This Week in Space (Audio)

By TWiT

What's This Week in Space (Audio) about?

The new space age is upon us, and This Week in Space leaves no topic untouched. Every Friday, join Editor-in-Chief of Ad Astra magazine, Rod Pyle and Managing Editor of Space.com, Tariq Malik as they explore everything related to the cosmos.

New episodes posted every Friday.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

This Week in Space (Audio) episodes:

05.03.2024
TWiS 109: Music of the Spheres - Space Music with Chris Carberry
While we may not think of it very often, music has a long history of influencing how we think about spaceflight. From the scores of early silent films to the modern classics we all know, like 2001: A Space Odyssey...
04.26.2024
TWiS 108: Starliner: Better Late Than Never? - Boeing's College Try
We've been waiting... and waiting... and waiting for Boeing's Starliner to fly. First selected in 2010, along with SpaceX's Crew Dragon, Starliner has been behind schedule for years. SpaceX got $2.6 billion for its six dragon flights, and Boeing received...
04.19.2024
TWiS 107: Mars Sample Return Blues - Setbacks, Innovations, and the Search for Life With Leonard David
Unless you've been living under a big red Martian rock, you've likely heard that NASA's Mars Sample Return mission is in trouble. The robotic program has its roots in the 1960s, when NASA started thinking about sending robots to fetch...
04.12.2024
TWiS 106: Space Potpourri! - Eclipse Wrap-Up & More Favorite Space Places
Eclipse Wrap-Up & More Favorite Space Places Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik For full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/106
04.05.2024
TWiS 105: Apoc-eclipse 2024! - With Astronomer Joe Rao
Unless you've been living under a rock or in Barstow, you probably know all about the solar eclipse on Monday. Rod will be going to Austin, likely to be staring at ever-darkening clouds, and Tariq will be headed to the...
03.29.2024
TWiS 104: The Artemis Accords, Ecuador, and You - Ecuador's Space Ambitions With Robert Aillon
Ecuador's Space Ambitions With Robert Aillon Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Robert Aillon For full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/104 Sponsors: zscaler.com/zerotrustAI joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT
03.22.2024
TWiS 103: Starship's Orbital Feat - SpaceX's 3rd Test Flight Decoded With Space.com's Mike Wall
Last week's test flight of SpaceX's Starship--its third so far--was a mixed bag. The successful launch, ascent, staging, and testing of propellant transfer and the cargo bay door were all brilliant, yet both vehicles were destroyed before completing their planned...
03.15.2024
TWiS 102: A New Volcano on Mars! - Dr. Pascal Lee's Journey to Uncover a Volcanic Colossus
Thought you knew all about Mars? Think again. Despite thousands of people poring through thousands of images from a flock of Mars orbiters over the decades, Dr. Pascal Lee and his associates found intriguing features in a region of complex...
03.08.2024
TWiS 101: Nukes in Space - Starship's Next Launch Date, Solar Eclipse Ahead, and Voyager 1 in Peril?
Russia is building a secret nuclear-powered space weapon, but what does that mean for the rest of us? In this episode, Tariq Malik is joined by Space.com's Brett Tingley to discuss the recent reports and delve into the history of...
03.01.2024
TWiS 100: Riding to Space on Virgin Galactic - Odysseus on the Moon, Air Leak on ISS, Crew-8 Launch When?
It's safe to say we all would love a chance to fly to space, but there's wanting to reach space and then ACTUALLY launching into space. This week, as we hit Episode 100, we welcome back Dr. Alan Stern of...
02.23.2024
TWiS 99: Moonshots, Falling Satellites & Starships! - Odysseus Lands, New Glenn Rollout, JWST Discovery
What a year it's been so far! This week, Tariq and Rod look at some of the top headlines for 2024. So far, we've had a partially successful private lunar landing--the first for the United States since 1972--massive satellites hurtling...
02.16.2024
TWiS 98: Inside NASA With Pam Melroy - NASA Deputy Administrator, Former Astronaut, and Shuttle Commander
We all think we know what NASA's up to, but there's nothing like hearing their plans directly from the top. This week, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, who is also a former astronaut, commander of the space shuttle, and US...
