Casual Space

Our nation's space agency has experienced many incredible human feats (landing a human on the moon, walking in space, assembling an International Space Station, etc.) as well as three very public manned missions that resulted in heroes' lives lost. In this episode, Beth and Dean continue the second part of this discussion about NASA's Successes from Failures to include the manned missions; Apollo 1, the Challenger space shuttle, and Columbia STS-107.

Beth worked at NASA Johnson Space Center during the Columbia tragedy, and Dean worked at NASA during the loss of Challenger, and share both their unique perspectives from these events, and the changes they watched NASA implement after the extensive accident investigations. At the end of this (at times difficult) conversation, Dean and Beth look at the "planned anomalies" that NASA and commercial space flight companies will experience, working towards future missions' safety and success.

• This is a difficult time for the NASA "family," the employees, contractors and support teams who remember these tragedies, the astronaut crew's families, and for the nation. On January 30, NASA will honor members of the NASA family who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery, including the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, during the agency's annual Day of Remembrance.
• Dean served a significant role in the Challenger investigation by flying over the debris field and gather visual imagery data. He recalls the series of events that day, and how helping to serve NASA post-tragedy was a significant extension of working the mission.
• Beth was a Public Affairs Officer and NASA spokesperson at the Johnson Space Center during the Columbia STS-107 mission. As part of her job, along with the newsroom staff, was to report all activity from the Johnson Space Center to the public in the form of broadcast, writing, or digital media. The Johnson Space Center is the home of human space flight, the NASA location (there are 10 NASA centers throughout the United States) where the astronauts work and train. The astronauts and their families usually live nearby. On that Saturday in February, Beth and the staff assigned to work this particular mission were just as shocked as the rest of the nation when they witnessed the live coverage of the re-entry of the shuttle, and the shuttle's break up after overheating from debris hitting the leading edge of the left wing at launch. Beth shares her memory of the event, along with the national memorial that happened shortly after on the JSC campus from her unique perspective as an employee trying to process the accident with the "NASA family" of employees during the difficult time.
• While difficult, there are opportunities to learn during times of crisis. At the end of the episode, Beth and Dean discuss a "planned" anomaly from SpaceX that recently took place last week- an abort test that resulted in an explosion of a Falcon 9 booster, and a successful separation and water landing of the Dragon capsule. This test was an unmanned success, and its demonstration of a successful abort away from the booster allows SpaceX to proceed with a crewed capsule test later this year (scheduled as early as next month!).

About Apollo 1: https://history.nasa.gov/Apollo204/

About Challenger: https://history.nasa.gov/sts51l.html

About Columbia STS-107: https://www.nasa.gov/subject/3308/sts107

Beth and Mat enjoyed sharing their Falcon Heavy Launch experience AND..

• Why this launch was the MOST spectacular folks have ever seen
• What Light Sail 2 is, and why it's such a significant and inspiring citizen-science project, and what it could mean for the future for space travel
• How Mat has ALWAYS been inspired by space exploration and joined the National Space Society at a very young age
• What it's like working with the talented team of experts at the Planetary Society, including his "boss" Bill Nye the science guy!
• How hosting Planetary Radio allows Mat to tell the story of space exploration and showcase the narrative of the people who work to explore and document everything going on within space.

About Mat:

Mat Kaplan loves hosting and producing Planetary Radio. He was just 17 when he got his first job in broadcasting, yet it wasn't until the 2002 premiere of The Society's popular weekly broadcast and podcast series that he combined his twin loves of space and radio. A Planetary Society staff member for more than 15 years, Mat also plans and manages technical support for our Planetfest celebrations and other major events and webcasts. Outside of The Planetary Society, he hosts a series of live events for Southern California Public Radio called NEXT: People|Science|Tomorrow, and frequently serves as moderator or speaker at space and science gatherings. His extensive background in journalism has ranged from public radio reporter covering the political conventions to movie reviewer for an international magazine. Some may remember him as a correspondent for a pioneering national TV series about personal computers. Mat also enjoyed a 30-year career in higher education that included major television awards and recognition for service to the community. The longtime Long Beach, California resident has two adult daughters raised to be citizens of the solar system. Mat is available as a moderator or host for conversations about space and science topics. He's also a passionate speaker about the mission of The Planetary Society, the importance of space exploration and development, and the history of human fascination with Mars, including robotic exploration of the Red Planet.

