Are We There Yet?

SpaceX successfully launched its Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station, docked it to the orbiting outpost, and returned it safely to Earth. While the capsule didn’t have a crew — just a test-dummy named Ripley — It was a huge milestone for the private space company which is working with NASA on a contract to send humans to the space station from US soil for the first time since the end of the shuttle program in 2011. That could happen as soon as this summer.

NASA is also working with Boeing on its Starliner capsule to accomplish the same goal. The Starliner will launch uncrewed on a similar mission this spring, and would send astronauts soon after.

The program has faced multiple delays due to Congressional funding, but with SpaceX’s successful mission, all signs point to 2019 being the year of the so called Commercial Crew Program. To talk more about the milestone and missions ahead we’re joined by Chris Gebhardt, he’s the Assistant Managing Editor at NASA Spaceflight dot com and joins us from Cape Canaveral.

SpaceX successfully launched its Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station, docked it to the orbiting outpost, and returned it safely to Earth. So what's ahead for NASA's partnership with SpaceX and Boeing to launch astronauts from U.S. soil?

After 15 years, NASA has declared Opportunity’s mission complete. Earlier this week, the agency tried to contact the Mars rover one last. The rover had been radio silent since June.

Designed to only spend 90 days exploring, the mission far exceeded expectations, clocking in at a decade and a half while traversing 28 miles across the red planet.

The mission captivated more than just the science community. The photos beamed back from the red planet gave everyone here on Earth incredible views of another world. Opportunity’s end was grieved by many online in the form of comic strips, obituaries and remembrances from the people that spent their careers working on the mission.

To look back at Opportunity’s legacy, we’re speaking with Dan Batcheldor. He’s the head of Aerospace Physics and Space Sciences at Florida Tech.

After 15 years, NASA has declared Opportunity’s mission complete. Earlier this week, the agency tried to contact the Mars rover one last. The rover had been radio silent since June.

Abigail Harrison wants to be the first person on Mars, and she’s on a mission to inspire others to help with those efforts.

That’s why she stated The Mars Generation, a non-profit dedicated to getting young people involved in STEM and space exploration. The group hosts various outreach events and offers a scholarship for low-income students to attend space camp.

Abigail Harrison, otherwise known as Astronaut Abby, joins us from her home in the Twin Cities, to talk about these efforts.

Abigail Harrison wants to be the first person on Mars and she's on a mission to inspire others to help with those efforts.

Fifty years ago today, Frank Boreman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders launch from the Kennedy Space Center atop a Saturn V rocket on humanity’s first mission to the moon.

The trio was the first to leave Earth’s orbit and see the Earth as a whole planet. Three days later, when they arrived at the moon, the crew could see the earth rise above the lunar surface

Anders snapped a photo, now known as Earthrise, which is called one of the most influential environmental photographs ever taken. The Apollo 8 mission paved the way for future lunar landing missions, too.

Now, a group of retired astronauts are remembering the mission, and the photograph, and using it as a tool to inspire future generations of explores.

Retired NASA Astronaut Nicole Stott joins the podcast to talk about the significance of the image and how her new program Constellation is inspiring others to view the planet from a different perspective.

Fifty years ago today, Frank Boreman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders launch from the Kennedy Space Center atop a Saturn V rocket on humanity’s first mission to the moon.

The red planet just go another robot inhabitant. NASA’s Mars InSight lander touched down on November 26 after a six month trip through our solar system.

The mission aims to understand what’s going on UNDER the martian surface using a suite of geological and seismic tools. It will spend the next few weeks surveying it’s landing site before starting its science mission, but in the meantime, the spacecraft has been beaming back tantalizing new pictures from the surface of Mars.

So what do scientists hope to learn from InSight? Emily Lakdawalla joins the podcast to answer that question. She’s a geologist and also the Senior Editor at the Planetary Society. Emily was at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab during the landing and joins us via Skype today to talk about the mission ahead for InSight.

The red planet just go another robot inhabitant. NASA’s Mars InSight lander touched down on November 26 after a six month trip through our solar system. So what do scientists hope to learn from InSight?