02.09.2024
TWiS 97: Attempt No Landing There - The Mission of Europa Clipper
The moons of the outer solar system have become one of the primary targets of robotic exploration. Previous probes have detected what might be warm, salty oceans below the ice crusts of Saturn's moon Enceladus and Jupiter's Europa. NASA's Europa...
02.02.2024
TWiS 96: It's Space TV! - With William Shatner's UnXplained Producer Jeff Stepp
Space and science TV has come a long way since the old-time staples like Mr. Wizard and the original Bille Nye, The Science Guy. On this episode of This Week in Space, History Channel producer Jeff Stepp joins us to...
01.26.2024
TWiS 95: Clean Energy From Space With John Mankins - The Future of Space-Based Solar Power
Climate change has become a top priority for all of us, including NASA. Space solar power—beaming energy from space 24 hours per day—has become a real possibility and is being studied internationally by the US, Europe, Japan, and China. It...
01.19.2024
TWiS 94: Space in 2024 - A Preview of the Global Plans for Spaceflight This Year!
2024 looks to be another exciting year in spaceflight! Despite the delay of the Artemis crewed lunar program, a number of exciting missions are queued up this year, among them the launch of Europa Clipper, ESA's HERA mission to Didymos,...
01.12.2024
TWiS 93: Does America Really Want to Go Back to the Moon? - With Former NASA Historian Roger Launius
America's heading back to the Moon, but what does the public really think? This week, we talk with former NASA Chief Historian and Smithsonian Curator Dr. Roger Launius, who has studied, among many other things, public perceptions of NASA and...
01.05.2024
TWiS 92: The Saga of the Seven Sisters - Navigating the Night Sky With Astronomer Steve Fentress
Spend some time in a dark location and you'll see the night sky in all its glory. If you pick a night with no moon, the effect triples. Steve Fentress, recently retired director of the Strasenburgh Planetarium in New York,...
12.22.2023
TWiS: Happy Holidays From Rod & Tariq - We Return Will January 5th!
Happy holidays! Rod and Tariq are taking the next two weeks off but will be back with our regularly scheduled programming on January 5th. Host: Rod Pyle Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Get episodes ad-free with Club...
12.15.2023
TWiS 91: 2023 Holiday Special! - The Year in Review With Leonard David
This holiday special episode of This Week in Space covers a wide range of space topics from 2023, including asteroid sample return, China's space achievements, commercial lunar landers, Mars sample return challenges, UFO disclosure, and more. Headlines: The asteroid...
12.08.2023
TWiS 90: The Wizard of Griffith Observatory - The Amazing Dr. Ed Krupp Talks Archaeoastronomy
Most of us have experienced a planetarium at one time or another, but unless you've been to the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, you've missed out. Besides a brand-spanking-new planetarium theater chock-a-block with special effects and computerized systems, the Observatory's...
12.01.2023
TWiS 89: Who's in Charge in Space? - The Challenges of Regulating Spaceflight
With an increase in commercial and private spaceflight comes the need to regulate it, and the FAA has had a major role in newspace flight rules to date... but should it be the primary regulator moving ahead? Many in the...
11.17.2023
TWiS 88: Thanksgiving Special - What We're Grateful For in Space
A lot of cool space stuff has occurred since the dawn of the Space Age, and a lot of it lives overhead right now. This week, Rod and Tariq run through their favorite space missions and top moments in the...
11.10.2023
TWiS 87: One Lunar Fizz Please - Drinking in Space With Colleen McLeod Garner
As more people take tourist jaunts into space, and eventually into orbit for longer stays, social drinking will become part of the experience—even if it's just that bottle of congratulatory champagne. Besides the odd effects of zero-g on fizzy drinks...
11.03.2023
TWiS 86: Home is Where the Air Is - Life Support to Mars with Grant Anderson
We all know you must carry breathable air and drinkable water with you into space... but when traveling to Mars, how can you ensure your life support system will keep working all the way there and beyond? Technology is fallible,...
