Talking Space

On this episode of Talking Space, the smaller-than-usual crew takes on the red planet, looking at news that some say will be groundbreaking while others say it's no big deal. We then discuss Curiosity checking in on FourSquare and some unique wind patterns it picked up. On our second trip around the table, we discuss some SpaceX failures you might not have heard about. We then talk about a NASA spinoff that won't make you hurl and a video game character detected by Cassini. On our third trip around the table, we discuss the new home for NASA 905. We also discuss a retiring former astronaut who we interviewed on Episode 309 and the tale of how our website stayed up during Hurricane Sandy. We add in a last minute story on some unlikely space-related candidates for Time's Person of the Year People's Choice vote.

To vote for MSL, the Higgs-Boson, or Felix Baumgartner, visithttp://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2128881_2128882,00.html. Voting ends December 12th at 11:59pm EST.

Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Member: Mark Ratterman

Show Recorded - 11/26/2012

On this special episode, we talk to NASA's Social Media Manager John Yembrick and NASA's Deputy Social Media Manager Jason Townsend. We discuss the origins of the former NASA Tweetup now called NASASocial and the impact it has had on those who both planned it and those who participated. We also discuss NASA's trend-setting power and how they have become the top governmental social media agency. We then also discuss the topic we've been discussing on this show over the past month, and their view on traditional vs. social media after the SpaceX CRS-1 Social where participants were given the same access as members of the media. Learn all about @NASA's (and the other 500 Twitter accounts) inner workings and everything you wanted to know about NASA Socials.

For information on NASASocial events, visit http://www.nasa.gov/social

You can personally follow John: @yembrick and Jason: @jtowns

Special thanks to our guest panelist Shannon Moore. Find her on Twitter as @ageekmom and visit her Wiki dedicated to NASA Tweetups/Socials at http://nasatweet.com

Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, and guest panelist Shannon Moore with special guests NASA Social Media Manager John Yembrick and NASA Deputy Social Media Manager Jason Townsend

Show Recorded - 11/20/2012

On this episode of Talking Space, we return after recovering from Hurricane Sandy. However, a piece of space history was impacted by the storm as the dome which houses the space shuttle Enterprise at the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum collapsed. Listen to find out why it came down. Next, we discuss SpaceX's successful test flight of Dragon's "grasshopper" and get into a discussion about why they are having an entirely reusable booster for future Falcon rockets. Lastly and most importantly, we discuss the official end of the space shuttle program and experience the excitement and emotion of the ceremonies through the recordings and stories of our own Mark Ratterman. Hear from former astronauts who flew Atlantis, including NASA administrator Charlie Bolden.

To help with Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, you can text REDCROSS to 90999 to automatically donate $10 or you can go to http://redcross.org to donate any amount.

[An image was inserted here. To view it, visit http://talkingspaceonline.com]

Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman

Show Recorded - 11/6/2012

We interview Reaction Engines LTD Mark Hempsell about the SABRE (Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine). This is a breakthrough rocket engine in aerospace technology that can operate in both air-breathing and rocket modes. Join us as we talk about the SABRE rocket engine, the Skylon Spaceplane (runway to orbit) and LAPCAT (Mach 5 cruise Brussels to Sydney in 4.6 hours).

Plan on spending some time looking over the Reaction Engines web site for an extensive download list of images, video's and technical documents.

http://www.reactionengines.co.uk/index.html

https://twitter.com/ReactionEngines

Host this week: Gene Mikulka, Panel Member: Mark Ratterman

Show Recorded 10/17/2012

On this episode of Talking Space, we discuss the journey of Endeavour from Los Angeles International Airport through the narrow streets to its new home at the California Science Center. The shuttle got in later than expected, and we explain why. We then discuss the Red Bull Stratos jump, where Felix Baumgartner jumped from 24 miles to a safe landing on Earth, breaking some pretty impressive world records and almost not surviving. Lastly, we discuss the Dragon docking to the ISS, the failure of the Orbcomm payload which hitched a ride on the Falcon 9, and then we get into interviews. Mark sits down with many members of the CRS-1 NASA Social and get their opinion on the debate brought up last week of social media versus traditional media.

Special thanks to the following for their interviews. You can click on a Twitter username to follow them.

*Note, these are in order of how they appeared on the show:

Adam Kostecki @AIAspeaks

Manya Susoev @ManyaS

Kara Haas @greenposgirl

Emily Carney @emilyc1978

Stacey Severn @FanciFlautist

Robert Neff @5wa

Richard Hay @WinObs

Molly Wood @mollywood

For info on how to help the Planetary Society, visit http://planetary.org

As well, apologies for the occasional audio issues, specifically in the beginning.

Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman

Show Recorded - 10/15/2012

On this episode of Talking Space, we cover the successful launch of the Falcon 9 carrying the Dragon capsule on the 1st commercial operational resupply mission to the ISS. All appeared to go well with the exception of an engine anomaly about 79 seconds into flight. Listen to find out what it is. We then get into a lengthy discussion of "traditional media" versus social media, which came about after NASA allowed NASA Social participants equal access to events and interviews as the press for launch. One panelist is not too happy about this. As an update, after the recording date, Dragon was successfully berthed to the station on Wednesday, October 10th.

