Talking Space

On this Valentines episode of Talking Space, we lovingly start with, once again, STS-133 and how for once it has not been delayed but an official date is set for February 24th...for now. We then discuss the Stardust-NExT mission, formerly Deep Impact, as it passed close by to Tempel 1, the same comet in which it crashed into in 2005. We then discuss keeping Endeavour flight ready through 2017 as well as its possible commercial use. The big story, however, is the release of NASA's proposed Fiscal Year 2012 Budget.

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

Show Recorded - 2/14/2011

On this episode, we bring on special guest Amy Teitel. Amy is an aspiring author and the creator of her blog, Vintage Space, where she discusses her views as well as little known facts about some of the classic as well as current space missions. We ask her about some of those opinions as well as bringing up shuttle, landing systems, and even the infamous one-way trip to mars.

To visit Amy's blog, please check out: http://vintagespace.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter as @astVintageSpace

Host this week: Mark Ratterman. Panel Members: Gina Herlihy, Mark Ratterman, and special guest Elizabeth Howell

Show Recorded - 1/30/2011

On this episode, we have special guest Elizabeth Howell, author of the website "Pars3c", join the team. We begin with more STS-133 news, followed by the official announcement of STS-135. Following that, we move out to the ISS where the Russians performed their 27th spacewalk. Following that, we get into heavy business, discussing the launch of the Delta 4 Heavy as well as JAXA's HTV-II. Lastly, we discuss the youngest person to ever discover a supernova and how they did it.

To visit Elizabeth's blog, please go to http://pars3c.com and be sure to follow her on Twitter @howellspace

Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gina Herlihy, Mark Ratterman, and special guest Elizabeth Howell

Show Recorded - 1/23/2011

On this episode, we talk a lot of rockets! We start by discussing the stringer issue on STS-133. After discussing its launch date, we move on to another way it can be delayed. Lead spacewalker and STS-133 astronaut Tim Kopra was injured while riding his bicycle. We then talk about Mark Kelly asking for a backup while he tends to his injured wife, Representative Gabrielle Giffords. Following that, we talk about the Soyuz TMA-21, now being named Yuri Gagarin. Listen to find out why. We then go into a tough debate on the proposed Heavy Lift Vehicle. Lastly, we discuss the board of directors at a spaceport in New Mexico and antimatter in thunderstorms.

Would you go on a one-way trip to Mars? Why or why not? Send us an email at [email protected] or visit the Contact Us page on our website. You can also send it to us on Twitter as @talkingspace or on Facebook at http://bit.ly/talkingspacefb.

Below is the video discussed by Mark. This video was made by NASA Goddard Flight. To download these types of short video podcasts, visit http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/iTunes/f0004_index.html

A video was inserted here. To view it, please visit http://talkingspaceonline.com

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

Show Recorded - 1/16/2011

On this episode, we finally have the entire team back at the same time to make this episode. We begin with more delays of STS-133, which was no surprise to any of us. We then become surprised by the findings of an earth-like core on the moon as well as organics, the basic building blocks of life, found on Mars back in the 1970s by the Viking landers. We then offer our condolences and well wishes to the victims of the Tuscon, Arizona shooting which injured Representative Gabrielle Giffords, the wife of NASA astronaut and commander of STS-134, Mark Kelly (@ShuttleCDRKelly). Rep. Gifford's brother-in-law, Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) is currently commanding Expedition 26 on-board the ISS, bringing up the question of what to do if a family emergency occurs when you're 200 miles above the earth.

To visit Brian Shiro's blog post regarding the moon's core, please visit: http://bit.ly/dJ2ZQb

To check out all of the projects occuring in the Zooniverse, including Old Weather, please check out: http://zooniverse.org

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

Show Recorded - 1/9/2011

On the first episode of season 3 and of 2011, the team, through the magic of editing, has come together once again to discuss a year in review, hilighting the major stories in space of 2010, as well as our own personal favorites. Plus, we throw in a few of our own predictions for the new year. Be prepared for great things to come this season. We have some fun things planned for you, the listener, that we think you'll enjoy so stay with us through the year.

