On this special episode, we interview the Associate Program Scientist for the International Space Station, Dr. Tara Ruttley. Tara was the Lead Hardware Engineer for the Health Maintenance System on the station until about two years ago when she acquired her current title. Dr. Ruttley discusses with us a couple of the experiments being performed onboard the ISS and some of the intricacies, concerns, and fun facts about them. We talk about her background on getting involved and her interest in biology. We then discuss with her on NEEMO-6, a NASA mission (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations) which simulated time onboard the ISS, although underwater. We discuss schedules, aquanauts, and men who don't sound like men underwater. This is an episode not to be missed!

For more information on what's going on with science on the ISS, check out:

NASA's Site for ISS Research: http://1.usa.gov/mKipOl

NASA's ISS Research Twitter account: @ISS_Research

For the ISS research blog which Tara is an author for, check out A Lab Aloft at: http://bit.ly/jioBRG

To follow Tara on her personal Twitter account, give her a follow at @SpaceMama

Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, and special guest Associate Program Scientist for the International Space Station Dr. Tara Ruttley

Show Recorded - 6/5/2011