Talking Space

Episode 1201: Dragon, Arriving

On this special episode of Talking Space, we devote the entire episode to the successful launch of Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station.

The crew successfully launched in their Crew Dragon capsule on Demo-2, marking the first time humans have launched from the US since the end of the shuttle program in 2011.

We go through the differences between Space Shuttle and Crew Dragon all the way from the suit-up room to orbit.

We discuss the origins behind the spacecraft's name, Endeavour, along with a stow-away. We also talk about the small, New Jersey group that played a major role in the design of one of the aspects of the capsule.

Then it's a look at their mission so far and what's to come. Plus, we've heard so many people try and take credit for the commercial crew program, so how did we get to Demo-2?

Finally we reflect on the significance of the launch during a time of civil unrest and amidst a pandemic.

Show recorded 6-7-2020

Host: Sawyer Rosenstein

Panelist: Gene Mikulka

Episode 1108: The Path to #LaunchAmerica – In Flight Abort

With astronauts set to return to space from U.S. soil for the first time in almost nine years, Talking Space is going back through the archives to bring you never-before-heard episodes on what it took to get to the historic Demo-2 launch in May 2020.

For this episode, we go back to January 2020 when SpaceX tested the in-flight abort capabilities of their Crew Dragon capsule. Hear what it sounded like from launch to explosion...to a surprise after the intentional destruction of a Falcon 9 booster.

Here's what it's like to root for a rocket to blow up. 

This episode also includes an EXCLUSIVE sit-down with the Demo-2 crew. Shortly after the abort test, 15 media members sat down and talked with the crew of Demo-2 ahead of their mission. The audio has never been released in its entirety...until now. Hear it inside this episode.

Show recorded 2-21-2020

Host: Sawyer Rosenstein

Panelist: Gene Mikulka

 

Episode 1107: The Path to #LaunchAmerica - Demo-1

With astronauts set to return to space from U.S. soil for the first time in almost nine years, Talking Space is going back through the archives to bring you never-before-heard episodes on what it took to get to the historic Demo-2 launch in May 2020.

For this episode, we go back to March 2019 for the Demo-1 mission. This was the uncrewed version of the Demo-2 mission, instead with a "test dummy" onboard, even if SpaceX doesn't call it that.

Hear the sound of the launch, as well as hear of the significance of this mission from the heads of the Kennedy Space Center and Johnson Space Center.

We'll also hear from NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine on why more innovation is happening now than during the entire Apollo program.

Show recorded 3-2019

Host: Sawyer Rosenstein

Panelist: Gene Mikulka

Episode 1104: Mars Done?

After examining the current launch log book and going over some significant breaking news with the Mars Exploration Rover Mission and NASA's current lunar aspirations, the team discusses the latest findings from the New Horizons mission. We then celebrate the naming of the European Space Agency's Exomars mission rover.   The ExoMars set for a 2020 launch attempt will be called the Rosalind Franklin after the British chemist who helped discover the true nature of the structure of Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA.  Is the Mars One colonization effort finished after its bankruptcy filing or is it simply attempting to respawn? The team does its best to find out. In the final segment,  Mark Ratterman observes the passing of one of the Apollo Program's unsung heroes and we ask help in seeking out anyone who may have had an impact on Apollo's success to tell their story on the program.  We also mark the untimely passing of space flight historian and good friend, Kate Doolan. 

Episode 1103: Challenger: An American Tragedy - A Conversation With NASA's Hugh Harris

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.  

Episode 1102: Apollo 1

In this special edition of Talking Space, we observe the anniversary of Apollo 1 allowing the crew to tell their own story and talk to us through courtesy of the NASA Internet Audio Archive. 

While launch preparations for Apollo 1 were underway, NASA had held a press conference with the prime crew of what was then called Apollo-Saturn 204

Command Pilot: Virgil I. Grissom

Senior Pilot: Edward H. White II

and Pilot: Roger B. Chaffee

The newly announced back-up crew was also in attendance: 

Back-up Command Pilot: Walter M. Schirra,

Back-up Senior Pilot: Donn F. Eisele

Back-up Pilot: R. Walter Cunningham,  

Chief of the US Astronaut Corps Donald K. "Deke" Slayton was also made available to the press for this conference. 

