Episodes
Sunday Sep 17, 2023
Episode 1512: Pretty Plasma Trail, But Not from Starship Anytime Soon?
Sunday Sep 17, 2023
Sunday Sep 17, 2023
This episode brings lots of Space news from around the globe, as well as from our own back yards. Literally.
First off: both Sawyer and Mark witnessed the plasma trail from the latest Crew Dragon reentry from their own back yards. A photo that looks … kind of like what they saw (taken by NASA) … is shown here.
Next, we have plenty of news in the roundup, including:
- How LeoLabs worked with the European Space Agency (ESA) to support Aeolus satellite’s controlled reentry
- ULA's 98th launch for NRO and 157th launch with 100 percent mission success was SILENTBARKER/ NROL 107 on 10 Sept, 2023
- How and why the majority of NASA’s buildings are in need of serious maintenance – or demolition
- The ongoing New Horizons Mission saga
- Virgin Galactic flies a group of “Founder” astronauts in its fourth flight
- NASA’s Frank Rubio breaks the US space endurance record
- NASA and Axiom announce the Axiom 3 crew
- The GAO says NASA’s Space Launch System needs more cost transparency
Then, the team discusses the 36-page report of the NASA Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Independent Study Team. NASA formed this external, 16-member independent study team of experts in July 2022 to find a way we can use our open-source data and resources to help shed light on the nature of future UAP. The report is a summary of the proposed ways NASA can do that using mostly existing resources, as well as new, inexpensive crowdsourced methods to collect future UAP data in a scientifically rigorous manner. You can find a copy of the report here.
Finally, we can’t let an episode go by without an update to the goings-on in the world of SpaceX and Starship:
- First, no new developments as of our recording date were publicly documented since July 26, 2023 in the lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, et al against the FAA and SpaceX.
- On September 10, 2023, an apparently redacted/rephrased list of 63 corrective actions was published by Elon Musk on X. None of these addressed the requirements of the Clean Water Act in terms of procuring an Industrial Wastewater Permit for the new deluge system.
- On September 13, 2023, acting FAA Administrator Polly Trottenberg told reporters on the sidelines of a conference that “We’re working well with them (SpaceX) and I think we’re optimistic sometime next month,” whatever that means.
- Trottenberg also mentioned that SpaceX would also need a separate environmental approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before a launch. She didn’t say how long that might take.
- Late Friday afternoon on September 15, 2023, the day after this show was recorded, came news via emailed news release that the FAA was performing a Written Reevaluation (WR) of the 2022 Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA). The WR will evaluate all the new environmental data collected as a result of the April 20, 2023 initial test launch of Starship, and an Endangered Species Act consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This news could have a huge and potentially devastating effect on the timeline for the Flight 2 Starship launch. More details can be found here. We’ll keep you informed as events unfold.
Please be sure to let us know your thoughts on the topics we discuss. You can always reach us at mailbag@TalkingSpaceOnline.com .
Show recorded 09-14-2023.
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelist(s): Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman and Larry Herrin (Dr. Kat Robison will return)
Podcast Editor: Mark Ratterman
Crew 6 Dragon reentry plasma trail photo credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
Sunday Jul 30, 2023
Episode 1509: Starship Launch Delays – a Triple Whammy?
Sunday Jul 30, 2023
Sunday Jul 30, 2023
SpaceX’s effort to launch its second integrated test of Starship is likely facing a triple whammy of delays, including a new one that should really be of no surprise to the company. It certainly is no surprise to Eric Roesch, who joins us on this episode to discuss the latest developments in the saga.
First, there’s the well-known environmental lawsuit brought by a consortium of environmental and tribal groups against the FAA and SpaceX. This case showed a little movement on July 25, 2023, and all the details on what did transpire in court filings on that date can be found here.
Turns out that the latest filing in the case (as of this writing) would extend the deadline for proposing a briefing schedule as to summary judgment within 14 days of the Court’s resolution of Plaintiffs’ motion challenging the Administrative Record, if any is filed. And that resolution could come as late as December 2023 or January of 2024, or maybe even later. And all of this time may be used up just to get to the point where all sides agree on what the tools look like that they’re going to use to prosecute the case.
Second, the FAA just reminded everyone on July 26th that SpaceX has not yet submitted a Mishap Investigation Report for its review. This report would outline what SpaceX needs to do to demonstrate to FAA that Starship is safe enough for another launch attempt.
And the third element of the triple whammy? The new water deluge system freshly installed and tested beneath the Orbital Launch Mount (OLM) has no Industrial Wastewater Permit to go with it. Eric gives us a full rundown of all the wonky stuff, as well as the inside scoop as to how long a delay this could cause (spoiler alert: it’s a long time!). And not only has SpaceX not applied for the permit yet, but according to Eric, SpaceX knew they had to do it way back when they wrote the latest Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) that governs the whole environmental shooting match. Is there something that SpaceX knows that we don’t, which will let them circumvent the Clean Water Act? How will SpaceX pull this off?
