Liftoff

By RelayScience Education

Liftoff episodes

October 19, 2021161: Now It’s Very Much Precedented
This week, Jason preps a glass of ice water for Stephen and the two discuss recent Starliner updates, the future of the ISS and Lucy.
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Links and Show Notes: Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership Hubble Finds Evidence of Water Vapor in One Hemisphere of Europa | NASA Hubble Finds First Evidence of Water Vapor at Jupiter's Moon Ganymede Small satellite launcher Astra identifies cause behind strange sideways rocket launch - The Verge Astra Announces LV0007 Launch Window For The United States Space Force | Astra Starliner valve investigation continues to focus on moisture interaction with propellant - SpaceNews NASA Selects First Commercial Destination Module for Space Station | NASA The Space Review: What is the future of the International Space Station? Space Station Emergency Prompted by Russian Thruster Firing - The New York Times Lucy: The First Mission to Jupiter’s Trojans | NASA Lucy: First Mission to the Trojan Asteroids - YouTube NASA's Mission to Visit 8 Asteroids, Lucy, Launches on October 16th - Universe Today Lucy Spacecraft Healthy; Solar Arrays Being Analyzed – Lucy Mission Lucy’s solar panel hasn’t latched—a problem for a mission powered by the Sun | Ars Technica Star Trek's William Shatner, Back From Space With a Message | Time
40 min
October 05, 2021160: Hot Jupiters in Colorado
This week, there's news about cubesats, several commercial space programs and more. Then, a look at what is going on at Blue Origin.
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Links and Show Notes: Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership $701k Raised for St. Jude! Downstream - Relay FM
Jason's new podcast!
A Tiny, Inexpensive Satellite Will be Studying the Atmospheres of hot Jupiters - Universe Today This May Be the First Planet Found Orbiting 3 Stars at Once - The New York Times Blue Origin says ‘Star Trek’ actor William Shatner will fly to space next week – Spaceflight Now FAA clears Virgin Galactic to resume SpaceShipTwo flights - SpaceNews Russian Film Crew Has Arrived at Space Station: Live Updates - The New York Times NASA likely to move some astronauts off Starliner due to extended delays | Ars Technica SLS modal testing complete, mass-sim removed - Space Explored NASA completes umbilical test for SLS Artemis 1 mission - NASASpaceFlight.com All Artemis I Secondary Payloads Installed in Rocket’s Orion Stage Adapter – Artemis All Artemis I Secondary Payloads Installed in Rocket’s Orion Stage Adapter – Artemis SLS modal testing complete, mass-sim removed - Space Explored NASA completes umbilical test for SLS Artemis 1 mission - NASASpaceFlight.com Blue Origin ‘gambled’ with its Moon lander pricing, NASA says in legal documents - The Verge Revealed: The secret notes of Blue Origin leaders trying to catch SpaceX | Ars Technica Blue Origin has a toxic culture, former and current employees say | Ars Technica Bezos Wants to Create a Better Future in Space. His Company Blue Origin Is Stuck in a Toxic Past. Jeff Bezos Faces Worker Complaints at Blue Origin - The Atlantic
55 min
September 21, 2021159: Fun Stuff in Science
NASA has published information about its work with AR, VR and getting sleepy while in a self-driving car. Jason and Stephen talk through the reports, then get into the breaking news of NASA's two new mission directorates.
This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:
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Links and Show Notes: Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership Support the life-saving work of St. Jude Relay FM Podcastathon for St. Jude (2021) - YouTube Bonus Balderdash! - YouTube Inspiration4 - Crew Makes Evening Splashdown, Completing World’s First All-Civilian Orbital Mission to Space NASA Lab Studies Sleepiness and Use of Automated Systems | NASA NASA’s Artemis Rover to Land Near Nobile Region of Moon’s South Pole | NASA The Moon Crater Where NASA Will Send Its Viper Rover - The New York Times Nine Ways We Use AR and VR on the ISS | NASA NASA Leadership Positions Agency for Future | NASA NASA to split leadership of its human spaceflight program | Ars Technica
44 min
September 07, 2021158: A Bad Roommate
It's a real roller coaster this week, except for the Astra rocket that went ... sideway off the pad. Other stories include Inspiration4, the James Webb Space Telescope and dual-core stars.
This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:
Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code LIFTOFF at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
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Links and Show Notes: Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership Relay FM for St. Jude 2021 NASA's Perseverance Rover Successfully Cores Its First Rock – NASA’s Mars Exploration Program NASA’s Perseverance Rover Collects First Mars Rock Sample | NASA Cosmonauts Find Cracks in the Aging Zarya ISS Module - Universe Today Russian cosmonauts find new cracks in ISS module | Reuters NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Has Completed Testing | NASA Upper stage of Ariane 5 rocket for James Webb Space Telescope launch arrives in French Guiana - Space Explored Cosmic indigestion: Swallowing a neutron star can cause a star to explode | Ars Technica Inspiration4 - [object Object] Netflix: Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space How It Happened - Podcasts - Axios St. Jude Mission of a Lifetime Podcast NASA’s big rocket misses another deadline, now won’t fly until 2022 | Ars Technica Vibration Tests for Moon Rocket Help Ensure Safe Travels to Space | NASA FAA grounds Virgin Galactic’s core spaceship pending probe into Richard Branson’s flight - The Verge Astra LV0006 rocket fails to reach orbit after sliding horizontally off the pad - The Verge Chris Kemp on Twitter: RE: Astra LV0006 Firefly Alpha failure blamed on premature engine shutdown - SpaceNews Firefly Alpha FLTA001 - YouTube
