Talking Space

Episode 1604: Starship Flight 3 Recap; How to Safely Enjoy the Eclipse

We’re giving up on new ways to describe how busy it is now in the world of space-related news. Nonetheless, we still have a Starship Flight 3 recap, a look at the next (and last) Delta IV Heavy launch, and we also focus on the upcoming total solar eclipse. But first, in the News Roundup, even more, including:

• Crew 7 returns from the ISS;
• RocketLab’s Electron booster launches the “Owl Night Long” mission for Japan-based Synspective;
• Japan-based Space One launch vehicle explodes during first launch;
• SpaceX’s controversial land-swap deal in Texas;
• The White House releases NASA 2025 budget on the heels of the final fiscal year 2024 spending bill for NASA, NOAA and FAA;
• NASA network of small moon rovers gets ready for work on IM-2 mission;

The Post-Delta-IV-Heavy Future of Launch Complex 37

Next, the team discusses some possible alternatives for the future of Space Launch Complex 37 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The USAF conducted a public hearing (both in-person and online, which Gene attended) to discuss the two options. One is for SpaceX to take over LC-37 and convert it for use by the Starship Super Heavy. The other is to establish a new LC-50, to be located between SpaceX’s LC-40 and ULA’s LC-41.  Charles Boyer from “Talk of Titusville” outlines the entire plan here. 

How to Safely Enjoy the Upcoming Solar Eclipse

According to the site TimeandDate , the first sign of a partial eclipse in North America is to start at 15:42 UTC (that's 11:42 AM EDT) on April 8, 2024, and will end about 20:52 UTC or 4:52 PM EDT. 

NASA has a good site as well if you are looking for when to look in your area, NASA’s Eclipse Explorer can give you information about your town to see if you are in the path of totality. So can a moving map animation at greatamericaneclipse.com.

And if you get rained out or clouded over? Never fear, NASA TV will be providing coverage.

Starship Flight 3 Recap

Finally, the team recaps their impressions of the third test flight of Starship Super Heavy. While both booster and ship were prematurely lost (which, by regulation, requires that SpaceX conduct another Mishap Investigation), there were a number of notable achievements to highlight on this test flight. There were a number of lowlights as well. We discuss it all.

 

Please be sure to let us know your thoughts on the topics we discuss. You can always reach us at mailbag@TalkingSpaceOnline.com. You now have a way to easily send us a voice recording that we may use on the show: just click on the blue microphone icon at the bottom right of any page at TalkingSpaceOnline.com.

Show recorded 03-17-2024.

Host: Larry Herrin

Panelist(s): Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman (Dr. Kat Robison and Sawyer Rosenstein will return)

Podcast Editor: Larry Herrin

 

TalkingSpaceOnline.com episode page photo credits:

CADRE Mars Yard Tests: NASA/JPL-CalTech

 

Episode 1603: IM-1 Lunar Mission Recap; Interview with Launch-Viewing Rookie

There’s a ton of space news to discuss this time around, and we made the time to do it in this lengthy episode. Not to worry, there’s lots of good stuff in here, including:

• Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rolls out to LC-36;
• Changes in the ISS management team;
• ISS Leak in the Zvezda increases;
• Roscosmos selling off $124 Million in assets due to Ukraine war fallout;
• Former astronaut and NASA Admin Richard Truly dies;
• Lawmakers deciding whether to extend expiring FAA commercial human spaceflight “Learning Period” ;
• NASA cancels OSAM-1 Project.

 IM-1 Lunar Lander Mission Review

Next, the team discusses our takeaways from the Intuitive Machines IM-1 lunar lander mission to the south pole region of the Moon that ended last week. The Intuitive Machines team dealt with some major challenges on the way to the Moon and during landing, with the first one sprouting up only an hour or so into the launch. Get all the juicy details of how the IM-1 lander and its payloads fared in this episode.  NASA’s Space Science Data Coordinated Archive of the mission is located here.

Artist and Launch Rookie Agnes Garbowska Interviewed

Finally, Mark shares an interview with award-winning artist and in-person launch-viewing rookie Agnes Garbowska for her IM-1 launch impressions and takeaways. You can also check out her YouTube channel here, and her upcoming Kickstarter project is here.

Please be sure to let us know your thoughts on the topics we discuss. You can always reach us at mailbag@TalkingSpaceOnline.com. You now have a way to easily send us a voice recording that we may use on the show: just click on the blue microphone icon at the bottom right of any page at TalkingSpaceOnline.com.

Show recorded 03-02-2024.

