Are We There Yet?

NASA and other space and science agencies are striving to diversify their workforces, but there’s still a long way to go. As the country grapples with racial inequality, so do these organizations. Are We There Yet’s Nelly Ontiveros speaks with NASA scientist Geronimo Villanueva during Hispanic Heritage month to talk about efforts to get a more diverse group of STEM students and professionals and what the future corps of deep space explorers might look like.

Then, when talking about future exploration ambitions, language matters. The Atlantic’s Marina Koren writes about the language of space policy leaders, and how it shapes the direction of programs and the perception of space exploration. We’ll talk with Koren about her latest piece which examines the Trump administration’s language of 'manifest destiny' and its effects on space policy.

NASA and other space and science agencies are striving to diversify their workforces, but there’s still a long way to go. As the country grapples with racial inequality, so do these organizations.

Last week, scientists announced the finding of phosphine gas in the atmosphere of Venus, one of our closest planetary neighbors. This stinky gas is linked to life here on Earth -- could that be the case on Venus?

We’ll talk with two scientists about this extraordinary finding. First, NC State planetary scientist Paul Byrne will break down the finding and what it means for our understanding of the Venus atmosphere and the possibility of life there.

Then, MIT quantum astrochemist Clara Sousa-Silva, who has studied this stinky molecule, explains how scientists can use this finding at Venus to track down possible signs of life in our universe.

Last week, scientists announced the finding of phosphine gas in the atmosphere of Venus, one of our closest planetary neighbors. This stinky gas is linked to life here on Earth -- could that be the case on Venus?

It’s been more than a month since an asteroid-hunting telescope in Puerto Rico has gone dark. The Arecibo Observatory’s dish is broken after a piece of scaffolding fell, damaging the surface. So what will it take to fix it? We’ll speak with observatory director Francisco Cordova about the efforts to bring Arecibo back online.

Then, an asteroid is heading our way -- right on election day. Does the cosmic flyby pose any risk to us here on Earth? We’ll speak with our science experts on this week’s I’d Like to Know segment about the possible fly-by and the sensational headlines that get us all looking toward the sky.

It’s been more than a month since an asteroid-hunting telescope in Puerto Rico has gone dark. The Arecibo Observatory’s dish is broken after a piece of scaffolding fell, damaging the surface. So what will it take to fix it?

Last week, scientists, engineers and visionaries met at the annual Humans to Mars summit, outlining current challenges and technological breakthroughs in developing a plan for how to live on the red planet. WeMartian’s podcast host Jake Robins attended the virtual summit and joins us to talk about his takeaways from the conference -- like conversations about diversity and inclusion in deep space exploration and the expanded role robots will play in getting us to Mars.

Then, is an supernova to blame for one of Earth’s earliest extinction events? We’ll chat with our panel of expert scientists from UCF this week to talk about a new paper that argues a star’s death could have had some collateral damage here on Earth.

Last week, scientists, engineers and visionaries met at the annual Humans to Mars summit, outlining current challenges and technological breakthroughs in developing a plan for how to live on the red planet.

Public interest in space exploration is on the rise, partly due to high-profile missions like SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, returning to human launches from the U.S. and excitement around the launch of three missions to Mars this summer.

With new interest comes questions from amateur space fans...like how did the International Space Station get built or how do astronauts go to the bathroom in space.

A new podcast from WKMG’s space reporter Emilee Speck aims to answer those questions submitted by listeners. We’ll talk with Speck about the curious nature of space exploration and how public outreach is helping diversify the space industry.

Then, an observatory has gone quiet. After suffering a snapped cable, the Arecibo observatory in Puerto Rico is offline. We’ll chat with our panel of expert scientists from the University of Central Florida about Arecibo’s role in astronomy and what it means to have such an important piece of equipment temporarily out of action.

Public interest in space exploration is on the rise, partly due to high-profile missions like SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, returning to human launches from the U.S. and excitement around the launch of three missions to Mars this summer. With new interest comes questions from amateur space fans and a new podcast from WKMG’s space reporter Emilee Speck aims to answer those questions submitted by listeners