Celestial Citizen

In this episode of the Celestial Citizen podcast, host Britt Duffy Adkins introduces a special project that the Celestial Citizen team has been working on to draw attention to gender discrimination and sexual harassment in the space industry.  The project, titled "Take Up Space," includes a short film and a four-part companion podcast series that features the firsthand accounts of anonymous women and non-binary individuals working in the space industry.

In this first episode, titled "Not Technical Enough" we share stories that focus on the many ways in which women are discouraged from working in STEM and technical fields in both subtle and overt ways.

The current climate for women in STEM and women in space is described as "very cloudy" by one of the participants.  And although progress has been made, there is still a long way to go to make the space industry more inclusive.  Women are often made to feel uncomfortable if they have opinions or ideas, and the industry is still by and large dominated by men.  Globally, women make up only 11% of astronauts, 20-22% of space industry workers, and 30% of researchers, scientists, and engineers.

Despite the challenges, there are efforts to address these issues and bring about change.  But perhaps change is not coming fast enough, and there is a risk of losing talented individuals who want to work in the industry if things don't improve.  One speaker points out that recent triumphs, such as Wally Funk's trip to space, are few and far between.  Many women have had to abandon their dreams due to lack of opportunities, discrimination, mistreatment, and other societal pressures.

The speakers share their personal experiences with doubt, questioning their place in the industry, and feeling invisible or not taken seriously.  One woman, in particular, recounts her experience with harassment in her first job in the field, which was extremely demoralizing and made her question whether it was worth staying in the industry.

Despite the challenges, the speakers remain determined to pursue their passions and make a difference.  The podcast provides a powerful look at the experiences of gender minorities in the space industry and highlights the need for greater inclusivity and diversity in the field.

Our short film, "Take Up Space," can be found on the Celestial Citizen YouTube channel.

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In this special episode of Celestial Citizen, we delve into the story behind the award-winning short documentary film "Take Up Space."  The film highlights the stories of eight anonymous women and non-binary individuals who work in the space industry and have faced gender discrimination and sexual harassment.

We are joined by guest host and Celestial Citizen social media producer and community lead, Helen Floersh, to speak with the film's director and Celestial Citizen founder, Britt Duffy Adkins, about what inspired her to make this documentary and what she hopes it will achieve.

In this week’s episode, we will discuss the unique aspects of the “Take Up Space” narrative and how it differs from other documentaries on gender discrimination and harassment.  Throughout our conversation, we will explore the recurring themes that emerged from these stories, share insights into the production process, and examine lessons learned along the way.

We also discuss the personal significance of this film for Britt and how it relates to her own experiences in the male-dominated space industry.

Later in the conversation, we shift our focus to the current state of the space industry with regards to gender equality.  Britt shares her hopes for the film's impact and what she believes needs to happen next in order to achieve greater gender equity and a more inclusive industry.

If you are interested in viewing "Take Up Space," the short film will premiere March 31st on the Celestial Citizen YouTube channel.  Be sure to follow Celestial Citizen on social media for updates.  Also, please consider tuning into the podcast tomorrow for the special release of the “Take Up Space” four-part companion podcast series.

Join us for this thought-provoking and inspiring conversation about the
power of film to spark change and create a more inclusive future for all in the
space industry.

We also want to extend a big thank you to our sponsors this year for supporting our show!

Learn more about our Gold Sponsor Multiverse Media, an integrated media company focusing on space exploration, science, and technology, and check out the Cislunar Market Opportunities report produced by NewSpace Global, a Multiverse Media property, for a snapshot and user guide to the players and opportunities ahead for the cislunar economy.  To get your own copy please go to cislunar.report and use coupon code citizen10 for 10% off a single user license.

Learn more about our Silver Sponsor the Colorado School of Mines Space Resources Program, a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary program that offers Certificate, Master of Science, and Ph.D. degrees for professionals around the world interested in the emerging field of extraterrestrial resources here.

