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

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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/

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

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

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This Episode’s Sponsors

Are you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?
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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/

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

Guest | Dr. Will Grundy, Astronomer, Lowell Observatory

Host | Matthew S Williams

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

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Episode Notes

Dr. Will Grundy, an astronomer and planetary scientist with the Lowell Observatory and a member of the New Horizons team, has been studying Pluto his entire professional life. Together, we sat down to discuss matters of planetary science, the Great Planet Debate, and the importance of icy bodies in the outer Solar System.

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Resources

Lowell Observatory: https://lowell.edu/

I Heart Pluto Festival 2025: https://iheartpluto.org/

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

Host | Matthew S Williams

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

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This Episode’s Sponsors

Are you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?
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Episode Notes

Stations in space that allow for long-duration stays and a permanent human presence throughout the Solar System are a time-honored concept. The concept achieved fruition by the late 20th century. In the not-too-distant future, we may be seeing rotating wheels and cylinders in space that can accommodate the "Great Migration" of people to space.

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Resources

Space Station 20th: Historical Origins of ISS (NASA): https://www.nasa.gov/history/space-station-20th-historical-origins-of-iss/

The First Space Stations (National Air and Space Museum): https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/first-space-stations

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

Host | Matthew S Williams

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

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Episode Notes

Wormholes, portals in spacetime that allow for faster-than-light travel, are a staple of science fiction. But what does the science say about them? In truth, scientists have been exploring the idea for over a century and there is some basis for their existence. Whether or not we'll ever be able to use them, however, is still up for debate.

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Resources

What are Wormholes?: https://www.space.com/20881-wormholes.html

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

Host | Matthew S Williams

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

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This Episode’s Sponsors

Are you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?
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Episode Notes

Red dwarf stars are the most common in the Universe, and are pretty good at forming rocky planets in their habitable zones (HZs). This includes Proxima b (the closest exoplanet to our Solar System). But red dwarfs are known for being temperamental and prone to flares. As a result, the debate continues as to whether or not planets orbiting these stars could support life.

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Resources

Could Earth Life Survive on a Red Dwarf Planet? - Universe Today: https://www.universetoday.com/166157/could-earth-life-survive-on-a-red-dwarf-planet/

Red Dwarf Stars Might Be Able to Hold Onto Their Atmospheres After All - Universe Today: https://www.universetoday.com/169037/red-dwarf-stars-might-be-able-to-hold-onto-their-atmospheres-after-all/

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

Host | Matthew S Williams

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

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Episode Notes

The dream of interstellar travel, of reaching another star system and setting foot on another world, has been with us for centuries. Since before the Space Age, several concepts have been proposed. As we enter a new era of space exploration, many of these concepts are being reconsidered. But which are feasible and could reach another star in our lifetimes?

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Resources

How Long Would It Take To Travel To The Nearest Star?: https://www.universetoday.com/15403/how-long-would-it-take-to-travel-to-the-nearest-star/

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

Guest | Kenneth Goodis-Gordon, Ph.D candidate and Graduate Research Assistant, University of Central Florida

On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-goodis-gordon-05217a130/

On Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/kenny.gordon.18

Host | Matthew S Williams

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

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Episode Notes

Kenneth Goodis Gordon is a Ph.D. candidate with the University of Central Florida's Planetary Science Group. His research focuses on exoplanets and the search for life in the cosmos (astrobiology). In a recent research paper, he and his colleagues recommend how studying polarized light from exoplanets could allow future observatories like the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) to find evidence of life on other worlds!

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Resources

Polarized Signatures of the Earth Through Time: An Outlook for the Habitable Worlds Observatory: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2410.02194

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

Host | Matthew S Williams

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

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Episode Notes

In 1966, NASA and the Soviet space program focused all of their efforts on getting to the Moon first. On July 20th, 1969, Americans succeeded and landed the first astronauts on the lunar surface. By reaching the Moon, NASA effectively won the Space Race. But what followed was a new era of cooperation and long-term plans that would eventually lead back to the Moon and onto Mars...

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Resources

The Space Race - National Air and Space Museum: https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/educational-resources/space-race

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

Host | Matthew S Williams

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

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This Episode’s Sponsors

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Episode Notes

The American and Soviet space programs began amid Cold War tensions, where the goal was to "get there first" and demonstrate who had technological supremacy. These efforts began with the launch of artificial satellites, followed quickly by sending crewed spacecraft to orbit. All in preparation for eventual missions to the Moon!

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Resources

What Was the Space Race? - National Air and Space Museum: https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/what-was-space-race

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