Host: Larry Herrin

Panelist(s): Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman (Dr. Kat Robison and Sawyer Rosenstein will return)

Podcast Editor: Mark Ratterman

 

IM-1 Falcon 9 launch photo credit: SpaceX

Crippen/Rosenstein/Truly photo credit: Sawyer Rosenstein

Agnes Garbowska photo credit: Agnes Garbowska

IM-1 Odysseus lander photo credit: Intuitive Machines and NASA

Episode 1602: IM-1 Lunar Lander Launches Successfully; Deep Cuts at JPL a Heartache

It’ll do your heart good to have a listen to the IM-1 launch audio snippet at the opening of this episode. This episode finds us still focusing on the Intuitive Machines IM-1 lunar lander launch and lunar landing attempt to come later this week. Chantelle Baier from 4Space joins us once again to talk about the launch and the lunar landing, scheduled for February 22, 2024. Both Larry and Mark witnessed the LM-1 launch from Kennedy Space Center’s Banana Creek Launch Viewing Area at 1:05 a.m. on February 15^th courtesy of 4Space.

But first, we have plenty of news in the roundup:

• Mark explains how NASA is looking for a new crew for a simulated year-long Mars mission ;
• Gene details the fallout from the recently announced Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) layoffs due to the Federal budget impasse;
• Uruguay and Greece sign the Artemis Accords.

Next, the team and Chantelle discuss our impressions from the IM-1 launch, and hints at what may come next for 4Space. These lunar deliveries are part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative in support of the Artemis program. We’ll keep you informed as events unfold. We also discuss some details relating to the innovative EagleCam experiment aboard the lander. Some interesting video of the IM-1 after separation from the tumbling Falcon 9 upper stage can be found here.

Finally, Mark eagerly shares a bit of background on a couple of engineers at Boeing who are diligently working on getting the Starliner’s re-entry parachutes sorted and ready for flight. This is the kind of folks you want packing your parachutes.

Please be sure to let us know your thoughts on the topics we discuss. You can always reach us at mailbag@TalkingSpaceOnline.com . Our website now has a way to easily send us a voice message that we may use on the show: just click on the blue microphone icon at the bottom right of any page at TalkingSpaceOnline.com.

 

Show recorded 02-17-2024.

Host: Larry Herrin

Panelist(s): Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman and special guest Chantelle Baier (Dr. Kat Robison and Sawyer Rosenstein will return)

Podcast Editor: Larry Herrin

IM-1 Falcon 9 launch photo credit: SpaceX

Episode 1406: Launchapalooza

August 4th, 2022, was one of the most active launch days in recent memory. The Talking Space Team attempts to check all the boxes bringing a little insight into each one, including some launch audio from the Mighty AtalsV that carried the SIBRSGEO 6 into orbit and the scream of the Falcon 9 as it took South Korea’s KPLO probe to the Moon. 

 We briefly discuss some debris left from a Chinese rocket that showered down on the Philippines and some flotsam from the SpaceX Crew-1 Trunk that impacted an Australian sheep paddock.  

The war in Ukraine has impacted everything for the worse. The repercussions have been felt far and wide, and the space sector has not been immune. The Northrup Grumman Antares 230 launch vehicle is another victim of the war; the fabrication shop for its core stage located in Ukraine was destroyed. With only enough parts to assemble two more rockets, Northrup Grumman has a plan for a domestic version of Antares, which will take an unusual alliance of a bold new corporate venture and an old lion ready to learn new tricks. 

Speaking of Russia, is Roscosmos leaving the International Space Station Partnership like the mainstream media is saying? We provide real context around the story.

Artemis -1, the first launch of a new program to return humans to the Moon, create a sustainable presence there, and move on to Mars, is set for an August 29th launch attempt. We discuss the mission objectives for this first flight, the non-human crew, and the implications for this test flight. 

Dr. Kat Robeson brings a NASA JPL article to our attention concerning the Antarctic Ice Shelf and the loss of mass it may have experienced. We also mention that on the day we recorded ( August 11th ), operational control of the  Landsat 9 Earth Observation Satellite was turned over to the US Geological Survey from NASA. We end the show reminding all that while exploring the heavens is a vital part of space, looking down at our planet is just as critical. 

 

Host: Sawyer Rosenstein

Panelists: Dr Kat Robison & Gene Mikulka 

Engineer and Editor: Mark Ratterman 

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 1302: Turn it Up to SN-11

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,

 

Episode 1207: Farewell 2020

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

 

Episode 1206: All For One, Crew-1 For All

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

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 1204: From Liftoff to Splashdown

On this episode of Talking Space, we tackle two major stories, the launch of Mars 2020 and the landing of Crew Dragon Endeavour.

We start with the launch of the Perseverance rover and the Ingenuity helicopter. We look at some of the unique items onboard, as well as listen to the launch audio we recorded from a few miles away. In addition to the mission, we talk about what it's like to cover a launch during a pandemic (with special thanks to the 45th Space Wing) and how a Mars spacecraft sterilizer is helping in the fight against COVID-19.

Then it's onto SpaceX and the successful return of the Crew Dragon capsule from the ISS. We look at the successes and some of the items they found need to be improved, including stray boats and possibly toxic hypergolic fuels.

Finally, we debate a tweet by President Donald Trump about the state of NASA. Mark and Gene get into an interesting debate over the state of the space program and who we can thank for where we are today.

Show recorded 8-10-2020

Host: Sawyer Rosenstein

Panelists: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman

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