Are We There Yet?

It’s the summer of Mars. Three spacecraft are heading to the red planet. Rovers from NASA and China, as well as an orbiter from the United Arab Emirates.

The armada of Mars bound explorers are taking advantage of a transfer window that happens only every two years when Earth and Mars are at their closest points.

The overall goal of these missions is to better understand Mars. NASA’s Perseverance rover launching from Cape Canaveral in Florida aims to find signs of ancient life on the red planet.

We’ll talk with Elizabeth Howell and Nicholas Booth, authors of the new book The Search for Life on Mars. We’ll get a rundown of all the cool science heading to the red planet, and the plan to bring back samples of Mars in the next decade.

It’s the summer of Mars. Three spacecraft are heading to the red planet. Rovers from NASA and China, as well as an orbiter from the United Arab Emirates.

Commercial space is booming -- fueled by fresh cash, lots of new rockets and a change in how NASA works with private companies. What’s ahead for this new chapter in private space business? We’ll speak with Mary Lynne Dittmar President & CEO, Coalition for Deep Space Exploration, about the deep space economy.

Then, fresh science payloads are heading to the moon soon, ahead of the return of NASA astronauts to the lunar surface. What’s left to learn? We’ll speak with our panel of expert scientists on this week’s “I’d Like to Know” segment about the new lunar science on the horizon.

Be sure to check out Mary Lynne Dittmar's new show "The Deep Space Podcast." Get it wherever you get this podcast or visit the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration's website.

Commercial space is booming -- fueled by fresh cash, lots of new rockets and a change in how NASA works with private companies. What’s ahead for this new chapter in private space business?

As early as next year, space tourism company Space Perspective will ferry humans to the edge of space using a giant hydrogen-filled balloon. The capsule will have all the comforts of home – like a bar and a bathroom – and promises breathtaking views of the curvature of the Earth and blackness of space.

As more and more space tourism ventures come online, how will greater access to space change how humans perceive this planet? We’ll talk with Space Perspectives CEOs Jane Poynter & Taber MacCallum about the dawn of space tourism.

Then, why do some planets have rings? We’ll talk with our panel of expert scientists on this week’s “I’d Like to Know” segment.

As early as next year, space tourism company Space Perspective will ferry humans to the edge of space using a giant hydrogen-filled balloon. The capsule will have all the comforts of home – like a bar and a bathroom – and promises breathtaking views of the curvature of the Earth and blackness of space. As more and more space tourism ventures come online, how will greater access to space change how humans perceive this planet?

Protests across the country have highlighted systemic racism and turned the national conversation towards equality and justice. So how does racial inequality affect space exploration?

We’ll speak with Jarard Williams, a recent graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law about equality in space and the effort to inspire more diverse explorers. Williams recently gave a lecture called “The Dark Star: Black Representation in Space” on racial inequality in the space industry.

Then, Saturn's moon Titan is getting farther and farther away from the ringed planet. How do we know this -- and is Titan the only moon on the move? We’ll ask our panel of experts on this week’s segment “I’d Like to Know”.

Protests across the country have highlighted systemic racism and turned the national conversation towards equality and justice. So how does racial inequality affect space exploration?

NASA is relying more and more on the private sector to help its exploration efforts -- from building the next moon lander to transporting astronauts to the International Space Station.

So what does the future look like for this new dawn of commercial exploration? We’ll talk with Main Engine Cutoff podcast host Anthony Colangelo about the latest space business news and how leveraging commercial companies will help NASA reach places like the moon and Mars.

Then, magnetars are neutron stars with powerful magnetic fields with the power to destroy anything in their paths. So where did they come from? We’ll chat with our panel of expert scientists on this week’s “I’d Like to Know” segment.

NASA is relying more and more on the private sector to help its exploration efforts -- from building the next moon lander to transporting astronauts to the International Space Station. So what does the future look like for this new dawn of commercial exploration?