Liftoff

By RelayScience Education

Liftoff episodes

November 05, 2019111: Escape of the Mole
Commercial Crew continues to grind forward, while InSight struggles to dig on Mars. Then, some SLS upper stage news, reflections on the Galileo probe and a spoiler-free review of "For All Mankind."
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Links and Show Notes: Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership Mars InSight's Mole Has Partially Backed Out of Its Hole – NASA’s Mars Exploration Program At NASA’s request, Boeing will livestream key Starliner test | Ars Technica Boeing statement regarding CST-100 Starliner pad abort test Boeing’s Starliner Completes Pad Abort Test for Commercial Crew | NASA Voyager 2 Illuminates Boundary of Interstellar Space | NASA Second RS-25 Engine Attached to NASA Moon Rocket | NASA NASA rejects Blue Origin’s offer of a cheaper upper stage for the SLS rocket | Ars Technica Galileo Orbiter Details For All Mankind (TV Series 2019– ) - IMDb Upgrade #270: The Toughest Compare - Relay FM Which Planet is the Closest? - CGP Grey on YouTube
55 min
October 22, 2019110: A Consensual Hallucination
Insight is back up and running, and the ISS has hosted the first all-female spacewalk. Back here on Earth, NASA is making purchases for Artemis, even as Congress threatens the agency's 2024 plans.
This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:
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Links and Show Notes: Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership Mars InSight's 'Mole' Is Moving Again – NASA’s Mars Exploration Program Koch, Meir conclude first all-female spacewalk – Spaceflight Now Why it took so long for NASA to do the first all-female spacewalk - The Verge NASA and the Exquisite Boredom of Spacewalking - The Atlantic Trump just got fact-checked from space, again - The Verge NASA considering purchase of additional Soyuz seats - SpaceNews.com NASA names Douglas Loverro new director of human spaceflight operations - CBS News National Reconnaissance Office - Wikipedia Trump's Iran Tweet Included Image From Specific Spy Satellite, Amateurs Find : NPR NASA Commits to Future Artemis Missions With More SLS Rocket Stages | NASA NASA will award Boeing a cost-plus contract for up to 10 SLS rockets | Ars Technica A House budget committee has likely killed the 2024 Moon landing | Ars Technica NASA’s Lucy Mission Clears Critical Milestone | NASA Lucy: The First Mission to Jupiter’s Trojans | NASA NASA unveils future Moon spacesuits that should be ready by 2024 - The Verge Blue Origin teams up with Lockheed Martin and more for human lunar lander design - The Verge
54 min
October 08, 2019109: An SLS in the Garage
This fortnight: NASA works to get its InSight lander digging again, while the SLS program moves forward with training using a replica core stage and some have suggested Planet 9 may not be a planet at all. Oh, and Elon Musk and Jim Bridenstine have been feisty on Twitter.
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.
ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package.
Links and Show Notes: Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership NASA's Push to Save the Mars InSight Lander's Heat Probe – NASA's InSight Mars Lander Raw Images | Multimedia – NASA's InSight Mars Lander Elon Musk, NASA, and the Effort to Return to Orbit - The Atlantic Jim Bridenstine on Twitter: "My statement on @SpaceX's announcement tomorrow: https://t.co/C67MhSeNsa" / Twitter Elon Musk on Twitter: "@SciGuySpace For what it’s worth, the SpaceX schedule, which I’ve just reviewed in depth, shows Falcon & Dragon at the Cape & all testing done in ~10 weeks" / Twitter Elon Musk aims to put SpaceX’s Starship in orbit in six months - The Verge It looks like SpaceX is now prioritizing Crew Dragon—which is great for NASA | Ars Technica Hardware arrives in Florida for Crew Dragon in-flight abort test – Spaceflight Now Blue Origin performs high-altitude test of crew escape motor – Spaceflight Now SLS Core Stage Pathfinder Exercise | NASA First Pegasus Barge Arrival of NASA’s Artemis Program | NASA SLS Rocket Pathfinders Prepare Teams for One-of-a-Kind Hardware | NASA Space Shuttle Pathfinder - Wikipedia Dressing for the Job: Spacesuits Prepped for Upcoming Spacewalks | NASA First of Five Power Upgrade Spacewalks This Month Wraps Up – Space Station NASA is getting ready for the first all-female spacewalk — again - The Verge Mary Robinette Kowal on Twitter: "Can we take a moment to talk about optimizing and gender? / Twitter ‘Planet Nine’ may actually be a black hole | Science | AAAS Is Planet Nine Actually a Primordial Black Hole? | HowStuffWorks
50 min
September 24, 2019108: Hungry for Artemis Details
This week, Stephen and Jason discuss a recent exoplanet discovery, NASA's ordering of additional Orion capsules and what Jim Bridenstine can do to ensure ARTEMIS is a success, even beyond his tenure.