10.27.2023
TWiS 85: Top 10 Scary Space Frights - Halloween Special
Space wants to kill you every moment you are there. From the harsh vacuum to extreme temperatures to killing radiation, there's no shortage of ways to make your stay in space brief. This Halloween, we discuss the Top Ten (and...
10.20.2023
TWiS 84: Hometown Hero - Astronaut Jose Hernandez and Inspiration Via the New Biopic "A Million Miles Away"
How many of us wanted to be an astronaut when we were younger? It's a big ask. Now, imagine holding this dream while being a young migrant farm worker in the arid fields of Central California. That was former NASA...
10.13.2023
TWiS 83: A Hole in the Sky - Viewing 2023's Partial Solar Eclipse with Skywatcher Joe Rao
On October 14 many in the western US will be able to see a partial eclipse of the sun. Astronomer and skywatcher Joe Rao joins us to discuss October 14th's annular eclipse, when most of the sun will be blocked...
10.06.2023
TWiS 82: Our Favorite Space Places - Space Museums and Facilities You Can Visit
From the Kennedy Space Center to Apollo Mission Control to SpaceX's Starbase, Rod and Tariq discuss the coolest space places on Earth for you to visit. Some are grand, a few are funky, but they are all great places to...
09.29.2023
TWiS 81: Rob Manning, the Carroll Shelby of Mars - Chief Engineer at Jet Propulsion Laboratory
We all know that NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory designs, builds, and flies the premiere machines of space exploration, but just who designs and prepares them? It takes a team, but unique leadership must be at the top, and Rob Manning,...
09.22.2023
TWiS 80: Onward to the Stars - Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz and the VASIMR Plasma Drive
Franklin Chang-Diaz rose from arriving in America with $50 in his pocket to earning a Ph.D. from MIT, becoming a NASA astronaut, and flying seven shuttle missions--the first Latin American immigrant to reach space. Since his retirement from NASA, he...
09.15.2023
TWiS 79: Stardust! - Back from Bennu with OSIRIS-REx's Incalculably Valuable Dirt and Anjani Polit
For as long as they've understood what asteroids actually are, scientists have pined for pristine samples that haven't had to endure hurtling through Earth's scorching atmosphere. The OSIRIS-REx probe, which launched in 2016, is finally returning its ultra-valuable payload--a bit...
09.08.2023
TWiS 78: Back to Space School! - The Biggest, Baddest, and Boldest Space Headlines of 2023
It's the end of summer, and what a summer it's been in spaceflight! We're overdue for a roundup of the latest and greatest of all the accomplishments in space this year. Join Tariq—surely one of the brightest space reporters out...
09.01.2023
TWiS 77: Back to Mars with Pascal Lee - Returned from the Arctic with new Mars exploration tech stories
Our favorite Martian and Arctic explorer is back! Dr. Pascal Lee has returned from his 25th season at the Haughton-Mars Project Arctic base, and what a field season he had! New space suits were tested, Moon drills were tried, his...
08.25.2023
TWiS 76: Over the Moon - Chat With Noah Petro of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
Ever since the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter first confirmed the presence of water on the Moon, the rush has been on, as both Russia and India proved last week. Why is finding water there so important? How did the LRO probe...
08.18.2023
TWiS 75: Our Favorite Space Conspiracies Part 2 - Wild Ideas and Weird Beliefs About Space Continued
We still love us some space conspiracies! This week, Tariq and I discuss more of our favorites--from the "the Earth is flat!" to the deadly Planet X (or "Planet 9," as self-avowed Pluto-Killer Mike Brown calls it--though he may end...
08.11.2023
TWiS 74: Adrift in the Kuiper Belt? - Alan Stern of the New Horizons Mission
For decades, all the planets of the solar system had been reconnoitered—except Pluto. That last planetary body had been seen, at best, as just a faint smudge by the Hubble Space Telescope. Then, in 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft sped...
08.04.2023
TWiS 73: Heavy Metal in Space - The Psyche Mission with Lindy Elkins-Tanton