45 min
August 24, 2021157: It's in the Slushie Now
Boeing is returning the Starliner capsule to the factory, while Cassini continues to teach us about Saturn from beyond the grave. Then, Stephen and Jason give good and bad news about Artemis.
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Links and Show Notes: Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership Relay FM for St. Jude 2021 Pediatric Cancer Genome Project | St. Jude Research Inspiration4 - Home Starliner Returning to Factory to Resolve Valve Issue NASA, Boeing to Move Starliner to Production Facility for Propulsion System Evaluation – Commercial Crew Program NASA’s Perseverance to attempt second Mars soil scoop, hoping rocks don’t ‘crumble’ - The Verge Helicopter Status Updates - NASA Mars Millennium Space in an experiment de-orbited a satellite in eight months - SpaceNews Saturn's insides are sloshing around | MIT Technology Review Orion Spacecraft Goes ‘Shields Up’ for Artemis I – Artemis First Piece of Artemis II Rocket Hardware Arrives in Florida | NASA Blue Origin suit stops work on NASA HLS contract with SpaceX - SpaceNews Nelson: Blue Origin lawsuit adds further delays to Artemis - SpaceNews Development of spacesuits for Artemis moonwalks lagging – Spaceflight Now
46 min
August 10, 2021156: You're Stealing My Rocks
Jason and Stephen are back, catching up on the news. Topics include SLS flight computers, Starliner's continued struggles, the recent incident at the ISS and a lot more.
This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:
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Links and Show Notes: Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership NASA’s New Telescope Will Show Us the Infancy of the Universe | The New Yorker Jaw-dropping remastered NASA photos celebrate Apollo 15's 50th anniversary - CBS News Apollo Remastered - The ultimate photographic record of humankind's greatest adventure SpaceX surges Starship work despite FAA environmental review uncertainty - SpaceNews With a single photo, SpaceX sent a not-so-subtle message to FAA regulators | Ars Technica Blue Origin | HLS National Team Bezos' Blue Origin Loses Challenge to NASA SpaceX Lunar Lander Contract - The New York Times Jeff Bezos asks NASA for moon lander contract, offers to cover billions in costs | Space NASA's Perseverance Team Assessing First Mars Sampling Attempt – NASA’s Mars Exploration Program Space Station Incident Demands Independent Investigation - IEEE Spectrum Blue Origin successfully completes its first human launch | Ars Technica Now someone wants to slap a SPACE Tax on Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, et al | TheHill NASA EGS, Jacobs power up Artemis 1 vehicle to begin system checkouts in the VAB - NASASpaceFlight.com NASA Moon Rocket Flight Software Readied for Artemis I Launch | NASA First CubeSats Aboard for Artemis I Mission – NASA Blogs Stephen's photo of Orion's stage adapter Boeing Starliner launch problems more widespread than previously reported - The Washington Post Starliner delayed again, and its launch window may close soon | Ars Technica NASA, Boeing Continue to Work Toward Understanding Starliner Service Module Valve Performance Issue – Commercial Crew Program Test Launch of Boeing's Starliner Delayed Due to Stuck Valves - Gizmodo NASA’s new space suits are delayed, making a 2024 Moon landing ‘not feasible’ - The Verge
1 hr 5 min
July 27, 2021155: Apollo 15
As the first J mission, Apollo 15 marked a new era of broader discovery and scientific work on the lunar surface. David Scott, Alfred M. Worden, James Irwin worked to further our understanding of the moon, and were the center of a bit of a scandal after splashdown.
This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:
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Links and Show Notes:
Our Apollo Episodes:
Apollo 1
Apollo 4 & 5
Apollo 6
Apollo 7
Apollo 8
Apollo 9
Apollo 10
Apollo 11
Apollo 12
Apollo 13
Apollo 14
Apollo 15
Apollo 16
Mission Summary: Apollo 15 | NASA Apollo 15 Flight Journal - Index Page Apollo 15 Lunar Surface Journal Lunar - Missions - Apollo 15 Mission Apollo 15 (AS-510) | National Air and Space Museum Apollo’s First Lunar Rover, Driven 50 Years Ago - The Atlantic The Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle Apollo 15: "Never Been on a Ride like this Before" - YouTube LM Tapemeters and T/W Indicator A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts: Chaikin, Andrew, Hanks, Tom: 9780143112358: Amazon.com: Books Sculpture on the moon: Paul van Hoeydonck’s Fallen Astronaut. ‎The Fallen Astronaut on iTunes ASF | Astronaut Scholarship Foundation
1 hr 4 min
July 16, 2021154: 💼 🚀 💰 💸