Please be sure to let us know your thoughts on the topics we discuss. You can always reach us at mailbag@TalkingSpaceOnline.com .
Show recorded 07-27-2023.
Host: Larry Herrin
Panelist(s): Larry Herrin (Sawyer Rosenstein, Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman and Dr. Kat Robison will return)
Podcast Editor: Larry Herrin
Friday Jul 14, 2023
Episode 1507: A Secret Mission and … OceanGate’s Titan?
Friday Jul 14, 2023
Friday Jul 14, 2023
You may ask, “Why are we talking about the OceanGate Expeditions’ Titan submersible tragedy in a podcast dedicated to space-related stuff?” The commonality with undersea exploration is the lack of Human Commercial Spaceflight Safety Regulations. Do we need more regulation? The team muses about this issue in this episode of Talking Space.
But first, the News Roundup:
- Mark manages to both provide us interesting info as well as to humanize the launch he witnessed of a classified military payload -- the mission designated NROL-68.
- A classified military orbital mission notwithstanding, there’s still lots of news we CAN provide details about in this episode, including the ribbon-cutting ceremony for NASA’s Earth Resource Information Center in Washington, D.C.
- The final flight of the Ariane V, VA261, was postponed during rollout. After an additional weather delay on July 4, the final launch of the Ariane 5 rocket took place on Wednesday, July 5.
- Ecuador and India become the 26th and 27th signatories of the Artemis Accords.
- The Mars Sample Return mission’s cost has skyrocketed, according to a report in Ars Technica. Will it affect the budgets or existence of other planetary research missions? Gene has some insights.
- The Deep Space Food Challenge, an international competition sponsored by NASA to innovate food production for deep space missions, is heading into its final phase. Mark has details.
Please be sure to let us know your thoughts on the topics we discuss. You can always reach us at mailbag@TalkingSpaceOnline.com .
Show recorded 06-25-2023.
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelist(s): Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman and Larry Herrin (Dr. Kat Robison will return)
Podcast Editor: Mark Ratterman
NROL-68 Mission Patch photo credit: NRO, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Delta IV Heavy launch photo credit: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., (June 22, 2023) A ULA Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying the NROL-68 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office lifts off from Space Launch Complex-37 at 5:18 a.m. EDT on June 22. Photos by United Launch Alliance
Delta IV Heavy opening a portal to the heavens Photo Credit: Lavie Ohana @Lavie154 @WeAreSpaceScout
Sunday Feb 27, 2022
Episode 1401: Rockets and Future Visions
Sunday Feb 27, 2022
Sunday Feb 27, 2022
On a very SpaceX-centric edition of Talking Space to start 2022, The team looks at the SpaceX Polaris Program that hopes to test elements needed for operating the SpaceX Starship, including the first Extra-Vehicular Activity or Spacewalk for a private space mission.
We take a look at the SpaceX Starship update event held at the SpaceX Boca Chica, Texas, on February 11th, which was heavy on theater but light on news. There are also questions on the future status of the SpaceX Boca Chica location (AKA “Starbase”) due to environmental concerns, and the FAA has pushed back the decision on certifying the location for launching orbital flight missions due to the number of petitions filed. We explore the reasons for the controversy.
There has been a delay in the rollout of the Space Launch System rocket for the Artemis 1 mission, and we explore the reasons for the delay.
We wrap up with some good news on the International Space Station mission receiving an extension into the year 2030 and the progress being made on the commissioning of the James Webb Space Telescope.
All this on this first edition of Talking Space for 2022!
Show recorded: 2-14-2022
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelists: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman
Monday Nov 15, 2021
Episode 1306: Zero-G and I Feel Fine - Mission: Astro Access
Monday Nov 15, 2021
Monday Nov 15, 2021
On this very special episode of Talking Space, we discuss something very few people have ever experienced, Zero Gravity. However, 12 Zero-G flyers just made history.
12 ambassadors for "Mission: Astro Access" completed the first ever microgravity flight for people with disabilities. That includes people who are deaf/hard of hearing, blind/low vision, and have mobility disabilities. Among the flyers is our own host, Sawyer Rosenstein. He invited some of the participants onto the show to discuss the mission.
The flight itself involves 15 parabolas aboard a Zero Gravity Corporation plane with one Martian, two Lunar and 12 "Zero-G" parabolas.