Not all asteroids are created equal, and 16 Psyche, one of the largest, is extremely dense in metals, making it unique. Is the 140-mile giant the leftover core of a failed planet, or a more recent gravitational accretion of metal-rich...
07.28.2023
TWiS 72: Newspace Careers With Rick Jenet of Expanding Frontiers! - Rick Jenet of Expanding Frontiers, Newspace
Some communities in the US are poised for exponential expansion into the newspace economy, and Brownsville, Texas, is one of the key spots. Rick Jenet's nonprofit, Expanding Frontiers, is working to see that Brownsville becomes a key hub for space...
07.21.2023
TWiS 71: Threats From Above - Jonathan Dagle, Policy Chief of the National Space Society
Space is just packed with scary stuff, including huge Earth-impacting asteroids and a swarming cloud of dangerous debris orbiting our planet. Meet Jonathan Dagle, USAF veteran, policy expert, chief politico for the National Space Society, and all-around policy wonk. He's...
07.14.2023
TWiS 70: Finding Your Space Tribe - With Dale Skran of the National Space Society
We all long to belong to something bigger than ourselves... for some, it's a large family; for others, a workplace. But for us, the "Space Enlightened," it's our space tribe! The tribe might embrace Star Wars or Star Trek lore,...
07.07.2023
TWiS 69: A Meteorite In My Attic - Geoffrey Notkin, Meteorite Man!
Geoffrey Notkin of Meteorite Men joins Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik on This Week in Space to discuss the latest space headlines including Asteroid Day, Ariane 5, and of course, Notkin's meteorite collection. Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest:...
06.30.2023
TWiS 68: Danger From the Skies - A Conversation with former NASA Astronaut Dr. Ed Lu of the B612 Foundation and the Asteroid Institute
The solar system is a dangerous place, with asteroids barreling between the planets and frequently skimming past Earth. Just one 50-foot rock, like the one that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013, could kill up to a million people! Dr....
06.23.2023
TWiS 67: Our Favorite Space Conspiracies - Wild Ideas and Weird Beliefs
We do love us some space conspiracies! This week, Tariq Malik and Rod Pyle discuss their favorites – from the classic "we never landed on the Moon" to the less-discussed hexagon on Saturn's north pole (we all know it's an...
06.16.2023
TWiS 66: Look to the Skies For a Warning - NASA's UFO Report
Space Ace Leonard David joins the conversation on This Week in Space. NASA has released preliminary results of their Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena report, and they are nearly the opposite of the DoD's previous report. NASA found very few incidents to...
06.09.2023
TWiS 65: Space Is For Everyone - Rachel Lyons of Space For Humanity
Many of us would love an opportunity to fly into space, even if for just a few minutes. Dylan Taylor recognized this, and also the power of the Overview Effect to change people's perceptions about spaceflight and our world. He...
06.02.2023
TWiS 64: The Original Space Buccaneer - Charles Miller and the New Space Age
You may not have heard of Charles Miller, but you should have. He was an early proponent of commercial spaceflight and was instrumental in making it part of NASA's mandate in 1998. He was a senior advisor to NASA on...
05.26.2023
TWiS 63: The Angry Sun With Dr. C. Alex Young - The Sun Is Heating Up, Solar Cycle 25
The sun brings light and heat to Earth, but it can also blast our planet with stormy weather, flares, and massive coronal mass ejections that can impact our power grids, satellites, and even endanger astronauts in space and, eventually, back...
05.19.2023
TWiS 62: Juno's Jupiter Journey With Dr. Scott Bolton - The Juno Probe Has Redefined Jupiter and Its Moons
Jupiter is the king of the solar system, yet it has only been visited by a handful of probes. Juno is the most recent, and has redefined how we understand the giant planet. Since 2016, Juno has explored Jupiter's intense...
05.12.2023
TWiS 61: Space Collectibles with Robert Pearlman - You'll Be Amazed What Space Collectibles Are Worth!
Today we're talking to Robert Pearlman, the king of space collectors! Robert runs the CollectSpace website, the premiere go-to for collecting space hardware and paraphernalia. Need to know what that space helmet is worth? Robert has your back. Oh, you...