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 Podcastathon for St. Jude (2019) - YouTube Relay FM for St. Jude Astronomers Find Water on an Exoplanet Twice the Size of Earth - Scientific American No, the Exoplanet K2-18b Is Not Habitable - Scientific American Blog Network First measurements of 'interstellar comet' - BBC News Astronomers Chase a Very Eccentric Interstellar Object - The Atlantic Interstellar comet has a brand-new name - The Verge NASA is trying to land on the moon. The biggest challenge might be Congress. - The Washington Post Eric Berger on Twitter: "Got to love the Senate budgeting $300 million for the EUS upper stage NASA says it doesn't need yet..." - Twitter Senate bill offers $22.75 billion for NASA in 2020 - SpaceNews.com NASA Joins Last of Five Sections for Space Launch System Rocket Stage | NASA NASA Commits to Long-term Artemis Missions with Orion Production | NASA NASA taps Lockheed Martin to build six more Orion crew capsules – Spaceflight Now After 15 years of development, Lockheed wins new cost-plus contract for Orion | Ars Technica NASA cubesat to test lunar Gateway orbit - SpaceNews.com Some NASA contractors appear to be trying to kill the Lunar Gateway | Ars Technica Getting back to the moon requires speed and simplicity | TheHill Upgrade - Relay FM
53 min
September 09, 2019107: Build a Lunar Zipline
The Chandrayaan-2 lander seems to have met its end on the lunar surface as SpaceX inches forward with its Raptor testing program. Then, NASA's plans for commercial lunar landers and how the agency prepares Kennedy for hurricanes.
This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:
ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package.
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 Support St. Jude Membership - Relay FM India's Vikram Spacecraft Apparently Crash-Lands on Moon | The Planetary Society Communications Lost with Chandrayaan-2 Just Before Landing on Moon – UPDATED – SpacePolicyOnline.com India Says It Has Located Chandrayaan-2 Lander on Moon’s Surface - The New York Times SpaceX’s Starhopper completes test flight - SpaceNews.com Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future: Ashlee Vance NASA Experiments Flying to Moon on Commercial Landers | NASA NASA Selects Experiments for Possible Lunar Flights in 2019 | NASA NASA refines plans for Artemis lunar lander - SpaceNews.com How NASA’s busiest Florida spaceport is preparing for Hurricane Dorian - The Verge Spaceport survey finds little damage from Hurricane Dorian – Spaceflight Now NASA - Hurricane Andrew: 15 Years Ago Kennedy Space Center Hurricane Plan (PDF) Vehicle Assembly Building - Wikipedia
39 min
August 27, 2019106: One Robot Closet
The first SLS is taking shape, as are Starhopper and Europa Clipper. Stephen struggles with a name and then Jason introduces a new segment.
This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:
ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package.
eero: Get your WiFi fixed as soon as tomorrow! Free overnight shipping.
Links and Show Notes: Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership India's Chandrayaan-2 Spacecraft Scouts the Moon in New Lunar Photos | Space Europa Clipper's Mission to Jupiter’s Icy Moon Confirmed | NASA NASA Has Committed to a Rocket for the Europa Mission--and It Won't Be Ready on Time - Scientific American After a botched docking attempt, Russia delivers a humanoid robot to the space station - The Verge Russian and U.S. Spaceship Activities Keep Crew Busy – Space Station Russian Soyuz Spacecraft Carrying Humanoid Robot Aborts Docking at Space Station | Space РОСКОСМОС on Twitter: Skybot F850 Eris (dwarf planet) - Wikipedia NASA Administrator Says Pluto Is Still a Planet, And Things Are Getting Heated SpaceX scrubs Starhopper test flight on Monday evening [Updated] | Ars Technica Boeing completes first NASA SLS engine section, getting ready for final Core Stage mate - NASASpaceFlight.com All Booster Segments for NASA’s Artemis 2 Mission Completely Cast | NASA NASA Marshall to Lead Artemis Program’s Human Lunar Lander Development | NASA NASA chief alienates Senators needed to fund the Moon program | Ars Technica Will NASA’s Artemis Moon Mission Have An All-Female Crew? Actually, NASA is looking at all options for the Moon—including prizes | Ars Technica One could fly to Mars in this spacious habitat and not go crazy | Ars Technica Hole That Caused Leak in Russian Spacecraft Possibly Traced to Assembly or Testing: Report | Space NASA Astronaut Anne McClain Refutes Space Crime Claim by Spouse as Divorce Details Emerge | Space The first alleged crime committed in space raises questions about jurisdiction in orbit - The Verge Space Station's Data Rate Increase Supports Future Exploration | NASA SpaceIL’s Crashed Spacecraft Spilled Tardigrades on the Moon | WIRED Chris Johnson on Twitter Tardigrade - Wikipedia
1 hr 7 min
August 13, 2019105: Hallowed Ground
Stephen and Jason report in after their field trip to Space Center Houston and Johnson Space Center, which included seeing several spacecraft and visiting the restored Apollo Mission Control room.