The purpose of the press event was to introduce the new back-up crew for the flight and to highlight training for the upcoming mission of the then new 3 person spacecraft that would be the lynchpin to get the United States to the Moon.  

Rather than recount the doleful events from January 27, 1967, we decided to take a different approach and allow people who may not have been alive or were too young to hear from the astronauts and remember these courageous individuals as they prepared for what was to be the first piloted mission for the Apollo program. 

For More information on Apollo 1, visit the NASA History web site 

Host: Gene Mikulka 

 

Episode 1011 : Apollo 8 - A Christmas Card From 1968

What would Talking Space sound like if it were able to reach across the gulf of time to 1968 fifty years ago and cover the Apollo 8 mission: humanity’s first piloted spacecraft to successful orbit the Moon and return home to Earth? 

That is what this episode tries to answer bringing to you some of the historic moments from the Apollo 8 mission, the first to carry humans beyond Earth’s gravity well into deep space to explore the Moon with human eyes and close up photography. This installment makes extensive use of NASA's audio archive from that time period, and we thank the space agency for making these moments in history available for use. It also includes the historic Christmas Message that the flight will be long remembered for. This installment is a tribute of sorts to the individuals known and unknown who made the voyage of Apollo 8 possible 50 years ago.

This installment makes extensive use of NASA's audio archive from that time period, and the Apollo 8 press kit itself. We thank the space agency for making this historical material available for use.

This episode is a tribute of sorts to the individuals known and unknown who made the voyage of Apollo 8 possible 50 years ago.

It's also an audio holiday greeting card to you our listeners to say thank you for your continued support of the program during both the good and challenging times. We'll be back in 2018 next time! 

From all of us at Talking Space, Season’s Greetings and hopes for a happy and prosperous New Year. 

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 1006: Commercial Crew Concerns

This episode of Talking Space takes you to all the major launches, some launches which may be facing unexpected delays, and the launch of a kickstarter based on a great book.

We begin with our launch round-up, featuring a record-setting docking to the ISS, two launches in 24 hours in China, as well as the undocking of the final Orbital ATK Cygnus to the ISS...or is it the first Northrop Grumman Cygnus? Plus Rocket Lab is looking for a new launch site. We look at the possible sites and where we think it may go. We then look at the commercial crew program. We hear from NASA side, from those at Boeing and SpaceX, as well as a shocking report from the GAO about when they believe both companies will actually fly.

We then also look at the newest nominee for Deputy Administrator of NASA, along with a performance review so far on new administrator Jim Bridenstine.

Finally we discuss Gen. Chuck Yeager, a look back at his biography and where he's at now, including a kickstarter for a documentary about his historic career and life.

Also be sure to vote for us in the 2018 Podcast Awards! Voting is open until July 31st. https://www.podcastawards.com/ 

To view more info on the GoFundMe, check out https://www.gofundme.com/yeager-file.

To see Gen. Yeager on "What's My Line" check it out on YouTube https://youtu.be/04Tywtn5UJI 

Show recorded 6-15-2018

Host: Sawyer Rosenstein

Panelists: Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman

Episode 1005: #SaveOppy?

From launch rates to renamings and of course two major announcements from the red planet, it's another jam-packed Talking Space.

We begin with our launch round-up, including China, Japan, and two manned missions. We discuss the return of Expedition 55 and the launch of Expedition 56 and what will make that mission unique. Then we look at SpaceX's recent launches, including their first ever Block 5 launch and what that means. We also look at their future launch plans including launch sites and a staggering number being put out for a launch rate.

We discuss what's going up on SpaceX's CRS-15 mission including more about our favorite creepy face, as well as the OA-9 launch from Orbital ATK, who is getting a new name. Orbital ATK has been acquired by Northrop Grumman to become Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, and what's behind that deal.

Then we travel to Mars, where we look at the Opportunity rover, or try to as its blanketed by a massive dust storm. Is it dead? Not just yet. Hear from some of the scientists working on the MER program and what they're saying about this unprecedented storm. Plus while staying on Mars, did Curiosity find life? Not exactly, but we discuss a major find from the Mars Science Laboratory.

We finish with a congrats to the Juno team and two fond farewells.

Show recorded 6-14-2018

Host: Sawyer Rosenstein

Panelist: Gene Mikulka