All TWiT.tv Shows (Audio)

This Week in Space 100: Riding to Space on Virgin Galactic


Listen Later

It's safe to say we all would love a chance to fly to space, but there's wanting to reach space and then ACTUALLY launching into space. This week, as we hit Episode 100, we welcome back Dr. Alan Stern of the Southwest Research Institute to tell us exactly what it's like to fly on a private spaceplane. Alan, a planetary scientist and principal investigator of NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto and beyond, launched on a suborbital spaceflight in November 2023 on Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity space plane. He'll dish on what that experience is like, what it promises for future space science, and more. We also discussed Intuitive Machines' private Odysseus moon lander's farewell, a new air leak on the International Space Station, and when SpaceX may launch its Crew-8 mission to the ISS.

Headlines:

  • Odysseus Moon Lander Incident: Intuitive Machines' lander successfully touched down on the moon but tipped over and broke a leg upon landing. Despite this mishap, the mission achieved many firsts and exceeded expectations.
  • International Space Station (ISS) Air Leak: An update on a minor but increasing air leak in the Russian segment of the ISS, detailing efforts to pinpoint and fix the leak to ensure crew safety.
  • SpaceX Crew-8 Mission Delays: Overview of the delayed SpaceX Crew-8 mission to the ISS, due to weather concerns and scheduling conflicts with the Odysseus moon lander launch.
  • Main Topic: Dr. Alan Stern's Virgin Galactic Flight

    • Dr. Alan Stern's Background: Stern recounts his lifelong passion for space exploration, his involvement in over 30 NASA and European Space Agency missions, and his recent suborbital spaceflight with Virgin Galactic.
    • The Experience of Spaceflight: Stern describes the flight as the best workday ever, detailing the rocket's ascent, time in microgravity, and the camaraderie among the crew. He also mentions successfully completing all nine objectives of the flight.
    • Future of Commercial Spaceflight: Discussion on the potential of commercial spaceflight to transform space science by making suborbital and orbital missions more accessible and affordable. Stern emphasizes the importance of human-led experiments in space and predicts a future where booking a spaceflight could be as common as booking an airline ticket.
    • Risk and Reward of Space Travel: Stern shares his perspective on the risks associated with space travel, comparing it to the early days of aviation and expressing optimism for the future safety and normalization of space exploration.
    • New Horizons Update: Alan talks on the New Horizons extended mission to study Kuiper Belt objects through 2028/2029. The Kuiper Belt structure itself continues to reveal its vast scale.
    • Host: Tariq Malik

      Guest: Alan Stern

      Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.

      Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit

      Sponsor:

      • joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT
      • ...more
        View all episodesView all episodes
        Download on the App Store

        All TWiT.tv Shows (Audio)By TWiT

        • 4.3
        • 4.3
        • 4.3
        • 4.3
        • 4.3

        4.3

        352 ratings


        More shows like All TWiT.tv Shows (Audio)

        View all
        Mac Geek Gab — Apple Tips, Tricks, and Troubleshooting by Dave Hamilton, Pilot Pete & Adam Christianson

        Mac Geek Gab — Apple Tips, Tricks, and Troubleshooting

        836 Listeners

        This Week in Tech (Audio) by TWiT

        This Week in Tech (Audio)

        3,059 Listeners

        Hands-On Tech (Audio) by TWiT

        Hands-On Tech (Audio)

        1,964 Listeners

        Security Now (Audio) by TWiT

        Security Now (Audio)

        2,011 Listeners

        MacBreak Weekly (Audio) by TWiT

        MacBreak Weekly (Audio)

        2,013 Listeners

        Windows Weekly (Audio) by TWiT

        Windows Weekly (Audio)

        888 Listeners

        Tech News Weekly (Audio) by TWiT

        Tech News Weekly (Audio)

        1,072 Listeners

        Intelligent Machines (Audio) by TWiT

        Intelligent Machines (Audio)

        781 Listeners

        Total Leo (Audio) by TWiT

        Total Leo (Audio)

        202 Listeners

        iOS Today (Audio) by TWiT

        iOS Today (Audio)

        555 Listeners

        Daily Tech News Show by Tom Merritt

        Daily Tech News Show

        1,391 Listeners

        TWiT News (Audio) by TWiT

        TWiT News (Audio)

        78 Listeners

        This Week in Tech (Video) by TWiT

        This Week in Tech (Video)

        273 Listeners

        MacBreak Weekly (Video) by TWiT

        MacBreak Weekly (Video)

        363 Listeners

        9to5Mac Happy Hour by 9to5Mac

        9to5Mac Happy Hour

        729 Listeners

        Rich On Tech by iHeartPodcasts

        Rich On Tech

        421 Listeners

        TWiT Throwback (Audio) by TWiT

        TWiT Throwback (Audio)

        4 Listeners

        TWiT Events (Audio) by TWiT

        TWiT Events (Audio)

        8 Listeners

        Total Mikah (Audio) by TWiT

        Total Mikah (Audio)

        3 Listeners

        The MacRumors Show by The MacRumors Show

        The MacRumors Show

        239 Listeners

        Untitled Linux Show (Audio) by TWiT

        Untitled Linux Show (Audio)

        7 Listeners

        Host-Read Ads (Audio) by TWiT

        Host-Read Ads (Audio)

        3 Listeners