Talking Space

Episode 315: AMS-02 Ready Willing and Able

On this episode, we talk about AMS-02. We discuss the history, cost, some basics of the instrument, how it is installed and activated. We include audio from several NASA Briefings on AMS-02 from the following: Prof Samuel Ting, AMS Principal Investigator from MIT Trent Martin, NASA AMS Program Manager from JSC Mark Kelly, Commander of STS-134 Our own Talking Space - Mark Ratterman brings first hand information from three NASA media events at KSC and an up close picture of AMS in the Space Station Processing Facility

AMS-02 the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer has been dubbed the Hubble Telescope of cosmic rays

For further information check out: http://www.ams02.org/ and http://ams.nasa.gov/

For the AMS02 Briefing Materials: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/news/ams02_032411.html For video of the AMS-02 Briefing at JSC http://youtu.be/MxPnAMLDmKY Hosts this week: Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 04/21/2011

Episode 314: The Shuttle's Final Frontier...A Museum

On this episode, we invite back Elizabeth Howell as we talk about last week's decision to place shuttles in Cape Canaveral, Florida; Los Angeles, California; Chantilly, Virginia/Washington DC; and New York City, New York. We talk about a press conference with Assistant Administrator of the Office of Strategic Infrastructure, Houston being upset about not getting a shuttle, and out opinion on their locations. Thank you as well to James Cook, Scott Orshan, and @Aries419 for sending us your input. We then discuss the allocation of Endeavour's Canadarm to a lucky Canadian institution and predict where it might go. Lastly, we talk about a story which fooled Mark a few weeks ago, but makes for some entertainment this episode. Be sure to check out Elizabeth Howell at the Ottawa Business Journal by visiting http://obj.ca and at her own site, Pars3c, at http://pars3c.com Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, and special guest Elizabeth Howell Show Recorded - 4/17/2011

Episode 313: 30 Years of STS-1 Beautiful Vehicle

On this episode, we discuss the postponement of the STS-134 launch which we briefly mentioned last week. We also talk about some debris which avoided the ISS, sending its crew to safety onboard their Soyuz. We continue with our correct speculations last week about the SpaceX announcement of the Falcon Heavy. Following that, we move onto some big anniversaries, including the 30th anniversary of STS-1 and the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's 1st flight aboard Vostok-1. We speculate where the shuttles will go once they retire, and then reveal the announcement of where they'll go. Be sure to listen to find out their final resting places. We end with our reflections of 50 years in space and what Gagarin's flight meant to us. Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 4/10/2011

Episode 311 - The State of Affairs

This week we share the microphone with Frank Morring Jr., Senior Editor at AVIATION WEEK, and a journalist for 35 years, specializing in aerospace for the over 20 years. Frank joined AVIATION WEEK in 1989 as a defense/space reporter and senior space technology editor. In 2007 he was named deputy managing editor/space, responsible for coordinating space coverage across all bureaus and publications. Frank began his career working for his hometown daily in Huntsville, Alabama, and moved to Washington in 1979 as correspondent for the Birmingham Post-Herald. He later covered the Cold War Pentagon for Scripps-Howard News Service. Frank received a degree in comparative literature from Dartmouth College. Read Frank's articles at http://www.aviationweek.com/ Host This week: Gina Herlihy, Panelists: Mark Ratterman & Gene Mikulka

Episode 310: Wanted --- Shuttle Orbiter to a Good Home

Elizabeth Howell from the Ottawa Business Journal and the award winning Pars3c Spaceflight blog joins Mark Ratterman and Gene Mikulka in this weeks Talking Space Installment. Don't worry, Sawyer Rosenstein and Gina Herlihy will be returning! Grist for this week's mill includes Coverage of STS 134 preparations at the Kennedy space Center along with two unfortunate events; the first fatal accident at Launch Complex 39A and the discovery of an illegal controlled substance just shy of the KSC secure area. The MESSENGER spacecraft became the first robotic emissary from Earth to go into orbit around Mercury. We discuss MESSGNGER's mission and the implications for planetary science going forward. An agreement was forged last week that commits the European Space Agency to supporting International Space Station operations through 2020. The panel discusses the implications for that agreement, what it means for the Station going forward and possible future international agreements between nations. A report by the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) indicated that if Canada is not too careful, it could loose its edge in robotics. The Shuttle and Station Remote Manipulator System (RMS) and the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator or DEXTRE robots have made significant contributions to the success of the Shuttle and Space Station programs. The team discusses the implications of this as well as the Canadian Space Budget going forward. In the "Who Get's a Retired Space Shuttle Orbiter" sweepstakes, another entrant has come on to the field. This past week Senators Richard Durban (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) wrote a letter to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden to consider Chicago's Adler Planetarium as a possible site for one of the Orbiters. With the April 12 announcement pending Gene, Mark, and Liz talk the battle being waged for one of the Orbiters and how political the process has become. To visit Elizabeth's blog, please go to http://pars3c.com and also The Ottawa Business Journal at http://www.obj.ca/ be sure to follow her on Twitter @howellspace Host: Gene Mikulka Panel Members: Mark Ratterman and Elizabeth Howell. Show Recorded 23 March, 2011 

