Episodes
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 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 23, 2023
Episode 1508: Starship, ULA & STEM news
Sunday Jul 23, 2023
Sunday Jul 23, 2023
The environmental lawsuit brought by a consortium of environmental and tribal groups against the FAA and SpaceX has shown no visible movement since July 5, 2023, but we have all the details on what did transpire on that date. Turns out that since our recording date, another filing in the case 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 in the timeframe of December 2023 or January of 2024, or maybe even later. More on this to come next time!
Believe it or not, there are a few other stories in the News Roundup:
- NASA selects Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace to further advance the capabilities of their respective spacesuits by pulling a switcheroo on them.
- A new robotic, scientific instrument package with a lovely new acronym – DIMPLE – has been selected for Artemis through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) to study volcanic terrain on the Moon.
- The asteroid sample-return mission known as OSIRIS Rex is making a number of course-correction burns this month to set it up for a precision landing in the Great Salt Lake Desert on September 24, 2023.
Next, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) says despite recent anomalies involving their Centaur V upper stage and the BE-4 engines built by Blue Origin, Vulcan should still fly this year, although behind schedule. We respectfully disagree.
Then, we bring you a discussion on a subject near and dear to everyone’s heart here on the Talking Space team: STEM education programs and their importance in securing the future competitiveness of the USA, the future of our children and the well-being of the planet. FYI, STEM represents science, technology, engineering and math. NASA has recently awarded millions in STEM research grants to schools all over the country. All this may sound corny, but you can’t argue with how it’s changed lives. Also, here’s a STEM center success story that is very personal to Sawyer.
Finally, a reminder from whence we came: This past week was the 54th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon mission, which carried Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the lunar surface for the first-ever manned lunar landing on July 20, 1969. Meanwhile, Michael Collins piloted the Command Module, which then took all three astronauts back home.
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 07-16-2023.
Host: Sawyer Rosenstein
Panelist(s): Mark Ratterman and Larry Herrin (Gene Mikulka and Dr. Kat Robison will return)
Podcast Editor: Larry Herrin
Transition Music Credit: Pixabay - StudioKolomna
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
Sunday Aug 21, 2022
Episode 1406: Launchapalooza
Sunday Aug 21, 2022
Sunday Aug 21, 2022
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
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
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