Where to find Mat Kaplan:

Planetary.org

Follow Mat on Twitter at @planrad

BONUS LINKS AND NOTES FROM THIS CASUAL SPACE CONVERSATION:

This is the rocket image Beth and Mat reference from the launch YOU CAN'T MISS: #rocketnebula

This is the what's what about NASA's recent announcement to move forward with the Dragonfly Mission: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasas-dragonfly-will-fly-around-titan-looking-for-origins-signs-of-life

"We are addressing the problem of communications, being able to provide big data from small spacecraft." -Doug Stetson from FreeFall Aerospace

When we travel through and explore space, we're going to need to communicate, and gather a LOT of data. Fast, reliable, low-cost access to large volumes of data is one of the most critical capabilities that will define the future. So the folks at Freefall provide some pretty neat technologies that help move data and help us communicate effectively and quickly. Julie Bonner and Doug Stetson sat down with Beth at SpaceCom Expo in Houston, Texas and highlighted these new technologies, why and how they will "disrupt" and improve communications, and what some of the challenges their company, Freefall Aerospace, will have to overcome, including a LAUNCH later this year.

Freefall's technologies include an All-Sky Antenna (think of an antenna for things on the move like vehicles and ships), an INFLATABLE Cubesat Antenna (think of a small, thin, skinny balloon) and a Smart City Antenna, all enabling data to move quickly- which is going to be important in the space-based communication systems we'll use.

"We are developing some very innovative technologies. That's a good thing, but one of the challenges is that when you have something that's what we call disruptive, it has to be not just a little bit better, but a LOT better than the other systems that people and companies are used to using…and it's a question of proving to the community that the rewards of using this type of new system are worth the additional risk to implement something new." -Doug Stetson

About Doug Stetson: Doug Stetson is President and CEO of FreeFall Aerospace, a small business dedicated to advancing and developing innovative antenna technology for satellite communications and 5G internet applications. Prior to founding FreeFall in 2016, Doug spent nearly 30 years at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in a variety of technical and management positions including several assignments at NASA Headquarters. At JPL, he had lead roles in systems engineering and mission design for a number of high-profile missions to Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, and was responsible for the development of new planetary mission concepts and programs. Doug led the development of a number of mission and technology "roadmaps" for the national science community and NASA, and established new initiatives for mission and system innovation and cost assessment. During his three tours at NASA Headquarters, Doug served as the deputy manager of the NASA Advanced Planning and Integration Office, coordinated development of the Agency's 2003 Strategic Plan, and served as acting chief of Planetary Advanced Studies in the early 1990's After leaving JPL in 2008, Doug established the Space Science and Exploration Consulting Group and was project manager for the LightSail mission, a privately-funded Cubesat that successfully deployed and tested a solar sail in Earth orbit. Doug holds a B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University.He is the recipient of a number of local and national awards, including the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal and the JPL Award for Excellence in Leadership.

About Julie: Julie Bonner, Marketing Director for FreeFall Aerospace, connects partners, vendors, and investors to FreeFall's intelligent antenna systems. She's created marketing campaigns and collateral for national corporations like Mister Car Wash and Clear Channel Outdoor, to Tucson-based start-ups and non-profits. She has been awarded the Tucson AdFed Next Generation Award for making a significant impact on the advertising industry through leadership, career achievements and personal qualities, which also inspire others to excel. She is also active in Start-Up Tucson, Arizona Technology Council and Local First Arizona. Julie holds a Bachelors of Science in Graphic Design from Drexel University and a Masters in Business.

For more information about FreeFall: www.freefallmovingdata.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/freefall-aerospace/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/FreeFall5G

Did you know… FreeFall Aerospace received the 2019 Innovator of the Year Startup Company award https://freefallmovingdata.com/innovator-of-the-year/

Listen to more! Julie was recently interviewed about marketing for FreeFall: https://youtu.be/20kvGzZ0bt8

Jason is the lead for Orion Crew Systems Integration at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

Human factors are always considered when designing a new spacecraft for the crew. Jason and his team consider EVERY BUTTON, SWITCH, and DIAL placement, function, and purpose. This is just a PART of Jason's intricate role helping our space exploration crews travel safely… he's got more than 25 years of experience training astronauts and flight controllers to operate life support system components on-board the International Space Station, AND he's trained response to on-board emergencies such as fire, rapid depressurization, and toxic release. Whew!

Impressive! How did it all start?

