Welcome to Space 3D and part 2 of our interview with aerospace engineer and amateur astronomer, Scott Gauer.

Originally from Danville, PA, Scott is a graduate of Penn State University with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and a minor in Astrophysics. Since 2017 he has been employed at Space Exploration Technologies Corp. in Hawthorne, CA as a propulsion engineer on both the Dragon ISS cargo resupply spacecraft, and most recently, the Falcon 9 2nd stage engine (Merlin 1D Vacuum). He has been doing astronomy & astrophotography in his free time since 2010, and enjoys public outreach & education.

In this episode, Tom Hill, Emily Carney and Eleanor O'Rangers get into some of the nitty gritty with Scott on telescope design considerations, enhancements for added deep sky viewing, including cameras, and how computers have become an essential companion to many budding astronomers, particularly for post-image processing.

Scott’s FLICKR astrophotography page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/scott_gauer/

Welcome to Space 3D and our second interview for season 4 with aerospace engineer and amateur astronomer, Scott Gauer.

Originally from Danville, PA, Scott is a graduate of Penn State University with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and a minor in Astrophysics. Since 2017 he has been employed at Space Exploration Technologies Corp. in Hawthorne, CA as a propulsion engineer on both the Dragon ISS cargo resupply spacecraft, and most recently, the Falcon 9 2nd stage engine (Merlin 1D Vacuum). He has been doing astronomy & astrophotography in his free time since 2010, and enjoys public outreach & education.

In part 1 of our interview with Scott, well delve into his insights on getting started in astronomy and astrophotography. We’ll discuss Scott’s recommendations on telescopes and other options, such as binoculars, his favorite targets, post-imaging processing, and working around the challenges of urban light pollution. Finally, we'll touch on some options for networking, including connecting to local astronomy clubs, participating star parties, and attending the Northeast Astronomy Forum.

Scott’s FLICKR astrophotography page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/scott_gauer/

Northeast Astronomy Forum: http://www.rocklandastronomy.com/neaf.html

Welcome to Space 3D!

In this episode, co-moderators Emily Carney, Tom Hill and Eleanor O’Rangers continue discussing recent space dramas and documentaries, including For All Mankind on Apple TV, The Real Right Stuff on Disney Plus, and Challenger: The Final Flight, on Netflix. We conclude the episode recalling our memories of Challenger and Columbia and what their legacies meant to each of us.

Welcome to Space 3D!

It’s hard to believe it, but we’re actually kicking off Season 4 of our little podcast adventure.

In this episode, co-moderators Emily Carney, Tom Hill and Eleanor O’Rangers briefly catch up following the hiatus from Season 3’s conclusion and then dive into discussion on current television shows featuring a retro space theme. First up: The Nat Geo/Disney Plus version of The Right Stuff.

Also—make sure to check out Emily’s other podcast she started recording recently with fellow space enthusiast Dave Giles called “Space and Things”-- another podcast devoted to the exploration of space—also available on your favorite podcast listening platform.

We conclude our conversation with X-15 historian, Michelle Evans, author of the book, “The X-15 Rocket Plane, Flying the First Wings into Space”.

In this episode, Michelle discusses some exciting news about technical consulting work she has been involved in with the upcoming National Geographic reboot of “The Right Stuff.” We make sure to ask her if there are any untold stories about the X-15, since we had a feeling there might still be a few tales to tell. Finally, Michelle discusses a once and future topic for a book… that we hope she’ll still decide to pursue one of these days.

Michelle Evans is the founder and president of Mach 25 Media (www.Mach25Media.com) and is a writer, photographer, and communications specialist in aerospace.

We continue our conversation with X-15 historian, Michelle Evans, authors of the book, “The X-15 Rocket Plane, Flying the First Wings into Space”.

We start out part 3 of our interview with a discussion of Mike Adams, the only pilot fatality in the X-15 program—and the creation of a memorial to him that sits adjacent to the site of the X-15 #3 crash site north of Edwards AFB in the high desert of southern CA. We turn our attention to the legacy of the X-15 program, and round out this episode with a discussion of the how the X-15 was capable of atmospheric and spaceflight… which naturally led to another story of that badass X-15 and Space Shuttle pilot, Joe Engle.

Michelle Evans is the founder and president of Mach 25 Media (www.Mach25Media.com) and is a writer, photographer, and communications specialist in aerospace.

We continue our conversation with X-15 historian, Michelle Evans, author of the book, “The X-15 Rocket Plane, Flying the First Wings into Space”.

In Part 2 of our interview, we get into why the X-15 program was such an important milestone in the history of aviation while we focus on some of the more “gee whiz” aspects of the spaceplane. We ask Michelle to recount any favorite pilot stories—and one about Neil Armstrong might just surprise our audience. We’ll get into details on pilot selection, how Scott Crossfield was the first to fly the X-15…. And then we’ll conclude the episode with a couple of stories about the 8th X-15 pilot—and later astronaut—Joe Engle.

Michelle Evans is the founder and president of Mach 25 Media (www.Mach25Media.com) and is a writer, photographer, and communications specialist in aerospace.

We conclude Season 3 of our podcast with an interview with X-15 historian, Michelle Evans, author of the book “The X-15 Rocket Plane, Flying the First Wings into Space”.

In Part 1 of our interview, we discuss how her father inspired her interest in the X-15 and aerospace more broadly. Following time in the Air Force and a stint overseas working with Space Camp Turkey, we explore the journey Michelle took over nearly 30 years that eventually led to the publication of “The X-15 Rocket Plane, Flying the First Wings into Space” in 2012. Finally, Michelle recalls some of her favorite communications with a rather large fan base she has amassed since the publication of the book.

Michelle Evans is the founder and president of Mach 25 Media (www.Mach25Media.com) and is a writer, photographer, and communications specialist in aerospace.

Al Worden, the astronaut who served as Command Module Pilot on the Apollo 15 lunar mission in 1971, passed away on March 18, 2020 at the age of 88. As a tribute to him, Space 3D will be airing multiple interviews with individuals who knew Al over the years. We hope that these will bring a smile to our listeners. Al was truly unique, and will be missed by his family and the space community.

This final tribute episode to Al features engineer and space artist, Michelle Rouch.

NASA information page for Al Worden: https://www.nasa.gov/alworden

Al Worden, the astronaut who served as Command Module Pilot on the Apollo 15 lunar mission in 1971, passed away on March 18, 2020 at the age of 88. As a tribute to him, Space 3D will be airing multiple interviews with individuals who knew Al over the years. We hope that these will bring a smile to our listeners. Al was truly unique, and will be missed by his family and the space community.

This episode features space historian James Hansen, who authored the official biography of Neil Armstrong, First Man.

Dr. Hansen has some fun stories about Al, who was a technical consultant on the movie, First Man, based on Hansen’s biography.

NASA information page for Al Worden: https://www.nasa.gov/alworden