Aspiring Martians

This week on Aspiring Martians, Joe talks with Rachel Lyons — aerospace engineer, leadership coach, and former Executive Director of Space for Humanity. Today, she runs EarthRise Leadership, where she fuses her background in aerospace and economics with a passion for helping people step into who they want to be — on Earth and beyond.

Rachel’s work has been featured on CNN, NPR, and stages around the world, but her story goes deeper than the résumé. In our conversation, she opens up about taking the reins of leadership at a young age, the spark she found watching Cosmos, and the lessons she’s learned about team cohesion, self-care, and forging ahead even when support isn’t guaranteed. We also dig into why humility will shape our future on Mars — and how preparing to live off-world is really about becoming more than we are right now.

A huge thank you to Rachel Lyons for joining me today and sharing her incredible perspective, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining he FB group, and to my family for always supporting this journey—even when the topic at the table becomes fossilized microbial leftovers.

This week on Aspiring Martians, Joe talks with Sergii Iakymov — aerospace engineer, Mars One 100 finalist, and the Director of the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah.

Born in Germany, raised in Ukraine, and now splitting his time between Utah and California, Sergii has spent over 15 years designing, testing, and leading in aerospace and exploration. He’s managed crews in the Utah desert, joined a 45-day HERA mission in Houston, and helped shape some of the most active Mars analog projects in the world.

In our conversation, Sergii shares what it was like to be part of the Mars One 100, how his background in aviation and cosmonautics led him to analog research, and what he’s learned about human resilience from both directing missions and serving as crew. We also dive into the lessons from living in confinement, why international collaboration matters, and how Martian settlement isn’t only about surviving on another world — it’s about building better ways to live right here at home.

A huge thank you to Sergii Iakymov for joining me today and sharing his remarkable story, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for adminin the FB group and to my family for always supporting this mission—even when I pitch Utah vacations to them at the dinner table.

This week on Aspiring Martians, Joe talks with Josh Richards — a physicist, former Australian Army and UK Royal Marine commando, cave diver, writer, and one of the most visible Mars One finalists.

Josh’s background is extraordinary: growing up in a military family, serving in multiple branches of the armed forces, and even turning to comedy as a way of processing the scars of service. In our conversation, he shares candidly about his PTSD, why he walked away from the military, and how he found healing through comedy, storytelling, exploration, and a vision of humanity among the stars.

We cover everything from what it was like to grow up thinking space was out of reach for an Australian kid, to how a single song in a London flat reignited his childhood dream, to the philosophy that drives him to keep exploring — whether that’s signing up for Mars or crawling through flooded caves in South Australia.

This is a conversation about space, yes — but more than that, it’s about resilience, visibility, and what it means to keep moving forward after hardship.

A huge thank you to Josh Richards for joining me today and sharing his energy and perspective, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the Facebook Group, and to my family for always supporting this journey—even when the dinner table turns into a Mars trivia contest.

For more information on the Soggy Wombats, check out their YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@soggywombat

This week on Aspiring Martians, I talk with Olanrewaju Paul Oladunni — a pioneer in Africa’s space advocacy movement and the Founder and Regional President of Space Tourism Society Africa.

Paul’s journey started with a simple dream: bringing people closer to the stars. From founding one of Nigeria’s first space clubs in the early 2000s to representing Africa at the global level with Space Renaissance International, he’s worked tirelessly to make sure the continent isn’t just a passenger in humanity’s journey to space — but a leader.

In this conversation, Paul shares how he connects the vision of a spacefaring Africa with the fight against poverty, how grassroots movements can transform lives, and why he believes the cosmos belongs to everyone.

A huge thank you to Paul Oladunni for joining me today and sharing his incredible perspective, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for always supporting this journey—even when it turns into late-night research on Martian maps.

Dogs have been humanity’s companions for thousands of years—guardians, workers, comforters, and beloved family members. But what about Mars?

In this special Everyday Mars episode, released in honor of International Dog Day, I sat down with Dr. Clive Wynne, ethologist at Arizona State University and author of Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You. Dr. Wynne is one of the foremost experts on the behavior of dogs and their wild relatives, and together we explored the question: will humans one day share life on Mars with their canine companions?

We talked about the history of dogs in space—over 50 launched through the Soviet program, with names like Squirrel, Little Arrow, and Laika the “barker.” Then we turned to the practical and ethical questions of taking dogs to Mars: Could they adapt to the conditions? Would their companionship help future settlers thrive? And what does our bond with dogs say about the kind of society we’ll build off Earth?

This episode is part science, part philosophy, and part love letter to our best friends—and what role they might play in humanity’s Martian future.

A huge thank you to Dr. Clive Wynne for joining me today and sharing his insight into the human-canine bond, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for always supporting this journey—even when it takes a detour into Cold War dog tales.