That includes the selection process, the training before flight, and the objectives during the flight. We find out what worked, what didn't, and the simple modifications that can be made to make spaceflight accessible to so many more people. We also discuss the future, where we hope this program goes in the future, and the changes we all hope to see as a result of this historic first mission.
To learn more about AstroAccess and to consider donating to help fund a second flight, visit https://astroaccess.org/
To read Sawyer's full recount of the flight, check out the article by clicking here.
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelists: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, and special guests Dana Bolles and Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen
Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
Episode 1305: Space is Open for Business
Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
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
Monday Apr 12, 2021
Episode 1302: Turn it Up to SN-11
Monday Apr 12, 2021
Monday Apr 12, 2021
This episode is full of plenty of rockets and missions going up....and one that went down explosively.
On this episode, we begin with two crew launches. First the Soyuz MS-18 mission and why an American astronaut was added only a few months before launch. Plus a quick look ahead to Crew-2 aboard a Crew Dragon, and a possible new tradition started by the crew.
Next it's on to Mars, where the Ingenuity helicopter is set to take off. This isn't just significant for future Mars exploration. We go into the potential historical impact of a mini helicopter flying on another world.
Then it's onto the nominee for NASA's next administrator, former Senator Bill Nelson (D) Florida. Former administrator Jim Bridenstine thinks it's a good pick, but what does the panel think?
Then it's onto SpaceX. First, the farewell to Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief, the fairing recovery ships. What does this mean for reusability.
Last but no least, it's all about SN-11, the Starship test flight from Boca Chica (or Starbase depending on your preference) Texas. The mission went up under heavy fog before exploding before landing. What does this mean for the program? Can you still get enough data from just telemetry as opposed to visuals? What led to the decision to fly on that day and how is the FAA somehow involved? Also, is SpaceX learning from these test flights or is it just for show? We look at all these questions and more.
Show recorded 4-7-2021
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelists: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman,
Tuesday Mar 23, 2021
Episode 1301: Three Cheers for Mars
Tuesday Mar 23, 2021
Tuesday Mar 23, 2021
One week, three crafts, one planet. On this first episode of Season 13 we're aiming for Mars.
We discuss three successful missions arriving at the red planet within one week of each other, the "Hope" mission from the United Arab Emirates, China's Tianwen-1 Mission, and the most discussed mission of the three, NASA's Perseverance Rover. We go into all of the amazing firsts so far, and what the mission should accomplish during its time on the red planet. Also, find out why Mark doesn't like calling the rover "Percy".
Next, we discuss the future for RocketLab, including their CEO literally eating their hat as they announce the design of a new rocket.
Finally we discuss the Inspiration 4 mission, which will send ordinary people to space along with helping a good cause...but is it really giving anybody a chance to go, or is it favoring certain people more than others?
Show recorded 3-1-2021
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelists: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, Dr. Kat Robison
Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
Episode 1207: Farewell 2020
Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
Better late than never, so here's an episode full of launch and landing audio!
We begin with the launches Talking Space was fortunate to be at, including the first launch of the upgraded SpaceX Cargo Dragon, the much delayed Delta IV Heavy carrying NROL-44, and a launch and Return to Launch Site (RTLS) landing of a Falcon 9 booster from NROL-108.
We also discuss the recent launch and landing attempt for SpaceX's Starhopper SN-8 mission, and why ending in an explosion isn't necessarily a bad thing. They're not the only ones doing tests. Virgin Galactic is as well, and we've got the latest on their tests to get back into flight.
Finally we take a look at the NASA Authorization Bill, which looks at where the money will go for NASA's budget...and it definitely leaves a little to be desired...or does it? Listen to find out all the details.
Show recorded 12-4-2020
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelists: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman
Saturday Dec 05, 2020
Episode 1206: All For One, Crew-1 For All
Saturday Dec 05, 2020
Saturday Dec 05, 2020
From the Earth to the Space Station to the Moon, Talking Space is proud to be a part of history!
On this episode of Talking Space, we discuss the successful launch of the Crew-1 mission, sending four astronauts to the International Space Station.
We discuss all of the major historical achievements made during this mission. We also discuss what the atmosphere is like at the press site for a crew launch, in particular during a pandemic, and if the fan fare and unique feeling of a crew launch still exist.
We also end up discussion fashion and whether the public was really interested in this launch.
Next we discuss Rocket Lab's foray into reusability, and discuss the one thing we wish we knew to determine if reusability, especially from a company like SpaceX, is feasible.
We also discuss China's successful landing on the moon and the scientific and cultural significance of this mission.
Finally we say farewell to the Arecibo Radio Telescope, which has collapsed since this was recorded. We look into the main factors that led to the crash, since we believe it wasn't just storms or wear-and-tear behind the damage.
Show recorded 11-25-2020
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelists: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, Kat Robison