Jason's MOM took him to see Star Trek at a young age where he was first introduced to space designs and ideas! He knew at an early age that he wanted to be an aerospace engineer.

When you left Shuttle Program to go to International Space Station Program, what were some of the challenges?

"One of the most difficult challenges applying his years of knowledge from International Space Station to the new Orion capsule, has been the size. There's also a different identification language from station to capsule. These are intricate details that are really important…"

All of the consumer electronics impose challenges on board when in space. Batteries can be very toxic. (A fire in space is really bad). Materials testing is important, knowing what kind of chemicals on board is very important. It can ever determine the type of masks the crew would wear in the case of an emergency.

"Crews accept risks every day. That's not going away. There are things that can go wrong and we put together a response that we think will work, but it's not proven. We owe it to them to make sure we are looking at hazards and are reasonably addressing them. Even if it's something simple and straightforward."- Jason Hutt

What's next for your work on Orion?

"Human In the Loop" testing campaign- where crew members get into the mock-ups, and all the various aspects of the cockpit are tested. Jason and the human engineering team take concerns and issues to a forum to be presented along with doctors, health care representatives, radiation experts, astronaut representatives, operations, an entire team of people! They look to address each of the problems and concerns to see what and how needs to happen next.

FUN FACTS ABOUT JASON ONLY DISCOVERED IN THIS EPISODE OF CASUAL SPACE:

• "Jason brings a sense of safety and relaxation to every mission….."
• STAR WARS helped influence Jason's work on modern-day space ship designs!
• Jason is going to Disney's Galaxy's Edge in Florida with his family to geek out!
• Astronauts provide feedback to Jason and his team when they return from a spaceflight!

• Jason is a Sci-fi writer! One of his books features a realistic story of how to take care of a spacecraft if you were needing to live inside it for a really long time. Hmmm, sounds like work imitating life imitating work…..

About Jason: Jason is the Orion Crew Systems Integration Lead at the NASA Johnson Space Center. Co-Chair the Orion Cockpit Working Group. Review proposed crew interfaces and crew support hardware to ensure they meet NASA requirements. Jason and his team help formulate technical recommendations on the addition of new hardware to the Orion cockpit through the integration of design proposals from hardware owners with assessments from human engineering, environments, radiation, acoustics, and crew medical experts. Jason has worked to help support both the space exploration crews and the vehicles that carry them beyond Earth's orbit for quite some time.

More about Jason… in his own words: Jason Hutt has worked in human spaceflight for 20 years, contributing to the development and operations of the International Space Station and, more recently, as the Crew Systems Integration Lead for the NASA Orion Program. Over 20 years, he's held a variety of roles including ISS Environmental Control and Life Support Systems Instructor, Station Training Lead, ISS CAPCOM, as well as various management positions. In his current role, Jason is responsible for ensuring the integrated Orion cockpit allows the astronaut crew to successfully and safely complete Artemis Program missions. Jason lives in Houston, Texas, with his wife, 3 daughters, 3 dogs, 1 cat, and a handful of fish. He graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and started his professional career commanding satellites as a contractor for the US Navy. Originally from Philadelphia, he has never met a cheesesteak he wouldn't eat. In his spare time, you may find him writing science fiction or tinkering in the Star Wars room of his house.

For more information about Orion:

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/orion/index.html

Check out a sneak peek video of inside Orion here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVYwFFzaPp0

The tables are turned in THIS episode as Dean takes over the microphone! Dean wants to know the HOW, WHO, and WHY so he asks:

• How did Beth's love for space exploration start?
• Who were some of the people that helped Beth in her success?
• Why did she start the CASUAL SPACE PODCAST?

Dean's approach is as much fun as it is sincere. Get a genuine understanding for Beth and Dean's passion for space exploration, right down to the heart of their inner geek.

Did you know? Beth went to Space Camp 3 times? Once as a student, once as a teacher, and two years ago, she returned with her daughter to attend the family space camp program!

Did you know? Beth had to TYPE OUT her application to NASA? She sill has it- and shares it only with students looking to achieve their goals when she presents her keynote, "Lessons Learned from NASA."

Guess what?! Beth made Dean do the JOBS IN SPACE excerpt of this podcast- Hey, if you're going to hijack a show- you've got to take the entire show on!

Did you know- You can contact Beth directly with questions, ideas or comments about the show at [email protected]

Happy New Year everyone! Get ready for more fun and great episodes of Casual Space in 2020!!!

