Space on Earth

In this episode of Space on Earth, student hosts Wyatt Wade and Lacey Collins explore the long-awaited Artemis II mission, from its delayed launch to its successful journey around the Moon and return to Earth. They highlight the mission’s cultural significance, including its diverse crew and connections to mythology, before breaking down the technical milestones such as launch, orbital maneuvers, trans-lunar injection, and the lunar flyby. Along the way, they discuss real challenges faced during the mission, from hardware issues to in-flight adjustments, as well as powerful human moments experienced by the crew. The episode captures both the scientific achievements and emotional impact of humanity’s return to deep space exploration.

This episode explores the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, as both a scientific phenomenon and a source of artistic inspiration. The hosts explain how charged particles from the Sun interact with Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere, producing colorful light displays that vary by gas type and altitude. They discuss where and when auroras are most visible, including rare sightings farther south during strong solar storms. The conversation also highlights how auroras help scientists study space weather and their potential impacts on satellites, GPS, and power systems. Finally, the episode connects science to creativity, examining how the Northern Lights inspire painting, photography, and music through their motion, color, and energy.

In this episode, the hosts explore why space is silent and how we can still “hear” the universe. They explain that sound requires a medium like air, which the vacuum of space lacks, and describe how spacecraft such as Voyager 1 and Juno collect electromagnetic waves, plasma vibrations, and magnetic field data. Through sonification, scientists translate these signals into audible frequencies, producing the haunting cosmic tones often released by NASA. The conversation then turns to how these sounds inspire ambient music, film scores, and multimedia art. By transforming raw space data into sound, artists and scientists together create emotional experiences that help audiences feel the scale, mystery, and beauty of the cosmos.

In 1933, Fritz Zwicky discovered that galaxies were moving as if they contained far more mass than we could see, a mystery later confirmed by Vera Rubin when she showed galaxies should spin apart if only visible stars were holding them together. This invisible mass became known as dark matter. In this episode, Wyatt, Pascal, and HattieRose explore how math and redshift revealed this hidden structure of the universe and how the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will help map its influence across the cosmos.

Hosts Heidi Rose, Shaylee, and new co-host Lacey interview Arwen Hubbard about space science communication and why it matters. Arwen shares what she loves most: staying close to new discoveries and building community through shared curiosity. The conversation explores how communicating science changes with different audiences, why uncertainty is one of the hardest ideas to explain, and how to balance “we do not know yet” with evidence-based reasoning. Arwen reflects on the New Horizons Pluto flyby and her passion for connecting space to Earth, especially New Mexico landscapes. The episode wraps with practical advice for students: start communicating now.

Taylor and Wyatt break down Artemis II, NASA’s first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit in over 50 years, exploring how it tests the Orion spacecraft, advances human spaceflight, and sets the stage for a sustained return to the Moon and future missions to Mars.

In this first episode of 2026, returning student hosts Shaylee, Wyatt, and HattieRose kick off the new year with a look at what’s ahead. They preview upcoming podcast themes, highlight major space and sky events for 2026, including Artemis II, eclipses, and planetary viewing, and share what excites them most about space science. The hosts also introduce changes for the new season, including new co-hosts and a move to weekly episodes. It’s a relaxed, behind-the-scenes welcome back to Space on Earth and the year ahead.

In this episode of Space on Earth, the team dives into the icy world of comets, the frozen leftovers from the birth of our solar system. They share what comets are made of, how their glowing tails form, and how these ancient travelers may have helped seed life on Earth. You’ll also learn how to spot two real comets visible right now, C/2025 A6 (Lemmon)and C/2025 R2 (SWAN), plus get tips for stargazing and tracking them in the night sky.

This episode dives deep into the wonders and mysteries of Mars, exploring the Red Planet from every angle. Listeners learn about its size, gravity, seasons, and extreme temperatures, as well as its dramatic surface features like Olympus Mons and Valles Marineris. The hosts discuss Mars’ thin atmosphere, shifting dust storms, and long-gone rivers and lakes, raising the question of whether life once thrived there. The conversation highlights robotic missions that have transformed our understanding of Mars, the cultural fascination with the planet in both myth and science fiction, and the ambitious plans to one day send humans through massive projects like Starship. Both scientific detail and cultural context come together, making this an engaging journey into why Mars captures so much human curiosity and imagination.

In this special episode, our hosts (Shaylee, Tulsi, Hattie Rose, and Wyatt) talk with Los Alamos National Lab astrophysicist Nicole Lloyd Ronning about gamma-ray bursts, black holes, and what the early universe can tell us today. We dig into career paths, astronaut dreams, and the big question—are we alone?