Support the show

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Twitter: @celestialcitzn
LinkedIn: Celestial Citizen
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On today's episode, we’ll begin a special series that follows a month-long algae diet experiment with Founder of Spira, Elliot Roth, to explore the viability of algae as a food source in space.  We’ll be following his journey from beginning to end, while helping to document reactions, findings, and even the emotions that come with committing to a space-age diet.

Elliot is the Founder of Spira, a company that engineers algae for sustainable, healthier, and cost-effective industry applications.  After being trained as a University Innovation Fellow at the Stanford d.School, Elliot started multiple entrepreneurial projects including the DIYbio lab, Indie Lab, TEDxVCU and 6 other startups.  Elliot graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in Biomedical Engineering where he actually lived off algae and learned about the many benefits of this incredible plant!

After University, he spent five years consulting in product design and business strategy before starting Spira.  Elliot is a Kairos Fellow, a Seasteading Ambassador, a member of the TFF NextGen Council and sits on the Virginia Governor’s Council for Youth Entrepreneurship.  Elliot is passionate about solving social and environmental problems in manufacturing and has spoken at Synbiobeta, SXSW, and Thought for Food on social impact, synthetic biology and food.

We also want to extend a big thank you to our sponsors this year for supporting our show!

Learn more about our Gold Sponsor Multiverse Media, an integrated media company focusing on space exploration, science, and technology, and check out the Cislunar Market Opportunities report produced by NewSpace Global, a Multiverse Media property, for a snapshot and user guide to the players and opportunities ahead for the cislunar economy.  To get your own copy please go to cislunar.report and use coupon code citizen10 for 10% off a single user license.

Learn more about our Silver Sponsor the Colorado School of Mines Space Resources Program, a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary program that offers Certificate, Master of Science, and Ph.D. degrees for professionals around the world interested in the emerging field of extraterrestrial resources here.

Support the show

Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media!

Instagram: @thecelestialcitizen
Twitter: @celestialcitzn
LinkedIn: Celestial Citizen
YouTube: @thecelestialcitizen

On today's episode, we’ll be discussing futures thinking, foresight planning as it relates to the space industry, and the importance of proactive and anticipatory policymaking in order to create more positive future outcomes for humanity both on and off Earth.

On today’s show we are joined by Kara Cunzeman, the Lead Futurist for Strategic Foresight for the Center for Space Policy and Strategy at The Aerospace Corporation.  In her role, Kara is focused on cultivating formalized methodologies in futures thinking, helping the enterprise adequately prepare and proactively shape the future through innovative approaches across strategy, acquisition, S&T portfolio management, policy, and operations.  Prior to working at Aerospace, Kara held roles in space systems engineering, vehicle operations, and space sensor development at Raytheon and General Atomics.  She was also a key contributor to winning Phase II funding from a NASA small business in innovation (SBIR) award for extracting oxygen from lunar soil while at Packer Engineering.  She received her B.S. in Multidisciplinary Engineering and M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.  She is also a certified foresight practitioner and guest instructor at the Institute for the Future, the Center for Intelligence Studies, International Space University, and George Washington University.

We also want to extend a big thank you to our sponsors this year for supporting our show!

Learn more about our Gold Sponsor Multiverse Media, an integrated media company focusing on space exploration, science, and technology, and check out the Cislunar Market Opportunities report produced by NewSpace Global, a Multiverse Media property, for a snapshot and user guide to the players and opportunities ahead for the cislunar economy.  To get your own copy please go to cislunar.report and use coupon code citizen10 for 10% off a single user license.

Learn more about our Silver Sponsor the Colorado School of Mines Space Resources Program, a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary program that offers Certificate, Master of Science, and Ph.D. degrees for professionals around the world interested in the emerging field of extraterrestrial resources here.

Support the show

Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media!

Instagram: @thecelestialcitizen
Twitter: @celestialcitzn
LinkedIn: Celestial Citizen
YouTube: @thecelestialcitizen

On today's episode, we’ll be discussing the uncanny parallels between the present billionaire-backed space race and the religiously-fueled age of colonialism and conquest.  We’ll be speaking with Dr. Mary-Jane Rubenstein, author of Astrotopia: The Dangerous Religion of the Corporate Space Race, and we’ll take a look at how humans might shift their thinking from “how the universe might belong to us,” to instead consider “how we might belong to the universe.”  Get ready for a fascinating look at how deeply intertwined religious rhetoric is within the language of space exploration.