This week on Aspiring Martians, I spoke with Rahaf Adi, the first Syrian woman to graduate with a space engineering degree. Rahaf’s journey has taken her from childhood dreams of building rockets to designing real experiments bound for space, including work at Purdue’s legendary Zucrow Labs on thrust-vectored engines. She was even chosen as the Banner Bearer for Purdue’s College of Engineering, leading the graduation procession with well-earned pride.

We talked about breaking new ground for women in aerospace, designing for spaceflight, the grit it takes to carve a path when none seems available, and how she’s motivated by the idea of not wanting to disappoint her future mentees—which pushes her to strive for her very best today.

This conversation is about determination, identity, mentorship, and the long view of what it means to chase Mars while inspiring those who will come after you.

A huge thank you to Rahaf Adi for joining me today and sharing her vision and voice, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for always supporting this journey—even when the dinner table turns into a planetary history lesson.

Mohammed Sallam’s path to becoming one of the 100 finalists in the Mars One program started in Cairo in the 1980s, with a love of sci-fi films and the quiet wonder of staring at the night sky. Decades later, a news article calling for Mars settlers in the wake of the Arab Spring set him on a course that would change his life.

In this episode, Mido shares what it’s like to grow up in Egypt dreaming of the stars, how a period of upheaval led him to buy his first telescope, and the ways he now inspires students through his Saturn V Space Club and other educational projects. We talk Arab diversity in space, the realities of preparing for a one-way trip, and his hopes for humanity’s future on Mars. Along the way, you’ll hear stories about late night Mars study sessions, preparing for his pilot license, losing and finding purpose, and why he’s ready to plant an Egyptian badge—if not an actual flag—on the Red Planet.

A huge thank you to Mohammed Sallam for joining me today and sharing his vision and story, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for always supporting this mission—even if it means eating dinner on Mars time.

In 2006, more than 36,000 South Koreans applied to become the nation’s first astronaut. After a grueling selection process that tested everything from physical endurance to scientific reasoning, just two were chosen to train in Russia. One of them was Dr. Yi Soyeon—an engineer, a pioneer, and ultimately, the woman who would make history aboard the Soyuz in 2008.

In this conversation, Soyeon shares what it was like growing up in a culture that didn’t traditionally encourage girls to dream of space. We talked about the power of saying "let's try it," about the similarities between dorm room life and Russian military bases, and the mental resilience it takes to be a trailblazer. We also dove into how her mission reshaped her outlook on Earth, how she answers young girls' questions about space, and her hopes for humanity’s future on Mars.

A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Yi Soyeon for joining me today and sharing her powerful story as a pioneer, scientist, and dreamer, to Nick Thorburn for our uplifting theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining he FB group, and to my family for supporting this project—even when it turns into late-night Mars rabbit holes.

When we dream of Mars, we often picture the big stuff: rockets, habitats, astronauts planting flags. But what about the day-to-day grind of running a business on another planet? In this special Everyday Mars episode, I spoke with aerospace veteran Jim Cantrell—one of the original team members at SpaceX and now the CEO and co-founder of Phantom Space Corporation—about what it’s going to take to build not just a civilization, but an economy, on Mars.

Jim brings decades of experience launching real ventures, from moon landers to microsats, and now he’s turning his entrepreneurial gaze toward the Red Planet. We explore what kinds of businesses will come first, what investors need to understand about Martian logistics, and what lessons we can borrow from Earth's startup ecosystem. We also dig into launch windows, robotic middle class, quitting our job after being at sea for a month, Martian bakeries, the importance of the frontier, Jim's tips to future Martian entrepreneurs, why building a business might be harder than building a satellite, and how walking the walk is more important than talking the talk.

A huge thank you to Jim Cantrell for joining me today and bringing his trailblazing perspective to the conversation, to Nick Thorburn for our high-flying theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the Facebook group, and to my family for supporting this vision—even when my browser tabs are full of asteroid mining articles.

This week on Aspiring Martians, I speak with Anastasia Medvedeva—a Moscow-based space communicator, event organizer, and the force behind Yuri’s Night Russia. Anastasia’s story begins with a childhood spark: a signed book from Valentina Tereshkova and the poetic notion that if a seagull can go anywhere, so can she. That metaphor turned into a mission—using media, parties, and pop culture to bridge the gap between the space industry and the everyday dreamers it should serve.

We talk about the moment she realized space needs storytellers just as much as scientists, how she crafted a version of Yuri’s Night for a wider audience, and why space events should be equal parts education and celebration. Anastasia also opens up about the challenges of inspiring people in tough times, how to explain Mars without PowerPoints, and why building community might be humanity’s greatest preparation for the stars. Along the way: rainstorms in Milan, space debris awareness before it was cool, the ethics of colonization, and what it means to stay fascinated—even when the universe is complicated.