, click here

Show Host – Gene Mikulka, with Sawyer Rosenstein

Episode 1009: To the Moon, Elon!

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

Episode 1008: Up-Close with the Sun: Part 2

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.

Episode 1003: Creepy Face in Space

50 Falcons, falling stations, private ISS, the dreaded NASA budget and a lot of hate mail...all in one episode! 

On this episode of Talking Space, we begin with our launch round-up including GOES-S, the 50th Falcon 9 launch, and the return of three crewmembers from the ISS and the preparations for the next launch later this month. Then it's onto a creepy talking head that'll be soon heading to the ISS, as well as another space station, Tiangong-1, that could fall pretty much anywhere as professionals track it and amateurs buy umbrellas. Next it's the dreaded NASA budget review, including a meeting with NASA Acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot and congressional budget officials. In this is the discussion of potentially privatizing the ISS, getting NASA out of low earth orbit, and dealing with NASA's "leaning tower of KSC". 

We finish  up with the Areceibo Radio Telescope getting new owners, a chance to get your name on the Parker Solar Probe, and a much-needed clarification segment. In this segment, we discuss and clarify all of our points regarding Falcon Heavy after some heated feedback on our last episode. Also be sure to stay past the outro music for a fun surprise.

To read Kat's published paper, click here.

To get your name on NASA's Parker Solar Probe, click here.

Show recorded 3-7-2018

Host: Sawyer Rosenstein

Panelists: Gene Mikulka and Kat Robison

Episode 911: Hope, Unity,and Courage: The 250th Episode Special

Talking Space is celebrating its 250th episode and 8 year anniversary speical with astronaut and artist Nicole Stott. We discuss with Nicole her time aboard the ISS as part of the Expedition 20 and 21 crews. We discuss her time both working with the Space Shuttle program, as well as flying aboard shuttle and her roles in history with the program. We find out how she became an astronaut, who inspired her, and her words of advice to inspire others, especially girls, to get into STEM careers.

In addition to hearing her amazing stories, we discuss her art, includiing how you paint with watercolors in space. We also discuss her most recent project called the Space Suit Art Project, which allows child cancer patients to put their own art and space suits and flight suits, some of which go into space. Be sure to follow the project on Facebook and Twitter, and also check out this video of astronaut Jack Fisher wearing one of the suits in space.

To learn more about Nicole or to see and purchase her artwork, visit https://www.npsdiscovery.com/

We end with some thank yous as we recognize 8 years and 250 episodes of this show. Thank you to everyone who has ever downloaded this show, however many times you downloaded it. Also a huge thank you to anyone who has ever been on the show or helped make this show possible over our unbelievable tenure. Here's to 250 more!

Show recorded 9-5-2017

Host: Sawyer Rosenstein

Panelists: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, Kat Robison and special guest astronaut and artist Nicole Stott

Episode 910: Total Eclipse of the Mind and Sun

How do you describe a solar eclipse on the radio? Listen and find out! On this episode, we begin with the return of the Expedition 52 and looking at the records set by NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. All this happening ahead of the next crewed launch on September 12. Then it's onto recent launches, including the Formosat-5 launch aboard a Falcon 9 and the ORS-5 launch on the first ever Minotaur out of Cape Camaveral. We also look at the first major failure of India's PSLV in tis more than 20 years of flying.

With the recent announcement of a nominee for the currently vacant NASA Administrator position, we discuss the pros and cons of the current choice. Then it's onto our main topic...the Great American Total Solar Eclipse of 2017. Both Kat and Sawyer were in the path of totality. Hear how "fantastic" it really is and hear what the pictures in the show notes below don't convey. Hear how far people came and what it took to organize a party for 10,000+ people traveling to a small town just for the eclipse.

Finally, Gene Mikulka reports from Podcast Movement 2017 with special guest Daniel Druhora from USC's Escape Velocity podcast to discuss how to convey STEM through podcasting.

[An image gallery was added here. To view it, visit http://talkingspaceonline.com]

Show recorded 9-4-2017

Host: Sawyer Rosenstein

Panelists: Mark Ratterman and Kat Robison with a special guest interview by Gene Mikulka

Episode 907: Lots to See at ISSRDC

On this very special episode of Talking Space, with a new crew onboard the International Space Station, we go to Washington DC for the 2017 International Space Station Research and Development Conference, or ISSRDC. We learn all about the science happening on station, the future of the ISS, a look at the commercial partners, and some other topics you might not know had to do with ISS. We begin by talking with NASA astronaut and molecular biologist Dr. Kate Rubins about her time on station and her groundbreaking research on decoding genes in space. We also talk with the Principal Investigator for that project, Dr. Sarah Wallace, on what being able to work with DNA in space means for future space flight as well as right back here on Earth. Next, we listen in as students got to talk live with astronaut Jack Fischer onboard the ISS through ham radio and ARISS. Next, after our discussion last week about the merits of the National Space Council returning, we talk with a former member of the council, Courtney Stadd. Finally we take a look at Elon Musk's lunch keynote address and some major announcements regarding Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and future Mars exploration.

An image gallery was inserted here. To view it, visit http://talkingspaceonline.com

Show recorded 7-25-2017

Host: Sawyer Rosenstein

Panelist: Gene Mikulka with special guest interviews with Dr. Kate Rubins, Dr. Sarah Wallace, Courtney Stadd and quotes from Elon Musk

Episode 902: FIRST Place and News About Space

On this extra packed episode of Talking Space, we discuss the successful launch of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the classified NROL-76 satellite. We also address a tweet sent to us regarding our view on SpaceX, a comment we get quite often and wanted to address. We also discuss the arrival of the Cygnus resupply vehicle to the International Space Station, and the return of a 4K camera from the station. This reportedly allowed more detailed science documentation, but our opinion of 4K, including the first live 4K broadcast from space? You'll have to listen. 

We then address some shake-ups happening at Roscosmos, and why one of the most decorated cosmonauts is choosing to leave. We then discuss the first of 22 dives taken by Cassini into the space between the rings of Saturn and what we're hoping to get as it nears its "Grand Finale". Of course, we had to discuss the announcement that the launch of NASA's SLS is now set for 2019, coming shortly after a report from the GAO stating that 2018 was highly unlikely. It's not just the rockets that are facing issues, but so are the aging spacesuits used by NASA.

Finally, we discuss Mark's time at the FIRST Robotics Championships in Houston, Texas. Mark discusses the tech inn, the Program Executive for Solar System Exploration at NASA Headquarters. You'll also hear from Cathy Olkin, the Deputy Project Scientist for NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Deputy Principal Investigator for NASA’s Lucy mission to study Trojan asteroids

For more information on FIRST, visit https://www.firstinspires.org/

To view the video Mark referenced in the episode, visit https://youtu.be/ZU3hHHFJT_k

To see Mark's "Get Smart" team at the competition, visit https://twitter.com/MaureenWilt/status/855618901685698560

Show recorded 4-29-2017

Host: Sawyer Rosenstein

Panelists: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman