Episodes
Friday Mar 08, 2024
Episode 1603: IM-1 Lunar Mission Recap; Interview with Launch-Viewing Rookie
Friday Mar 08, 2024
Friday Mar 08, 2024
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
Wednesday Feb 21, 2024
Episode 1602: IM-1 Lunar Lander Launches Successfully; Deep Cuts at JPL a Heartache
Wednesday Feb 21, 2024
Wednesday Feb 21, 2024
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 15th 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
Wednesday Dec 27, 2023
Episode 1515: What Do Aussies Think About Space?
Wednesday Dec 27, 2023
Wednesday Dec 27, 2023
First off, apologies are in order for our extended absence from your podcast-hungry ears. We try our best to record on a consistent basis, but sometimes there’s a perfect storm of Life Events getting in the way for the Talking Space team when it comes down to getting an episode in the can. We DID even record an episode with Gene and Larry that we could not air because Larry’s audio track for the recording was not usable due to, of all things, an intermittently malfunctioning microphone. Sometimes the Universe just plain conspires against us.
In the News Roundup:
First: Be encouraged and inspired. Watch an interview with former astronaut Jose Hernandez on This Week in Space, as well as his new biopic, A Million Miles Away. Here’s a link to the trailer. His daughter interviews him here.
Next, we have an update on the Center for Biological Diversity, et al’s Starship lawsuit against the FAA, SpaceX, and a new defendant added recently: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Also, what’s happening now to qualify SpaceX for its IFT-3 launch license? We have all the latest.
Also, a final reminder: Send your name to Europa aboard the Europa Clipper spacecraft - check in at https://europa.nasa.gov/message-in-a-bottle/check-in/ or sign on at https://europa.nasa.gov/message-in-a-bottle/sign-on/ . The opportunity closes Dec. 31, 2023.
Finally: Want a picture of yourself on Mars? At JPL? In the Mars Rover Mission Control room? Check out the Mars Perseverance Photo Booth here.
Wrap-up and Impressions from ASCEND
As promised last time, Kat provides a wrap-up overview and her impressions from the ASCEND conference, including the probable extension of the commercial spaceflight regulatory “learning period” and news on lunar communications regulations.
What do Aussies Think About Space?
The Australian Centre for Space Governance (ACSG) has sponsored a study designed to measure Australian attitudes and opinions about space. We’re proud that Talking Space’s own Dr. Kat Robison Hasani helped design the study in her role as a Senior Research Fellow at ACSG. She brings us up to speed on the survey’s findings.
SpaceX 2023 Launch Count as of December 19, 2023: 92
SpaceX 2023 Projected Final Launch Count: 97 (almost made it to 100!)
More Website Woes
Yes, it’s true. Talking Space’s website – and email – are down again. And again, we’re “working the problem,” and will have things working again ASAP. The podcast itself has always been available wherever else you get your podcasts, as you know if you’re reading this.
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 12-26-2023.
Host: Mark Ratterman
Panelist(s): Larry Herrin, Dr. Kat Robison Hasani
Podcast Editor: Mark Ratterman
Sunday Nov 05, 2023
Sunday Nov 05, 2023
There’s a lot going on this time around, as usual. First, in the news roundup:
- Starship: The Lawsuit pitting the Center for Biological Diversity against the FAA and SpaceX proceeded mostly as expected (with a notable exception). The FAA awaits the US Fish and Wildlife Service to complete their Biological Assessment portion for review of the Starship’s next launch license. Here’s the Wallops Spaceport site map about which Gene quoted Eric Roesch in our discussion. Harry Stranger first tweeted about the maps on X.
- LUCY Mission makes its first asteroid flyby on November 1st.
- India has announced an ambitious, multi-planetary expansion of its space program on a short, 20-year timeline.
- NASA picks three museums in which to display OSIRIS-REx asteroid Bennu samples. When can you go see them? Actually very soon!
Then, Mark discusses a brief history and laments the lessened art of spacecraft call signs and aircraft nose art. He also informs us that Commander Callie continues her mission in NASA’s newest issue of its graphic novel.
Next, Gene brings us up to speed on the wobbly future of the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission in light of the findings of the recent Independent Review Board 2 report. The IRB2 report concluded, among other things, that there is “likely not enough funding available to accomplish any mission.” Say again, Houston?
Finally, Kat brings us an initial teaser report and interview from the recent ASCEND conference with Lindsay Kaldon, Project Manager with NASA’s Fission Surface Power Project, managed by NASA’s Glenn Research Çenter in Cleveland, OH. You want to survive long-term on the Moon or Mars, you gotta have a lot of reliable electrical power!
Thanks to all for the heads-up about issues with Talking Space’s website. It’s been down for a number of weeks now. We’re “working the problem,” and will have the site back up very soon. The podcast itself has always been available wherever else you get your podcasts, as you know if you’re reading this soon after it is published! UPDATE: The website has been restored as of the afternoon of November 7, 2023, and seems to be functioning normally.
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 10-27-2023.
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelist(s): Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, Dr. Kat Robison and Larry Herrin
Podcast Editor: Larry Herrin
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 Aug 20, 2023
Episode 1510: Artemis III – A Different Mission?
Sunday Aug 20, 2023
Sunday Aug 20, 2023
ESA’s Aeolus earth observation satellite, launched in August 2018, ended its primary mission on July 28, 2023. It still had one final mission: a safe, fiery, controlled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere conducted by the European Space Agency flight controllers. Larry Herrin provides details of the importance of this maneuver.
August 8, 2023 was Artemis II media day at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems Development Jim Free, and the Crew of the Artemis II mission, provided an update on the upcoming lunar reconnaissance mission. Jim Free was also asked about the status of the Human Landing System and how its progress may impact the Artemis III lunar landing attempt. Gene Mikulka reports. The link to the press conference on the NASA YouTube page can be found here.
In a separate press telecon on August 7, Boeing Space and NASA gave updates on the progress of the Starliner capsule that will be used to transport crew to the international space station. Boeing’s Mark Nappi indicated that the capsule will be ready for the long-delayed Crewed Test Flight (CST) in March of 2024, pending the completion of remediation steps for the P-13 tape, which was found to be flammable and a required modification to the main reentry parachutes being made by partner company Airborne Systems. Click here to hear the entire press conference
So you’re a farmer seeking computer programs to help with drought or looking to track storms that might impact your crops? Perhaps you’re a researcher looking for modeling software or trying to figure out how to predict lightning strikes. As Mark Ratterman reports, NASA has an app for that! There are about more than 1,000 free programs and algorithms free for the taking at software.nasa.gov.
We provide an update on the SpaceX Boca Chica lawsuit and other developments that we’ve been following: CNBC’s Lora Kolodny reports that the company still has yet to apply for an Industrial Wastewater Permit but, according to the report, still went ahead with a full pressure test of the flame deflector for the Starship launch pad (and used it for the Booster 9 static test) despite not having the required permit for such a discharge. The team discusses these developments and will continue to watch and report. UPDATE: According to PayloadSpace.com on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, SpaceX submitted its long-awaited Mishap Investigation Report to the FAA for review.
So whatever became of the American flag planted on the Moon by Apollo 11? Larry Herrin discusses a PhysOrg article about the history of the last-minute scramble to include it in the mission, the fate of the artifact and what might be its current state.
And speaking of the Moon, once the astronauts of NASA’s Artemis program arrive on the lunar surface, they’ll need power systems for essential systems, transportation, and conducting experiments. Mark Ratterman explores two companies – Blue Origin and Zeno Power Systems – and describes their proposals to deliver energy to lunar explorers. Here is the Zeno Power Systems press release.
Show recorded on 08-13-2023.
Host this week: Larry Herrin
Panel Members: Mark Ratterman & Gene Mikulka (Sawyer Rosenstein and Dr. Kat Robison will return)
Podcast Editor: Larry Herrin
Transition Music Credit: Pixabay - StudioKolomna
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
Sunday Jul 02, 2023
Episode 1506: Shocking Answers to Your Starship Lawsuit Questions
Sunday Jul 02, 2023
Sunday Jul 02, 2023
Talk all you want about the delays caused by repairs/mods to the launch pad and re-certifying the Autonomous Flight Termination System, the real issue that is grounding Starship at Boca Chica is this one thing: The Lawsuit.
You know … the one filed by a consortium of environmental groups and Indigenous tribes against the FAA alleging (based on the observable environmental damage wrought by the April test launch) FAA’s inadequate oversight and review of SpaceX’s plans and operations at Boca Chica.
This time around, Larry Herrin and Gene Mikulka are joined by the guy who accurately predicted that the Starship test launch last April 20th would cause more damage than SpaceX or the FAA’s own calculations predicted in its worst-case scenario. His name is Eric Roesch, and he goes by the Twitter handle @ESGHound.
Turns out, Eric has experience working both the consulting and regulatory sides of the fence in shepherding Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) documents through the process; knows quite a bit about the related issues; and has some well-reasoned answers to questions like:
- Eric, how do you know so much about this stuff?
- Why did SpaceX want to join the FAA as a co-defendant in the lawsuit?
- What are some of the strategies the Plaintiffs may use to try to win it all (or at least wrangle some additional mitigations that SpaceX will have to implement)?
- How much longer will we have to wait for a decision?
- What is the most likely outcome? Will it be:
- The Plaintiffs win it all, and SpaceX must go back to the drawing board for years while a new Environmental Impact Statement is prepared, reviewed, and revised again and again?
