On this Christmas Eve episode, we are honored to be joined by Emily Carney and Bruce McCandless III, authors of "Starbound: A Beginner's Guide to the American Space Program". Emily Carney is a space historian, podcaster with Space & Things, and the creator of the 'Space Hipsters' Facebook group. She shares her early fascination with space, sparked by the STS-2 launch in 1983. Bruce McCandless III, whose father was Astronaut Bruce McCandless II, shares his journey of becoming a writer and what it was like being the son of an Astronaut.

We discuss all things space, including a friendly debate on the evolving definition of "astronaut" in the context of commercial space travel. We also discuss the Space Shuttle's legacy, the importance of space exploration on culture, and the potential of SpaceX, Artemis, and the pick for NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. They also express optimism about the future of space exploration despite current political challenges and the "Space Conundrum" of progress in the space industry.

We hope you enjoy this lively discussion about all-things Space and we thank you our guests Emily & Bruce for sharing their time and thoughts with us!

Get the book HERE:

'Star Bound: A Beginner's Guide to the American Space Program' (Affiliate Link) https://amzn.to/408XLzS

Follow Emily & her work: 

https://space.nss.org/category/this-space-available/  https://www.facebook.com/groups/spacehipsters https://spaceandthingspodcast.com/

Follow Bruce & his work:

https://brucemccandless.com/ https://brucemccandless3.medium.com/

Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas!

Topics: 

space history, space shuttle, space exploration, astronaut definition, space policy, space industry, space books, space travel, space technology, space missions, space future, space programs, space innovation, space challenges, space inspiration

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introductions

02:08 Emily Carney's Origin Story

04:07 Bruce McCandless III's Background

08:46 Discussion on Space Books and Movies

09:58 Memorable Interviews and Space Industry Insights

14:27 The Evolution of the Term "Astronaut" 

24:59 The Role of Commercial Space Travel

36:27 The Space Shuttle Program and Its Legacy

51:49 The Future of Space Exploration

56:24 Final Thoughts on the 'Space Conundrum'

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Here's to building a fantastic future - and continued progress in Space (and humanity)!  Spread Love, Spread Science

Alex G. Orphanos

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