Are We There Yet?

Before astronauts travel to places like the moon or Mars, they train for the isolation and exploration here on Earth. They’re called mission analogues and are important for understanding how humans will live for extended periods of time off-planet.

A moon analogue is also the scene for a new comedy show from Showtime and A24. Moonbase 8 chronicles a trio of astronauts working to prove to NASA they’re worthy of a mission to the moon.

We’ll speak with co-creators, writers and stars of the new show, John C. Reilly, Tim Heidecker and Fred Armisen about the inspiration and research behind the series.

Then, An active tropical storm season in the Gulf has delayed a critical test of SLS, NASA’s next moon rocket. The Green Run is a critical test campaign of the core stage booster, culminating with a firing of the rocket’s four main engines.

We’ll speak with Boeing Engineer Kristine Ramos about the test...and what’s ahead for NASA’s next moon-shot.

We’ll speak with co-creators, writers and stars of the new show Moonbase 8, John C. Reilly, Tim Heidecker and Fred Armisen about the inspiration and research behind the series.

We’re on the hunt for aliens. NASA astrobiologists are scanning the skies for signs of life. But will extraterrestrials look like the little green humanoids from science fiction movies, books or TV?

We’ll take a look at the efforts to find signs of life outside our universe with two scientists. First, NC State associate professor of planetary science Paul Byrne brings us up to speed on the current methods to look for alien life on other worlds -- and what those life-forms might look like.

Then, NASA astrobiologist Laurie Barge talks about the importance of habitability and why the search for alien life actually starts here on Earth.

And later in the show, we’ll talk with science fiction author Jeff VanderMeer about the evolution of aliens in fiction and how science fact has shaped our imaginative speculation about aliens.

We’re talking aliens this week on Are We There Yet? here on America’s Space Station.

We’re on the hunt for aliens. NASA astrobiologists are scanning the skies for signs of life. But will extraterrestrials look like the little green humanoids from science fiction movies, books or TV?

There’s a lot about space travel that doesn’t get talked about -- like how do astronauts shower or go to the bathroom? Retired NASA astronaut Terry Virts is hoping to shed some light on the often unmentioned things about space travel that are uniquely human in his new book How to Astronaut: An Insider’s Guide to Leaving Planet Earth. We’ll speak with Virts about the lifetime of training that goes into becoming an astronaut and the lessons we all can learn about space travel.

Then, speaking of toilets, the International Space Station just got a brand new commode. We’ll talk with NASA engineer Melissa McKinley about the upgraded toilet and how it will help astronauts on future missions to the moon.

That’s ahead on Are We There Yet? here on WMFE - America’s Space Station.

There’s a lot about space travel that doesn’t get talked about -- like how do astronauts shower or go to the bathroom?

After launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida back in 2016, OSIRIS-REx is about to execute one of its most critical mission objectives -- suck up some dust on a far away asteroid.

The spacecraft has been orbiting the asteroid Bennu since arriving back in 2018, uncovering all sorts of interesting things about this ancient space rock. On October 20th, it will perform a TAG maneuver, sucking up a small sample of dust to send back home.

This dust, once back here on Earth, could help us understand how life formed in the solar system. It’s a question scientists like NASA’s Jason Dworkin have spent their careers unpacking. We’ll speak with Dworkin about this mission and how he hopes to unlock the secrets of life here on Earth.

Then, NASA’s gateway is a mini space station set to orbit the moon. But what’s a space station without supplies? Kennedy Space Center’s Mark Wiese heads NASA's deep space logistics program. We’ll talk about the plan to ship food, water and space suits to the moon ahead of astronaut missions in the next few years.

After launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida back in 2016, OSIRIS-REx is about to execute one of its most critical mission objectives -- suck up some dust on a far away asteroid.

This week Mars is set to come closer to Earth than it has been in more than a decade. The Mars Opposition is when the red planet becomes a visible bright red spot in the night sky. We’ll talk with Seminole State College planetarium director Derek Demeter about the opposition and how to experience it from home.

Then, SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink Satellites this week -- but the orbital constellation is causing some worry in the observational astronomy community. How are these tiny satellites impacting the future of night-sky observations? Our panel of expert scientists from UCF weigh in.

And, we speak with NASA Astronaut Shannon Walker ahead of her mission to the International Space Station, hitching a ride on SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule.

This week Mars is set to come closer to Earth than it has been in more than a decade. The Mars Opposition is when the red planet becomes a visible bright red spot in the night sky.