To visit ISSWave, please visit http://isswave.org or check them out on Twitter as @ISSWave

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

Show Recorded - 1/4/2011 and 1/5/2011

On this episode, we talk about OpenLuna Foundation

OpenLuna is a volunteer organization. They welcome and encourage participation. The OpenLuna Foundation was founded to return mankind to the moon through private enterprise. Listen to our conversation with Paul Graham, President/ Chairman of the Board and Debi-Lee Wilkinson VP of Membership/Development & board member. OpenLuna is innovative and open source. Yes! Open Source. This is a show you'll want to download, save and listen to several times. They joined us to talk about………

“Your Moon, Your Mission, Get Involved!”

http://openluna.org/ And on twitter Follow OpenLuna @OpenLuna

Hosts this week: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman and Sawyer Rosenstein Special Guests: Paul Graham and Debi-Lee Wilkinson of OpenLuna Foundation

Show Recorded – 10/2010 & 12/19/2010

On this episode, we talk about STS-133 tanking test and rollback to the VAB. The launch of Soyuz TMA-20 with Expedition 26 crew members Dmitry Kondratyev, Catherine Coleman and Paolo Nespoli. We kick around some ideas wondering about the loss of communications from the mission control center outside of Moscow to both the Soyuz and the ISS. Then we reminisce about @NanoSailD :( Moving on to another bit of bad news we cover the failure of the JAXA Venus Climate Orbiter "AKATSUKI" (Planet-C) to enter orbit around Venus. Ending on a high note, NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy or SOFIA completed its' first of three science missions.

AKATSUKI's first shots of Venus: http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/e/topics/2010/1210.shtml

Bill Nye the Science Guy visits NASA's Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, CA home to SOFIA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/SOFIA/bill_nye_visits_daof.html

Late news: NASA Hosts Planet-Finding Tweetup in California's Silicone Valley. For Information about the #NASATweetup visit: http://www.nasa.gov/tweetup

Hosts this week: Sawyer Rosenstein, Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman

Show Recorded - 12/19/2010

On this episode, we start by discussing the delay, once again, of Discovery on STS-133, which is now scheduled for No Earlier Than February 3rd, 2011. We then go on to discuss our main topic, which was the successful launch and re-entry of the Falcon 9/Dragon Capsule launched by SpaceX from Florida on December 8th at 10:47am EST. Included are the team's remarks as well as audio from the post-splashdown news conference with SpaceX founder Elon Musk. Once again, we congratulate them on their successful test. We then move on to discussing the recent discovery and controversy over life found in California which can live on Arsenic, an element which is lethal to all known living creatures. Lastly, we discuss the return of the US Military's X-37B which spent 200 days in space doing work undisclosed to the public. Also, be sure to check out a holiday gift idea Mark has at the end.

To visit the Yahoo! story discussed in the show, please visit http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20101208/sc_yblog_thelookout/scientists-poking-holes-in-nasas-arsenic-eating-microbe-discovery

To see Felisa Simon-Wolf's Blog, check out http://www.ironlisa.com/ and for Dr. Rosie Redfield's post, check out http://rrresearch.blogspot.com/2010/12/arsenic-associated-bacteria-nasas.html

To order Wings in Orbit, please check out http://shopnasa.com/store/product/6604/-Wings-In-Orbit-Hard-Cover/

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

Show Recorded - 12/9/2010

On this episode, we start by discussing the new launch date and time for Discovery. As well, we predict whether or not the shuttle will launch in December or during its next launch attempt, in February. We then move on to discussing the Expedition 25 mission aboard the International Space Station after landing in the high deserts of Kazakhstan. We then move on to talk about NASA's new position as first in social media. We then discuss astronaut Leland Melvin who has a new position at NASA in the education department. Gene and Sawyer had a chance to interview him, and you'll hear clips from the interview. Lastly, we discuss Sawyer's trip to Meteor Crater as well as a tribute to Leslie Nielsen.

To check out the rankings in social media, please visit the L2 Think Tank at http://l2thinktank.com/?page_id=8358

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

Show Recorded - 11/28/2010