Mary-Jane Rubenstein is a Professor of Religion and Science in Society at Wesleyan University, and is affiliated with the Philosophy Department and the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program.  She holds a B.A. from Williams College, an M.Phil. from Cambridge University, and a Ph.D. in from Columbia University.  Her research unearths the philosophies and histories of religion and science, especially in relation to cosmology, ecology, and space travel.

She is the author of Astrotopia: The Dangerous Religion of the Corporate Space Race (2022), Pantheologies: Gods, Worlds, Monsters (2018), also Worlds without End: The Many Lives of the Multiverse (2014), and Strange Wonder: The Closure of Metaphysics and the Opening of Awe (2009). She is also co-editor with Catherine Keller of Entangled Worlds: Religion, Science, and New Materialisms (2017) and co-author with Thomas A. Carlson and Mark C. Taylor of Image: Three Inquiries in Technology and Imagination  (2021).

 We also want to extend a big thank you to our sponsors this year for supporting our show!

Learn more about our Gold Sponsor Multiverse Media, an integrated media company focusing on space exploration, science, and technology, and check out the Cislunar Market Opportunities report produced by NewSpace Global, a Multiverse Media property, for a snapshot and user guide to the players and opportunities ahead for the cislunar economy.  To get your own copy please go to cislunar.report and use coupon code citizen10 for 10% off a single user license.

Learn more about our Silver Sponsor the Colorado School of Mines Space Resources Program, a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary program that offers Certificate, Master of Science, and Ph.D. degrees for professionals around the world interested in the emerging field of extraterrestrial resources here.

Support the show

Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media!

Instagram: @thecelestialcitizen
Twitter: @celestialcitzn
LinkedIn: Celestial Citizen
YouTube: @thecelestialcitizen

On today's episode, we will be discussing the Artemis Accords, a non-binding multilateral arrangement between the U.S. government and other world governments participating in the Artemis Program, which is an American-led effort to return humans to the Moon by 2025.  We’ll also discuss the legal framework behind the Artemis Accords, the nations that have become signatories to it, and why it has gained traction where other legal agreements in space have been slower to gain broad adoption.

On today’s show we are joined by Cris van Eijk, an international lawyer researching what it means to make space 'common', and how international law attempts to do that.  He holds a BA and LLM in International Law from Leiden University, and a BA in Law from the University of Cambridge.  Cris has also previously joined Celestial Citizen Podcast in Season 1 of this show.  If you haven’t already, I encourage you to check out our previous discussion titled “The Legal Landscape of Mars” where Cris debunks SpaceX’s attempts to claim “Mars as a free planet," why the field of space law can no longer be overlooked by the broader legal community, and how science fiction plays into the way we think about future legal and governance frameworks.

We also want to extend a big thank you to our sponsors this year for supporting our show!

Learn more about our Gold Sponsor Multiverse Media, an integrated media company focusing on space exploration, science, and technology, and check out the Cislunar Market Opportunities report produced by NewSpace Global, a Multiverse Media property, for a snapshot and user guide to the players and opportunities ahead for the cislunar economy.  To get your own copy please go to cislunar.report and use coupon code citizen10 for 10% off a single user license.

Learn more about our Silver Sponsor the Colorado School of Mines Space Resources Program, a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary program that offers Certificate, Master of Science, and Ph.D. degrees for professionals around the world interested in the emerging field of extraterrestrial resources here.

Support the show

Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media!

Instagram: @thecelestialcitizen
Twitter: @celestialcitzn
LinkedIn: Celestial Citizen
YouTube: @thecelestialcitizen

On today's episode, we’ll be discussing the fascinating, multi-layered, and complex topic of space settlement and the myriad of things we’ll need to figure out if we want to build an ethical and sustainable future society in outer space.  We’ll be speaking with Dr. Erika Nesvold, author of Off-Earth: Ethical Questions and Quandaries for Living in Outer Space, which is set to release on March 7th, and explores the “potential ethical pitfalls of becoming a multi-planet species.”