- The Plaintiffs manage to wrangle some concessions, and FAA adds some additional mitigations to the existing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document with which SpaceX must comply?
- Defendants prevail and it’s business as usual under the existing launch license?
The answers may surprise you!
All will be revealed in this episode of Talking Space.
Please be sure to let us know your thoughts on the topics we discuss. You can always reach us at mailbag@TalkingSpaceOnline.com .
How to contact Eric and read his writings:
website: blog.esghound.com
Substack: esghound.substack.com
Twitter: @ESGHound
Show recorded 06-21-2023.
Host: Larry Herrin
Panelist(s): Gene Mikulka (Mark Ratterman, Sawyer Rosenstein and Dr. Kat Robison will return)
Podcast Editor: Larry Herrin
Friday Jun 09, 2023
Episode 1505: SpaceX Can’t Slow Down; Starliner’s Pet Black Swan
Friday Jun 09, 2023
Friday Jun 09, 2023
This episode is packed full of news and insights. Let’s get to it!
In the News Roundup:
- NASA selects the second lunar lander partnership for the Artemis moon missions
- Rocket Lab scoops up a bargain with purchase of lease for Virgin Orbit’s Long Beach, CA headquarters and the usual “certain other assets”
- Virgin Galactic’s Unity 25 successful test flight with a full test-crew complement – next comes paying customers
- Spain joins the Artemis Accords
- The Axiom Ax2 Mission is accomplished, spending eight days aboard the ISS and returning to Earth safely on May 30, 2023
- Join the Europa Clipper mission and have your name engraved on NASA’s spacecraft as it prepares to leave for Europa
Next, Larry brings us a story about Elon Musk’s companies (SpaceX and The Boring Company) making messes seemingly everywhere they go in Texas. Regulatory agencies can hardly keep up with the citations and Notices of Violation for environmental and public safety concerns. Regarding our coverage of an environmentalist group’s lawsuit against the FAA: while we did report that SpaceX also responded to the lawsuit with its own filing with the court a request to be included as a defendant in the lawsuit, we did not mention in the episode that SpaceX’s filing outlines the potential consequences for the company if the environmentalists prevail in the lawsuit. These consequences include negative outcomes for its business as well as damage to the “substantial national interest.” SpaceX also asserted that the scientific knowledge facilitated by Starship would suffer as a result. These are all valid concerns, and it’s likely there are ways to satisfy both sides of this issue without undue delay or unjustified expense. We’ll be following this issue closely.
Finally, Gene and Sawyer provide detailed insights to the news that the first-ever crewed launch of the Boeing Starliner astronaut capsule has been delayed once again due to safety issues with the spacecraft’s parachutes and electrical wiring harness tape that were discovered in late May.
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 06-04-2023.
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelists: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman and Larry Herrin (Dr. Kat Robison will return)
Podcast Editor: Larry Herrin
Transition Music Credit: Pixabay - StudioKolomna
Friday May 19, 2023
Friday May 19, 2023
Talk about risky! This time around, the two cousins are being left alone to see what mischief they can get up to. Good thing there’ll be an adult in the room.
Mark Ratterman and Larry Herrin are joined by our guest, NASA’s Dr. Mary K. Kaiser, to discuss the omnipresent issue of space debris. We are “flexing” once again from our usual format to bring you a wide-ranging discussion that will cover how scientists objectively calculate risk versus subjective risk perception; dealing with Low-Probability/High-Consequence Risks; and the realities of basic human nature. How does all this relate to the issue of space debris and the world’s willingness to do something about it? We’re about to find out!
As mentioned, our guest for this discussion is Dr. Mary K. Kaiser. Dr. Kaiser spent 30 years as a research psychologist in the Human Systems Integration Division at NASA Ames Research Center. She now serves as a consultant to the Human Factors Technical Discipline Team at the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). This fascinating scientist spends her days worrying about things as diverse as subjective risk perception and innovative spacecraft instrument display technologies. She has authored or co-authored dozens of scientific papers, holds two patents, and is the self-published author of a novel, “The Muse of Kill Devil Hills,” available now on Amazon.
Then, see and hear Dr. Kaiser’s NASA NESC Academy presentation on “Miserable Risk Estimation: "Managing" Low-Probability, High-Consequence Risks" here.
If you want to hear even more about Dr. Kaiser’s very interesting career, keep listening after the main podcast for a big Easter egg’s worth of conversation we left there for you!
Let us know what you think of our new “flexible” format and your thoughts on this week’s show. You can always reach us at mailbag@TalkingSpaceOnline.com .
Show recorded 5-15-2023.
Host: Larry Herrin
Panelists: Mark Ratterman
Podcast Editor: Larry Herrin
Gene Mikulka, Sawyer Rosenstein and Dr. Kat Robison will be back.