What's This Week in Space (Audio) about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

This Week in Space (Audio) episodes:

TWiS 109: Music of the Spheres - Space Music with Chris Carberry

TWiS 108: Starliner: Better Late Than Never? - Boeing's College Try

TWiS 107: Mars Sample Return Blues - Setbacks, Innovations, and the Search for Life With Leonard David

TWiS 106: Space Potpourri! - Eclipse Wrap-Up & More Favorite Space Places

TWiS 105: Apoc-eclipse 2024! - With Astronomer Joe Rao

TWiS 104: The Artemis Accords, Ecuador, and You - Ecuador's Space Ambitions With Robert Aillon

TWiS 103: Starship's Orbital Feat - SpaceX's 3rd Test Flight Decoded With Space.com's Mike Wall

TWiS 102: A New Volcano on Mars! - Dr. Pascal Lee's Journey to Uncover a Volcanic Colossus

TWiS 101: Nukes in Space - Starship's Next Launch Date, Solar Eclipse Ahead, and Voyager 1 in Peril?

TWiS 100: Riding to Space on Virgin Galactic - Odysseus on the Moon, Air Leak on ISS, Crew-8 Launch When?

TWiS 99: Moonshots, Falling Satellites & Starships! - Odysseus Lands, New Glenn Rollout, JWST Discovery

TWiS 98: Inside NASA With Pam Melroy - NASA Deputy Administrator, Former Astronaut, and Shuttle Commander

TWiS 97: Attempt No Landing There - The Mission of Europa Clipper

TWiS 96: It's Space TV! - With William Shatner's UnXplained Producer Jeff Stepp

TWiS 95: Clean Energy From Space With John Mankins - The Future of Space-Based Solar Power

TWiS 94: Space in 2024 - A Preview of the Global Plans for Spaceflight This Year!

TWiS 93: Does America Really Want to Go Back to the Moon? - With Former NASA Historian Roger Launius

TWiS 92: The Saga of the Seven Sisters - Navigating the Night Sky With Astronomer Steve Fentress

TWiS: Happy Holidays From Rod & Tariq - We Return Will January 5th!

TWiS 91: 2023 Holiday Special! - The Year in Review With Leonard David

TWiS 90: The Wizard of Griffith Observatory - The Amazing Dr. Ed Krupp Talks Archaeoastronomy

TWiS 89: Who's in Charge in Space? - The Challenges of Regulating Spaceflight

TWiS 88: Thanksgiving Special - What We're Grateful For in Space

TWiS 87: One Lunar Fizz Please - Drinking in Space With Colleen McLeod Garner

TWiS 86: Home is Where the Air Is - Life Support to Mars with Grant Anderson

TWiS 85: Top 10 Scary Space Frights - Halloween Special

TWiS 84: Hometown Hero - Astronaut Jose Hernandez and Inspiration Via the New Biopic "A Million Miles Away"

TWiS 83: A Hole in the Sky - Viewing 2023's Partial Solar Eclipse with Skywatcher Joe Rao

TWiS 82: Our Favorite Space Places - Space Museums and Facilities You Can Visit

TWiS 81: Rob Manning, the Carroll Shelby of Mars - Chief Engineer at Jet Propulsion Laboratory

TWiS 80: Onward to the Stars - Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz and the VASIMR Plasma Drive

TWiS 79: Stardust! - Back from Bennu with OSIRIS-REx's Incalculably Valuable Dirt and Anjani Polit

TWiS 78: Back to Space School! - The Biggest, Baddest, and Boldest Space Headlines of 2023

TWiS 77: Back to Mars with Pascal Lee - Returned from the Arctic with new Mars exploration tech stories

TWiS 76: Over the Moon - Chat With Noah Petro of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

TWiS 75: Our Favorite Space Conspiracies Part 2 - Wild Ideas and Weird Beliefs About Space Continued

TWiS 74: Adrift in the Kuiper Belt? - Alan Stern of the New Horizons Mission

TWiS 73: Heavy Metal in Space - The Psyche Mission with Lindy Elkins-Tanton

TWiS 72: Newspace Careers With Rick Jenet of Expanding Frontiers! - Rick Jenet of Expanding Frontiers, Newspace

TWiS 71: Threats From Above - Jonathan Dagle, Policy Chief of the National Space Society

TWiS 70: Finding Your Space Tribe - With Dale Skran of the National Space Society

TWiS 69: A Meteorite In My Attic - Geoffrey Notkin, Meteorite Man!

TWiS 68: Danger From the Skies - A Conversation with former NASA Astronaut Dr. Ed Lu of the B612 Foundation and the Asteroid Institute

TWiS 67: Our Favorite Space Conspiracies - Wild Ideas and Weird Beliefs

TWiS 66: Look to the Skies For a Warning - NASA's UFO Report

TWiS 65: Space Is For Everyone - Rachel Lyons of Space For Humanity

TWiS 64: The Original Space Buccaneer - Charles Miller and the New Space Age

TWiS 63: The Angry Sun With Dr. C. Alex Young - The Sun Is Heating Up, Solar Cycle 25

TWiS 62: Juno's Jupiter Journey With Dr. Scott Bolton - The Juno Probe Has Redefined Jupiter and Its Moons

TWiS 61: Space Collectibles with Robert Pearlman - You'll Be Amazed What Space Collectibles Are Worth!

Other shows like This Week in Space (Audio):