Erika earned her Ph.D. in Physics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and has conducted astrophysics research at the NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center, the Carnegie Institute’s Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, and the NASA Frontier Development Laboratory.  She currently works as an Astrophysicist & Developer on the Universe Sandbox astronomy simulator game, and has written articles on astronomy, history, and other topics for Astronomy Magazine, The Planetary Society, and DamnInteresting.com.  More information on her research and writing can be found on her website.

Erika produced and hosted the 13-episode Making New Worlds podcast, which explored the ethical issues involved in settling space.  In 2018, Erika co-founded The JustSpace Alliance in partnership with Lucianne Walkowicz.

Erika has two upcoming books: Off-Earth: Ethical Questions and Quandaries for Living in Outer Space (MIT Press), coming out March 7, 2023, and is an update and expansion of Making New Worlds podcast, exploring the ethical challenges we’ll face during space settlement.  She also co-edited an anthology called Reclaiming Space: Progressive and Multicultural Visions of Space Exploration (Oxford University Press), which is also coming out in 2023.

We also want to extend a big thank you to our sponsors this year for supporting our show!

Learn more about our Gold Sponsor Multiverse Media, an integrated media company focusing on space exploration, science, and technology, and check out the Cislunar Market Opportunities report produced by NewSpace Global, a Multiverse Media property, for a snapshot and user guide to the players and opportunities ahead for the cislunar economy.  To get your own copy please go to cislunar.report and use coupon code citizen10 for 10% off a single user license.

Learn more about our Silver Sponsor the Colorado School of Mines Space Resources Program, a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary program that offers Certificate, Master of Science, and Ph.D. degrees for professionals around the world interested in the emerging field of extraterrestrial resources here.

Support the show

Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media!

Instagram: @thecelestialcitizen
Twitter: @celestialcitzn
LinkedIn: Celestial Citizen
YouTube: @thecelestialcitizen

On today's episode, we will be joined by Melodie Yashar to discuss the future of space architecture, the role that 3D printing will play in how we construct off-world habitats, and the latest on what ICON has in store for lunar and Martian construction.

Melodie is the VP of Building Design & Performance at ICON, a construction technologies company focused on large scale additive manufacturing for Earth and in space.  Melodie oversees the architectural direction of ICON’s built work as well as the performance of ICON’s building systems to deliver optimally-performing structures that shift the paradigm of homebuilding on Earth and beyond.  Collaborating across technology and construction teams, her department supports design and construction of dignified and resilient terrestrial housing solutions in addition to supporting the development of ICON’s off-world construction systems.

Melodie teaches undergraduate and graduate design studios at Art Center College of Design.  In previous roles, Melodie was a Senior Research Associate with the Human Systems Integration Division at NASA Ames via the San Jose State University Research Foundation (SJSURF), as well as a co-founder of Space Exploration Architecture (SEArch+), a research group developing human supporting designs for space exploration.

Melodie obtained a Master of Architecture from Columbia University and a Master of Human-Computer Interaction with an emphasis in Robotics from the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon.  She is of Iranian heritage and geeks out on new material & fabrication technologies.  She likes tiny robots and would like to visit the Moon (though not yet Mars) in her lifetime.

We also want to extend a big thank you to our sponsors this year for supporting our show!

Learn more about our Gold Sponsor Multiverse Media, an integrated media company focusing on space exploration, science, and technology, and check out the Cislunar Market Opportunities report produced by NewSpace Global, a Multiverse Media property, for a snapshot and user guide to the players and opportunities ahead for the cislunar economy.  To get your own copy please go to cislunar.report and use coupon code citizen10 for 10% off a single user license.

Learn more about our Silver Sponsor the Colorado School of Mines Space Resources Program, a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary program that offers Certificate, Master of Science, and Ph.D. degrees for professionals around the world interested in the emerging field of extraterrestrial resources here.

Support the show

Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media!