Jason and Stephen check in on the Hubble's progress to return to normal operation and talk about Russia's upcoming ISS plans. Then, a discussion of billionaires in space and how the Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin missions are changing the world of space travel.
This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:
Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code LIFTOFF at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
Links and Show Notes: Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership Operations Underway to Restore Payload Computer on NASA's Hubble | NASA Operations Underway to Restore Payload Computer on NASA's Hubble | NASA Russia's new Nauka module readied for launch to International Space Station | Space Cosmonauts decommission old space station docking module in 7-hour spacewalk | Space ESA - European Robotic Arm NASA TV to Air Crew Dragon Port Relocation on Space Station | NASA Eric Berger on Twitter: "Lol. None of the three lander proposals wanted to fly on SLS because it was supremely non-competitive in terms of price. But sure, shackle them to it. That’s how they’re going to compete with SpaceX. Brilliant." / Twitter An Alabama lawmaker just wants NASA to fly SLS, doesn’t care about payloads | Ars Technica Richard Branson rides Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo into space - SpaceFlight Insider Here’s why Richard Branson’s flight matters—and, yes, it really matters | Ars Technica Blue Origin donates $19 million to space nonprofits ahead of Jeff Bezos' launch | Space Blue Origin selects 18 year old for first crewed flight - Space Explored Increasingly, the ULA-Blue Origin marriage is an unhappy one | Ars Technica Hayley's Lifelong St. Jude Story - YouTube
45 min
July 01, 2021 153: Hubble Trouble
Jason and Stephen catch up with several commercial space companies before reviewing footage of Zhurong on Mars and talking about the issues currently plaguing the Hubble Space Telescope.
Links and Show Notes: Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership Liftoff on Tumblr Tide to develop first laundry detergent for astronauts' clothing on space station | collectSPACE NASA - Astronauts' Dirty Laundry NASA and Boeing close out recommendations from Starliner review - SpaceNews OFT-2 Starliner spacecraft fueled in advance of late-July launch - SpaceFlight Insider Virgin Orbit launches cubesats on second operational mission - SpaceNews Virgin Orbit suddenly has a viable rocket, so what comes next? | Ars Technica Blue Origin will fly female aviator Wally Funk, one of the Mercury 13, on 1st crewed launch | Space The Mercury 13: The women who could have been NASA's first female astronauts | Space In a first, black holes feasting on neutron stars have been discovered in deep space - CNET China’s Zhurong rover returns landing footage and sounds from Mars - SpaceNews China's Shenzhou 12 spacecraft docks at space station with 3 astronauts | Space China outlines space plans to 2025 - SpaceNews June 18, 2021 - Operations Continue to Restore Payload Computer on NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Operations Underway to Restore Payload Computer on NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Operations Underway to Restore Payload Computer on NASA's Hubble | NASA John Grunsfeld on Twitter: "The team working on #Hubble recovery are masters of engineering and very cautious. I’m optimistic they will succeed." / Twitter FF Thread on Twitter
37 min
June 15, 2021152: It's Under Our Control, with Dr. Ed Lu
After catching up on a couple of present and future robotic missions, Stephen and Jason talk with former astronaut Dr. Ed Lu about his work at the B612 Foundation, which is focused on protecting Earth from large asteroid strikes.
This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:
Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code LIFTOFF at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
Guest Starring:
Ed Lu
Links and Show Notes: Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership Venus Will Have a Fleet of Spacecraft as Europe Adds Orbiter Mission - The New York Times New NASA Missions Will Study Venus, a World Overlooked for Decades - The New York Times Then There Were 3: NASA to Collaborate on ESA’s New Venus Mission | NASA ESA selects revolutionary Venus mission EnVision NASA’s Perseverance Rover Begins Its First Science Campaign on Mars Mars helicopter Ingenuity aces 7th flight on the Red Planet | Space NASA's Juno Takes Photos of Ganymede, Jupiter's Biggest Moon - The New York Times See the First Images NASA’s Juno Took As It Sailed by Ganymede | NASA Core stage for NASA’s Space Launch System mega rocket stacked - SpaceFlight Insider Backbone of NASA’s Moon Rocket Joins Boosters for Artemis I Mission – Artemis B612 Foundation Asteroid Day - UN-sanctioned global awareness campaign NASA has Approved a Space Telescope That Will Scan the Skies for Dangerous Near-Earth Asteroids - Universe Today The Tunguska Impact--100 Years Later | Science Mission Directorate DART Launch Moves to Secondary Window | NASA Rubin Observatory | Opening a digital window for discovery of the dynamic universe.
43 min

About Liftoff

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Liftoff was a podcast about space, the universe, and everything. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to understand the major developments as explained by enthusiastic space fans Stephen Hackett…