Episode 309: ...Quoth Discovery, Nevermore

On this episode of Talking Space, we continue our look at the STS-133 mission including the 2nd spacwalk, Obama's call to the shuttle and station crew, and her last days in space. Then, we hear from Gina on her STS-133 launch adventure reporting for us including her interview with the first Pilot of Discovery on STS-41-D. Then, we discuss the progress of Endeavour on STS-134. Following that, we say as much as we can about the US Air Force's 2nd X-37 B, their reusable spacecraft, which successfully launched on March 5th, as well as the failed launch of the Glory satellite and what we know so far about the cause of the accident. Lastly, we go into a conversation about NASA's future and its budget. Gina's pictures and videos are available at http://talkingspaceonline.com Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gina Herlihy, Gene Mikulka, and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 3/6/2011

Episode 306: Love at First Launch

On this Valentines episode of Talking Space, we lovingly start with, once again, STS-133 and how for once it has not been delayed but an official date is set for February 24th...for now. We then discuss the Stardust-NExT mission, formerly Deep Impact, as it passed close by to Tempel 1, the same comet in which it crashed into in 2005. We then discuss keeping Endeavour flight ready through 2017 as well as its possible commercial use. The big story, however, is the release of NASA's proposed Fiscal Year 2012 Budget. Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gina Herlihy, Gene Mikulka, and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 2/14/2011

Episode 305: A New Look on

On this episode, we bring on special guest Amy Teitel. Amy is an aspiring author and the creator of her blog, Vintage Space, where she discusses her views as well as little known facts about some of the classic as well as current space missions. We ask her about some of those opinions as well as bringing up shuttle, landing systems, and even the infamous one-way trip to mars. To visit Amy's blog, please check out: http://vintagespace.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter as @astVintageSpace Host this week: Mark Ratterman. Panel Members: Gina Herlihy, Mark Ratterman, and special guest Elizabeth Howell Show Recorded - 1/30/2011

Episode 304: A Discovery Launch is

On this episode, we have special guest Elizabeth Howell, author of the website "Pars3c", join the team. We begin with more STS-133 news, followed by the official announcement of STS-135. Following that, we move out to the ISS where the Russians performed their 27th spacewalk. Following that, we get into heavy business, discussing the launch of the Delta 4 Heavy as well as JAXA's HTV-II. Lastly, we discuss the youngest person to ever discover a supernova and how they did it. To visit Elizabeth's blog, please go to http://pars3c.com and be sure to follow her on Twitter @howellspace Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gina Herlihy, Mark Ratterman, and special guest Elizabeth Howell Show Recorded - 1/23/2011

Episode 303: Antimatter in Thunderstorms? Shocking!

On this episode, we talk a lot of rockets! We start by discussing the stringer issue on STS-133. After discussing its launch date, we move on to another way it can be delayed. Lead spacewalker and STS-133 astronaut Tim Kopra was injured while riding his bicycle. We then talk about Mark Kelly asking for a backup while he tends to his injured wife, Representative Gabrielle Giffords. Following that, we talk about the Soyuz TMA-21, now being named Yuri Gagarin. Listen to find out why. We then go into a tough debate on the proposed Heavy Lift Vehicle. Lastly, we discuss the board of directors at a spaceport in New Mexico and antimatter in thunderstorms. Would you go on a one-way trip to Mars? Why or why not? Send us an email at mailbag@talkingspaceonline.com or visit the Contact Us page on our website. You can also send it to us on Twitter as @talkingspace or on Facebook at http://bit.ly/talkingspacefb. Below is the video discussed by Mark. This video was made by NASA Goddard Flight. To download these types of short video podcasts, visit http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/iTunes/f0004_index.html A video was inserted here. To view it, please visit http://talkingspaceonline.com Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 1/16/2011