Are We There Yet?

The next space-based telescope is almost ready to head into orbit. The James Webb Space Telescope aims to look deeper into the history of the universe, piggy-backing off the incredible observations of the Hubble Space Telescope.

The next space-based telescope is almost ready to head into orbit. The James Webb Space Telescope aims to look deeper into the history of the universe, piggy-backing off the incredible observations of the Hubble Space Telescope.

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter had a Wright Brothers moment on Mars after performing the first powered flight on another planet. It’s the first in many planned helicopter missions to other worlds. So what are engineers learning from the test? Mike Kinzel, a UCF assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Central Florida, is working on NASA’s Dragonfly mission -- a robotic helicopter heading to Saturn’s moon Titan -- and joins the show to talk about lessons learned from Ingenuity.

Then, a flying telescope is getting a new pair of eyes. The SOFIA observatory is a telescope that flies into the stratosphere on a modified Boeing 747SP. It’s getting new detectors that allow it to study magnetic fields in distant galaxies four times faster than its current rate. So what does this mean for astronomy and the future of the observatory? Dr. Margaret Meixner,  director of Sofia Science Mission Operations at the Universities Space Research Association joins the program for the latest.

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter had a Wright Brothers moment on Mars after performing the first powered flight on another planet. It’s the first in many planned helicopter missions to other worlds. So what are engineers learning from the test? And -- an aerial telescope is getting some new hardware to peer deep into the universe.

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter had a Wright Brothers moment on Mars after performing the first powered flight on another planet. It’s the first in many planned helicopter missions to other worlds. So what are engineers learning from the test? And -- an aerial telescope is getting some new hardware to peer deep into the universe.

NASA’s next moon rocket has reached its final destination before launching from Kennedy Space Center. The massive 212-foot tall rocket will carry the Orion space capsule on an uncrewed mission around the moon and back, possibly launching at the end of this year.

NASA’s Charlie Blackwell-Thompson is the launch director for NASA’s Artemis program -- the agency’s next moon shot. We caught up with Blackwell-Thompson at KSC last week and we’ll hear from her about this mission milestone and what’s ahead for the massive rocket.

Then, NASA awarded SpaceX a $2.9 billion contract to build the next moon lander for the Artemis program. The award didn’t come without controversy. The two other companies vying for a piece of the prize, including Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, filed a legal protest. So where does this leave NASA’s Human Landing System? Space business analyst and Main Engine Cutoff Host Anthony Colangelo brings us up to speed on the latest from the commercial space beat.

NASA’s next moon rocket has reached its final destination before launching from Kennedy Space Center. The massive 212-foot tall rocket will carry the Orion space capsule on an uncrewed mission around the moon and back, possibly launching at the end of this year.

NASA’s next moon rocket has reached its final destination before launching from Kennedy Space Center. The massive 212-foot tall rocket will carry the Orion space capsule on an uncrewed mission around the moon and back, possibly launching at the end of this year.

Later this week, a new crew will launch to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center here in Florida. When the four astronauts arrive in SpaceX’s Dragon capsule about a day after launch, they’ll join the seven already on board bringing the total number of people on the station to 11.

But here’s a small problem -- there’s only 7 permanent bedrooms for astronauts. So where will some of these astronauts sleep? We’ll speak with retired NASA astronaut Nicole Stott about the plan to house these bedless astronauts and the joys of sleeping in space.

Then, Star Trek actor Nichelle Nichols took on an ambitious project to recruit more diverse candidates for NASA programs at the start of the Space Shuttle program in the 1970s.

She recruited more than 8,000 African American, Asian and Latino women and men for NASA in the 1970s and 80s, turning NASA into one of the most diverse agencies in the United States Federal Government.

The documentary Woman in Motion looks at the efforts and motivations of Nichols who asked the next-generation of space explorers: “Where are my people?” We’ll speak with director Todd Thompson about the film.

Later this week, a new crew will launch to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center here in Florida. When the four astronauts arrive in SpaceX’s Dragon capsule about a day after launch, they’ll join the seven already on board bringing the total number of people on the station to 11. Where will they all sleep?