About Beth Mund: Beth is a speaker, writer, and space advocate. Beth speaks to authors, engineers, space experts and enthusiasts weekly on her podcast, Casual Space, and delivers keynote programs and workshops for companies and organizations worldwide. When she's not advocating #spaceisforeveryone, she's attempting to bake the perfect macaroon, or looking for the next family adventure.

BethMund.com

Bill Foster is a Ground Control Officer and has supported more than 50 NASA missions from within Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center. He shares his unique perspective with Beth on:

• What it's like INSIDE NASA's Mission Control Center? Bill walks us through a behind-the scenes history of the Mission Control Center: from the state-of-the-art projectors on the main screens in the 1960s, to the modern ground stations around the world (along with the Air Force and the Deep Space Network) have all helped ensure mission success
• Simulations. Mission-like environments that help crews both on the ground and in space. These simulations are at the very heart of what NASA does to ensure mission safety and success.
• Movie stars! Rock stars! And NASA's own stars: the people who stay calm, collected and focused during our most impactful moments in space exploration… Bill has been witness to all of this and more. He shares a few of his most impactful moments and fun memories with us on Casual Space.

If you would like to hear more about Bill and his work Episode 26 features Bill Foster, Ground Controller in Mission Control Houston, talks about how space communication networks work and what they will look like for missions into deep space, listen to NASA's "Houston, We Have a Podcast," Episode number 26: https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/HWHAP/can-you-hear-me-now/

About Bill Foster: Reports to the Flight Director during real time mission support on all matters concerning the Mission Control Center and NASA Integrated Network required to receive and display telemetry, radar data and voice; and works to transmit commands and voice to/from spacecraft carrying NASA and International Partner Astronauts. Bill manages a team of backroom support personnel in the MCC and at various locations throughout the Integrated Network to ensure proper support to human spaceflight. Bill has served as lead Ground Controller (GC) for Space Shuttle Ascent and Entry phases of flight, and currently supports the International Space Station, major upgrades to the MCC and supporting MCC and network requirements for Boeing CST-100 spacecraft.

Learn about NASA's Mission Control at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8aWXJeh9R4

And: https://www.nasa.gov/content/johnson-space-centers-mission-control-center-1/#.Xf0470dKg2w

Dr. David Warmflash returns to the podcast to discuss the timely anniversary of Apollo 12, and shares several highlights from this mission and potential future lunar missions on episode 53, including…

• The crew, Commander Charles, "Pete" Conrad, Alan Bean, and Richard Gordan- were a great crew who helped cheer one another on throughout the mission. It was a very different tone than some of the previous Apollo missions….
• Seeing Earth from the distance (The Overview Effect), caused several Apollo astronauts to come back changed in many ways, some becoming artists! Check out some incredible astronaut artwork here from Alan Bean that was referenced in the show: https://www.alanbean.com/
• The many insightful spinoffs we still benefit from the Apollo 12 mission, 50 years later!

Find David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-warmflash-md-b1234a/

Find a copy of David's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Moon-Illustrated-Colonies-Tomorrow-Histories/dp/1454931981/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=David+Warmflash&qid=1576026327&s=books&sr=1-1

About David: Dr. David Warmflash is an astrobiologist and prolific science writer. He was in the first cohort of NASA astrobiology postdoctoral trainees and served as a member of NASA's Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter Science Definition Team. He has collaborated with The Planetary Society on three experiments that have flown in space, including "the peace experiment" that involved an Israeli and a Palestinian student working with Dr. Warmflash as co-investigators. He has published in scientific journals and popular science publications including Wired UK, Scientific American, Discover, Air and Space, Astronomy Magazine, and others. He contributed to the book George and the Blue Moon by Lucy Hawking and Stephen Hawking, and was interviewed for an article in the Kansas City Star concerning the accuracy of the science in the sci-fi TV series Orphan Black.

Kevin Cole is a geologist and astronomer who loves looking at what makes up our planet, and the planets all around us. When we study rocks from our planet Earth, sometimes we find answers to the questions within our universe! Beth never knew rocks could provide so much information, until she talked to Kevin.

• Beth asks Kevin to take a geological tour of the universe and his description is fascinating. No joke- gather your kiddos and learn about the interesting parts of our solar system that you may never knew!
• Bacteria, bugs, and things that survive in space! We discuss tardigrades and Apollo mission bacteria and such.
• Kevin worked to support the Galileo space probe program; helping to educate folks about this impressive mission. We both cry a tear for how these great machines need to quietly die in order to protect the biological environment of the planet.
• If Kevin could travel to just ONE place in the UNIVERSE to study the planet as a geologist, it would be…(Kevin describes the details of this incredible place, and you'll want to go there, too).