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 Space Center Houston | Science and Space Exploration Learning Center A Trip to Johnson Space Center – 512 Pixels Where does NASA keep the Moon Rocks? - Smarter Every Day 220 - YouTube Liftoff on Twitter: "TFW Stephen sees the rocket he’s ...questioned... on the podcast..." Space Vehicle Mockup Facility R5 | NASA International Cooperation | NASA NASA’s restored Apollo Mission Control is a slice of ’60s life, frozen in amber | Ars Technica Restoring Apollo Mission Control Center
1 hr 4 min
July 31, 2019104: A Beautiful Rocket Butterfly
As 2024 gets closer and closer, NASA is hard at work on SLS and Orion, but is also partnering with several companies to move several projects forward in parallel. Stephen and Jason then mark the passing of NASA's first Flight Director, Chris Kraft.
This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:
ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package.
Circle: Parental Control & Internet Filtering App. Get $30 off a Circle Home Plus.
Links and Show Notes: Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership Liftoff (@liftoffpodcast) / Twitter SpaceX succeeds with first untethered StarHopper low altitude ‘hop’ test | TechCrunch A “city-killing” asteroid just zipped by Earth. Why didn’t we see it coming? - Vox Tunguska event - Wikipedia NASA Says SLS Green Run Test is a Go – SpacePolicyOnline.com “Green Run” Test Will Pave the Way for Successful NASA Moon Missions | NASA Vice President Unveils NASA Spacecraft for Artemis 1 Lunar Mission | NASA Plum Brook Station | NASA NASA Taps Northrop Grumman to Build Lunar Gateway Habitation Module | Space Bigelow Aerospace - Gateway NASA Announces Industry Partnerships to Advance Moon, Mars Technology | NASA NASA agrees to work with SpaceX on orbital refueling technology | Ars Technica Private Company Orbit Beyond Drops Out of 2020 NASA Moon-Landing Deal | Space Commercial Lunar Payload Services Update | NASA Solar Sailing Success: Planetary Society Deploys LightSail 2 - Scientific American Made in Space wins NASA contract to 3D-print satellite structures in orbit – Spaceflight Now Christopher Columbus Kraft, NASA’s legendary flight director, has died | Ars Technica Remembering Chris Kraft | NASA "Flight: My Life in Mission Control" by Christopher Kraft
59 min
July 16, 2019103: Apollo 11
50 years ago, humans first set foot on the moon. The work of the crew of Apollo 11 has inspired people for five decades, and their legacy continues to shine on today. In this episode, Stephen and Jason discuss three aspects of the mission that aren’t as well known, including Neil Armstrong’s brush with death in a training exercise, the science performed by the crew during their lunar EVA, and the astronauts’ less-than-glamorous welcome back to Earth.
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.
ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package.
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
Apollo 17
Apollo 11 Mission Overview | NASA Apollo 11 | NASA Apollo 11 Moon Launch 50th Anniversary | CBS News Special Coverage, live stream - YouTube 50 Years Ago: Armstrong Survives Training Crash | NASA LLRV Testing Contributed to Apollo 11's Success - YouTube Neil A. Armstrong Oral History How Apollo 11's astronauts spent their 22 hours on the moon | Popular Science Apollo 11 Science Experiments Apollo 50th on Twitter Astronauts Didn't Sleep So Well on the Moon - Vintage Space : Vintage Space Why the Apollo 11 Crew Was Quarantined Upon Return - YouTube Apollo was NASA’s biggest win — but its legacy is holding the agency back - The Verge
38 min
July 05, 2019102: Important Business Meetings
Orion and the Mobile Launch Platform are making progress, InSight's struggles continue and NASA is sending a 8-rotor drone to Saturn's moon Titan.
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.
Circle: Parental Control & Internet Filtering App. Get $30 off a Circle Home Plus.
Links and Show Notes: Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership Amazon.com: From the Earth to the Moon (DC/BD) [Blu-ray] U.S., China plan to meet on civil space in autumn: U.S. official | The Journal Pioneer Where Does Mars' Methane Go? New Study Provides Possible Answer, with Implications in the Search for Life. - Universe Today With a Poof, Mars Methane Is Gone - The New York Times Watch the total solar eclipse streak across Earth in this gorgeous satellite shot – BGR Apollo's Muse: The Moon in the Age of Photography | The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Moon Sits for Its Portrait - The New York Times NASA's Orion Crew Capsule Aces Big Safety Test | Space Orion Ascent Abort-2 Photos NASA's Launch Abort Test Builds on 50 Years of Astronaut Escape Systems | Space Common Questions about InSight's 'Mole' – NASA’s Mars Exploration Program News | NASA's InSight Uncovers the 'Mole' NASA will fund a revolutionary mission to fly through Titan’s atmosphere | Ars Technica NASA's Dragonfly Mission to Titan Will Look for Origins, Signs of Life | NASA Dragonfly: NASA's New Mission to Explore Saturn's Moon Titan - YouTube NASA’s restored Apollo Mission Control is a slice of ’60s life, frozen in amber | Ars Technica NASA Reopens Apollo Mission Control Room That Once Landed Men on Moon - The New York Times BBC World Service - 13 Minutes to the Moon
48 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…