Instagram: @thecelestialcitizen
Twitter: @celestialcitzn
LinkedIn: Celestial Citizen
YouTube: @thecelestialcitizen

On today's episode, we have a very special conversation with Frances “Poppy” Northcutt – the first woman engineer to work in NASA’s mission control and early trailblazer for representation in the space industry – having worked on several NASA missions including both Apollo 8 and Apollo 13.  We’ll discuss her time at NASA, how gender equity in space careers has changed over time, and her inspiring women’s rights advocacy work.

Frances "Poppy" Northcutt is a Texas attorney who began her career as a "computer" and then an engineer for the technical staff on NASA's Apollo Program during the space race.  During the Apollo 8 mission, she became the first female engineer to work in NASA's Mission Control.  Later in her career, Northcutt became an attorney specializing in women's rights.  In the early 1970s, she served on the national board of directors of the National Organization for Women.  Today, she works and volunteers for several organizations in Houston advocating for abortion rights.

We also want to extend a big thank you to our sponsors this year for supporting our show!

Learn more about our Gold Sponsor Multiverse Media, an integrated media company focusing on space exploration, science, and technology, and check out the Cislunar Market Opportunities report produced by NewSpace Global, a Multiverse Media property, for a snapshot and user guide to the players and opportunities ahead for the cislunar economy.  To get your own copy please go to cislunar.report and use coupon code citizen10 for 10% off a single user license.

Learn more about our Silver Sponsor the Colorado School of Mines Space Resources Program, a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary program that offers Certificate, Master of Science, and Ph.D. degrees for professionals around the world interested in the emerging field of extraterrestrial resources here.

Support the show

Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media!

Instagram: @thecelestialcitizen
Twitter: @celestialcitzn
LinkedIn: Celestial Citizen
YouTube: @thecelestialcitizen

On this latest episode, we will be discussing lunar policy and governance, getting better acquainted with the Open Lunar Foundation, and comparing the early days of ESG investing with the emerging space investment landscape.

Today, we are joined by Jacob Malthouse.  Jacob works on the design and application of international multi-stakeholder governance models that empower open innovation.  At the UNEP Finance Initiative, Jacob project-managed the first global collaboration of financial institutions to undertake research on the materiality of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) issues to equity pricing (report here).  This work, along with the Freshfields report on the fiduciary duty of ESG issues, laid the foundations for the Principles for Responsible Investment (or PRI).  Along with James Gifford, Jacob ran the PRI process until the first investor meeting.  Jacob then left the UNEP Finance Initiative to join ICANN, the nonprofit responsible for critical aspects of technical Internet governance.  While at ICANN, he developed and launched the ICANN fellowships program and was a founding member of the ICANN Global Partnerships team.  Jacob left ICANN to co-found the .eco Internet domain with Trevor Bowden and Anastasia O'Rourke.  Jacob was Director and CEO of Big Room Inc, the company behind the .eco domain registry, for ten years.  After exiting from .eco he worked with Foresight - Canada's leading cleantech accelerator - on their ecosystem strategy, including open innovation challenges and cluster development.

Jacob is now advising Open Lunar Foundation on novel approaches to applied policy development that will enable more resilient lunar futures.  His work in finance, cleantech, digital technology, and consumer advocacy has been covered in major news media around the world including the Financial Times, the Guardian, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the BBC, the CBC and many, many others.

We also want to extend a big thank you to our sponsors this year for supporting our show!

Learn more about our Gold Sponsor Multiverse Media, an integrated media company focusing on space exploration, science, and technology, and check out the Cislunar Market Opportunities report produced by NewSpace Global, a Multiverse Media property, for a snapshot and user guide to the players and opportunities ahead for the cislunar economy.  To get your own copy please go to cislunar.report and use coupon code citizen10 for 10% off a single user license.

Learn more about our Silver Sponsor the Colorado School of Mines Space Resources Program, a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary program that offers Certificate, Master of Science, and Ph.D. degrees for professionals around the world interested in the emerging field of extraterrestrial resources here.

Support the show

Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media!

Instagram: @thecelestialcitizen
Twitter: @celestialcitzn
LinkedIn: Celestial Citizen
YouTube: @thecelestialcitizen