We want to hear your opinion on the idea of NASA Social participants getting the same access as media! Send us your thoughts as a text or .mp3 file to [email protected]. You can tweet it to us as@talkingspace or post it on our Facebook page as well at facebook.com/talkingspace

Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman

Show Recorded - 10/8/2012

On this episode of Talking Space, we discuss the arrival of Endeavour in Los Angeles as well as her arrival and some of her celebrity onlookers. We then discuss the upcoming SpaceX launch to the ISS, their first operational flight, and talk about our thoughts on if it'll fly on it's first attempt. We then also talk about Orbital's Cygnus capsule and their rocket rolling out to the pad at Wallops Island. To finish off trip one of two around the table, we discuss a high-altitude jump being taken from the edges of space, what's involved, and some of the details behind the Red Bull Stratos world record jump attempt. On our second trip around the table, Mark has a very special interview with space.com's Clara Moskowitz about the 100 Year Starship Symposium and some of the challenges associated with a long duration flight into the depths of space.

For more on the 100 Year Starship Symposium, visit http://symposium.100yss.org/about-100yss

For some of Clara's stories on the convention as well as other topics, search http://space.com

Be sure to also follow Clara on Twitter: @ClaraMoskowitz

Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Member: Mark Ratterman with special guest space.com writer Clara Moskowitz

Show Recorded - 10/1/2012

On this episode of Talking Space we talk with Carl Carruthers about how to get your science project on the International Space Station. Starting in 1998 Carl has navigated the complex process to have his research fly in space. Now he wants to share how much easier it is with resources currently available through NASA, CASIS, Implementation Partners and others. Download this show to keep as a resource for the day when someone says "I wish I could get my experiment in orbit".

We hear about several previous of Carl's previous projects that flew on shuttle and his upcoming project that will fly to the ISS via SpaceX Dragon capsule early in 2013. We also talk about crew health in space & early detection of osteoporosis (EDOS) http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/EDOS.html

Carl mentions searching for more information about bisphosphonates in microgravity - so go ahead and search that term and learn more. Check out the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education at http://ncesse.org/

For information about the Space Florida ISS Research Competition and the workshop on Oct 5 that Carl will speak at go to http://www.spaceflorida.gov/iss-research-competition/

Carl's great writeup titled "How Can I Get My Science Project on the International Space Station" with all the links  is at http://www.theproteinwrangler.com/2012/07/19/how-can-i-get-my-science-project-on-the-international-space-station/ on Twitter follow him at https://twitter.com/proteinwrangler

Host this week: Mark Ratterman, Panel Member: Gene Mikulka with Special Guest Carl Carruthers

Show Recorded - 09/26/2012

On this episode of Talking Space, we discuss the recent return of both the Soyuz TMA-04M carrying a crew of 3 and the "return" of JAXA's HTV-3. We then discuss a race against the ISS, and it's not as impossible as it seems. We then discuss a delay with the next Soyuz, the TMA-06M and the reliability of the vehicle. On our second trip around the table, we discuss the delay of the departure of Endeavour and a brief look at each of the exhibits. We then discuss a very patriotic set of waypoints in the Washington DC area. We then discuss some budgetary woes to end the second trip around the table and to begin the third. We then move on to the winners experiments in the YouTube Space Lab contest being flown and performed onboard the ISS. Finally, we look at the memorial ceremony for Neil Armstrong held at the National Cathedral.

For more on Racin' the Station, visit http://www.imathlete.com/events/EventDetails.aspx?fEID=13750

To view the map with the aviation waypoints, visit the White House blog at http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/09/10/faa-commemorates-911-nextgen-arrival-profiles-national-airport

Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman

Show Recorded - 9/17/2012

On this episode of Talking Space, we discuss preparations being made for the departure of Endeavour for the California Science Center, the final shuttle to fly aboard the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. We also talk about some concerns the residents of Los Angeles are expressing regarding preparations. We then discuss the recently announced reasons for the allocation of funds for NASA's CCiCap program and the concerns the agency has with some of the proposed designs. On our second trip around the table, we discuss a MacGyver-esque repair aboard the ISS that involves using a toothbrush on a spacewalk. We then move on to some impressive research being done by NASA employees. We then discuss India's recent launch and the impact this is having on the launch market as well as the morale of the US. Finally, we use our last trip around the table to answer some listener letters ranging from Neil Armstrong to what defines a legend.

As well, Talking Space celebrates its 3 year anniversary with the release of our first episode on September 9, 2009.

Thanks to Iain and Rich for the letters. Don't forget to send in your questions or comments as a letter or a .mp3 to [email protected] for it to possibly be discussed on the show.

Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman

Show Recorded - 9/12/2012