Stories From Space

Dr. Shawna Pandya is an aeromedical transport physician, a neurosurgery and emergency medic, leader of the

an aquanaut with NASA's NEEMO analog missions, director of the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences' (IIAS) Space Medicine Group, and will be Canada's first female commercial astronaut. She's also a black belt martial artist in Taekwon-Do, an analog astronaut, and an explorer. During our interview, we discussed the path that brought her to medicine, space, and what the future holds for humans living and working offworld. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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A few months ago, I had the honor of appearing on AADYA Geo Talks, the podcast series launched by Bharti Sharma and the organization she founded – AADYA, whose name means “origin” in Hindi. As a geologist and world-traveller, Sharma launched this organization to promote knowledge about planetary and geoscience and create opportunities for collaborative research to address critical global challenges. During the interview, we talked about how I got into science journalism, my podcast series, and my science fiction writing. The interview lasted for more than an hour because she asked great questions about a range of wonderful topics! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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A few months ago, I had the honor of appearing on AADYA Geo Talks, the podcast series launched by Bharti Sharma and the organization she founded – AADYA, whose name means “origin” in Hindi. As a geologist and world-traveller, Sharma launched this organization to promote knowledge about planetary and geoscience and create opportunities for collaborative research to address critical global challenges. During the interview, we talked about how I got into science journalism, my podcast series, and my science fiction writing. The interview lasted for more than an hour because she asked great questions about a range of wonderful topics! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

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The White House recently released its budget for FY 2026, which has led to significant concerns at NASA as it recommends significant cuts to international programs, education, and research. In addition, many of these cuts call for the cancellation of key elements of NASA's Artemis Program and its plans for sending crewed missions to Mars. This includes the Space Launch System (SLS), the Orion spacecraft, and the Lunar Gateway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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The Kerbal Space Program is currently used as an educational tool to teach about spacecraft and mission design. But as Dr. Schmitt tells us, it should be used as a method for designing whole mission architectures. For years, Schmitt has relied on KSP and its realism mods to design and simulate missions, including those that will take astronauts back to the Moon! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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In Earth's orbit, there are millions of debris objects that pose a collision risk for satellites and space stations. If left unchecked, the situation could lead to a cascading effect known as Kessler Syndrome. While space agencies worldwide track and monitor objects in orbit to prevent collisions, strategies for active debris removal are needed and many are being researched. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Guest | Dr. Moriba Jah, Professor, The University of Texas at Austin [@UTAustin]

On Twitter | https://x.com/moribajah

On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahniverse/

On Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/moribajah

Website | https://www.moriba.com/

Host | Matthew S Williams

On ITSPmagazine  👉 https://itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/matthew-s-williams

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Episode Notes

Moriba Jah is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin. He's also a major advocate for the "stewardship" of Earth and space. Through his world traveling and extensive experience with NASA, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and academia, he has earned a wide following as a champion for the sustainable use of space.

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Resources

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For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host | Matthew S Williams

On ITSPmagazine  👉 https://itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/matthew-s-williams

______________________

This Episode’s Sponsors

Are you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?
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Episode Notes

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the most complex and powerful space observatory ever deployed. What it has discovered since it commenced operations has been nothing short of groundbreaking! However, many of these discoveries were unexpected and confounded astronomers. But this is the purpose of Webb, which is designed to investigate the biggest questions we have about the nature of the Universe.

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Resources

Webb Space Telescope - Home: https://webbtelescope.org/home

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For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Guest | Keith Cowing, Creator / Editor, NASA Watch and Astrobiology.com

On Twitter | https://x.com/keithcowing

On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-cowing-9b94076/

On Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/keith.cowing

Host | Matthew S Williams

On ITSPmagazine  👉 https://itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/matthew-s-williams

______________________

This Episode’s Sponsors

Are you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?
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Episode Notes

Keith Cowing has been one of NASA's most vocal critics for decades. Together, we discussed what the future may hold for NASA and its ambitious exploration programs. In the end, hope and fear are the only way to describe the mood at NASA as it faces an uncertain future.

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Resources

NASA Watch: https://nasawatch.com/

Astrobiology.com: https://astrobiology.com/

______________________

For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Guest | Keith Cowing, Editor, NASA Watch

On Twitter | https://x.com/keithcowing

On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-cowing-9b94076/

On Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/keith.cowing

Host | Matthew S Williams

On ITSPmagazine  👉 https://itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/matthew-s-williams

______________________

This Episode’s Sponsors

Are you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?
👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/sponsor-the-itspmagazine-podcast-network

______________________

Episode Notes

Keith Cowing, a former NASA scientist and the creator of NASAWatch, has been a part of the space sector for decades. He's also one of NASA's most vocal critics. We sat down to discuss the current state of affairs at NASA, which has become chaotic thanks to the shakeup caused by the current U.S. administration

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Resources

NASA Watch: https://nasawatch.com/

Astrobiology.com: https://astrobiology.com/

______________________

For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.