"Plate tectonics has pretty much changed the entire way we've looked at our planet Earth. I tell my students, 'if you really want to take a look at really an alien world, go back in time about 300 million years ago and look at the Earth, you won't recognize it' ." – Kevin Cole on the Casual Space Podcast

About Kevin Cole: Kevin is an assistant professor of geology and astronomy, and current department chair of the Department of Physical Sciences at Harper College in Palatine, IL. In 1992 he completed his MS degree in Geology from the Univ of Ill-Chgo (UIC) modeling the paleohydraulic characteristics that formed the massive channels on Mars' surface called outflow channels. Prior to becoming a science educator, he participated in the analysis and classification of meteorites from all over the world, especially from Africa and the Antarctic while working with the Planetary Studies Foundation; and researched many types of advanced planetary mission concepts (manned and robotic) for NASA while at Science Applications International Corp, Space Sciences Division.

In 1998, he received a NASA/JPL fellowship award as part of the Solar System Educator Program, focusing on education and public outreach for the Galileo Europa Mission, an extension of the Galileo Mission at Jupiter. Subsequent missions in which he served in this capacity included the Deep Impact Mission to comet Temple1, and the STARDUST Mission to comet Wild2.

Experience the inspiration from a LIVE program at Harper College: https://www.harpercollege.edu/observatory/index.php

Read more about the solar system here https://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/index.html

Marcelo Gleiser is a theoretical physicist who specializes in particle cosmology, working to study and make sense of the fundamental questions we all share about the origins of the cosmos, life and our conscious mind. On this episode, Marcelo shares…

• His very close connection to Albert Einstein, how this connection invited Marcelo to learn beyond about Einstein the scientist; he was encouraged to learn about Einstein the man.
• His idea about "reality amplifiers" the tools we can use to help us discover the world around us.
• Thoughts about what research has shown us (or not shown us) about dark matter! Dark energy! Gravitational waves! What are they!?! Will we ever really understand the universe?

"Science, philosophy and religion are the tripod of humanity that have helped us find the answers to who we are." – Marcelo Gleiser on the Casual Space Podcast

About Marcelo Gleiser: Marcelo Gleiser is a theoretical physicist at Dartmouth College specializing in particle cosmology—mixing the physics of the very smallest constituents of the universe with the physics of the universe as a whole. To make sense of the world and our place in the grand scheme of things, he studies the emergence of complex structures in nature, focusing on very fundamental questions related to what he calls the "three origins": cosmos, life, and mind.

Where to find Marcelo and his work: https://marcelogleiser.com/

Reach Marcelo's best-selling books! https://marcelogleiser.com/all-books

• Stuart helps Beth understand the work he and the team at Catapult… a unique technology and innovation company, boosting UK productivity by helping organizations harness the power of satellite -based services.
• Beth asks Stuart, "What is Catapult?" (A network of physical locations designed to transform the UK's capability for innovation in specific areas and help drive future economic growth.)
• Stuart explains to Beth how he's driven by how his team's actions to help different organizations (both large and small), bring new space services to market.
• Stuart believes that connecting industry and academia allow new research from the ground get into the space market more quickly, and what the future generations of space industry influencers are the real "heroes."

About Stuart Martin: Stuart is CEO of the Satellite Applications Catapult. He joined the Catapult in January 2013 from Logica (now part of CGI) where he was Business Director for Space and Satellite Communications for nearly seven years, leading all the company's activities in the Space domain. Stuart is a former vice-chair of UKSpace, the British trade association representing the Space industry, and council member of Eurospace – its European equivalent. He also sits on the UK Space Leadership Council, the top-level cross-industry, academia and government stakeholder group responsible for overseeing and implementing the UK Space Innovation and Growth Strategy.

Stuart is a passionate advocate of the Catapult programme, which he considers to be a vital element of the UK strategy to secure and accelerate economic growth from emerging technologies. Furthermore, for satellite applications, he believes there is a great opportunity to establish a world-leading position

Where to find Stuart and his work at Catapult: https://sa.catapult.org.uk/about-us/

More featured and impressive guests like Stuart from the SpaceCom Expo are now here and available! Check out who's presenting what and when at: https://spacecomexpo.com/