This Week in Space (Audio)

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This Week in Space (Audio) episodes

November 17, 2023TWiS 88: Thanksgiving Special - What We're Grateful For in Space
A lot of cool space stuff has occurred since the dawn of the Space Age, and a lot of it lives overhead right now. This week, Rod and Tariq run through their favorite space missions and top moments in the exploration of the final frontier. As usual, it may not be quite what you expect... but we'll be sure to toss in an extra Bad Space Joke to keep you satisfied. Join us!
Headlines
SpaceX's Starship rocket ready for launch attempt on November 19 after repairs. The world's largest rocket could finally reach orbit after delays.

Chinese rocket stage likely caused mysterious Moon crater in 2022, study finds. The lunar impact was traced back to a Long March 3C rocket body.

ULA's Vulcan Centaur rocket on track for inaugural launch in December, could land lunar probe on Moon. The new rocket's first mission will carry a commercial moon lander.
Main Topic: Thanksgiving Special - What We're Grateful For in Space
Rod recalls being inspired as a child by 1950s visions of space exploration in magazines by Wernher von Braun.

Tariq shares how going to space camp multiple times as a teen sparked his interest.

Rod vividly recounts watching the Apollo 8 circumlunar mission on Christmas 1968.

Tariq talks about space shuttle mission STS-126 coinciding with his daughter's birth.

Rod details the 1970s Skylab missions and astronauts fixing the damaged station.

Tariq expresses gratitude for astronaut Mike Massimino's Hubble repair work and public outreach.

Rod reminisces about witnessing the first Viking Mars lander images in 1976.

Tariq highlights Cassini's Huygens probe revealing mysteries of Saturn's moon Titan.

Rod emotionally recounts being present for Cassini's final plunge into Saturn in 2017.

The hosts share favorite comments from listeners about the space events they are most grateful for, from the Apollo coverage on network TV to the recent Artemis and Webb missions.

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

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1 hr 9 min
November 10, 2023TWiS 87: One Lunar Fizz Please - Drinking in Space With Colleen McLeod Garner
As more people take tourist jaunts into space, and eventually into orbit for longer stays, social drinking will become part of the experience—even if it's just that bottle of congratulatory champagne. Besides the odd effects of zero-g on fizzy drinks in the stomach, the effects of imbibing alcohol cause a wide variety of risks and concerns. And while this is not entirely unknown territory—the Russians have been known to drink cognac from time to time (and are strongly suspected of taking vodka into space), the data is slim. Space alcohol expert Colleen McLeod Garner has studied this for years and written articles on the topic and will join us to discuss the joys and potential downsides of the consumption of booze in the final frontier—no fake IDs allowed!
Headlines:
Astronaut Frank Borman, Gemini 7 and Apollo 8 commander, has died at age 95. He was an icon of the early space program.

NASA launches a new free streaming app called NASA+ with space documentaries and live events.

A tiny experimental satellite called TRISAT-R managed to take a blurry photo of Earth with a camera the size of a coin's edge.
Main Topic: Alcohol Use in Space
Brief history: NASA bans it, but a few Russians have consumed vodka in space. Astronauts had communion wine.

Pros: Provides relaxation, normalcy, creature comforts to deal with stress. Processes in alcohol fermentation could be a component in closed-loop recycling.

Cons: Impairs functioning, cognition. Unknown effects in zero-G include faster absorption, longer lasting buzz. Beer causes wet burps (gas issues).

Experiments: Aging whiskey, wine, and beer in space - some marketing gimmicks but also valuable research.

Tourism vs. settlements: Rules may be looser for paying tourists than permanent crews.

Challenges: Regulating it, possible licensing. Hard to brew/produce enough in space initially.

Favorite space drinks: The TWiS crew pick Romulan ale and tequila for their ideal cosmic cocktails and share amusing stories and perspectives on responsible alcohol use in space.

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Colleen McLeod Garner

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1 hr 7 min
November 03, 2023TWiS 86: Home is Where the Air Is - Life Support to Mars with Grant Anderson
We all know you must carry breathable air and drinkable water with you into space... but when traveling to Mars, how can you ensure your life support system will keep working all the way there and beyond? Technology is fallible, and when talking about life support—breathable air, temperature control, and potable water—all are non-negotiable and critical to survival. It's enough to give engineers nightmares. Grant Anderson, the president and CEO of Paragon Space Development Corporation, has been working on these problems since early in his career, and his company is developing mission-critical systems today. We join Grant to learn about how we can be assured that Tariq and I will still have enough air to tell bad space jokes in month 6 of our trip to Mars.
Headlines:
Predicting a fierce upcoming solar maximum starting in late 2024, about a year earlier than forecasted

Exploring the potential impact on Earth of dangerous explosions called "kilonovas" from distant neutron stars

Remembering Apollo 16 astronaut Ken Mattingly, who has passed away at age 87
Main Topic: The Challenges of Life Support in Space:
Guest Grant Anderson gives his background - degrees from Stanford, 10 years at Lockheed, starting Paragon in 1993 to provide life support for extreme environments

Paragon's first biological experiments in space focused on enclosed stable ecosystems with shrimp and algae
Anderson explains how sweat and humidity are collected, gases removed, and water purified for drinking on the ISS

The hosts are amazed by Paragon's tech saving 98% of astronaut urine and sweat, critical for deep space missions

Qualifying life support hardware for zero-g remains challenging - failures in space rarely match those in 1g on Earth

Looking ahead to Mars, Anderson is concerned about abrupt breakdowns in life support and inadequate medical capabilities

Rotating spacecraft to create artificial gravity could help address unknown impacts of long-term weightlessness

Anderson details innovations like selective air bypass to efficiently clean only parts of the airflow inside a spacecraft or habitat

Miniaturization of sensors and electronics has helped, but some key needs remain

Grant emphasizes life support isn't "sexy," but it's the critical technology needed for all human spaceflight

Pyle and Malik joke about the challenges of scaling up from SpaceX's Dragon life support for crews of 4-7 to Musk's visions of 100 people on Starship missions

Anderson reflects on his surprising prediction that bio-regenerative life support for
Mars transit might operate more like a brewery than a farm

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Grant Anderson

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1 hr 3 min
October 27, 2023TWiS 85: Top 10 Scary Space Frights - Halloween Special
Space wants to kill you every moment you are there. From the harsh vacuum to extreme temperatures to killing radiation, there's no shortage of ways to make your stay in space brief. This Halloween, we discuss the Top Ten (and probably more) scariest moments and places in space. And a TWiS bonus--NASA Deputy Administrator and former astronaut Pam Melroy drops in with her scariest space story! Hold on to your thrusters; it's going to be a wild ride.
Headlines:
Pre-Halloween Lunar Eclipse! Partial lunar eclipse on October 28, but you must be in the Eastern Hemisphere to see it. Peak viewing will be in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

China launched a new crew to its Tiangong space station on the Shenzhou 17 mission. The three taikonauts will spend 6 months on the station, replacing the outgoing Shenzhou 16 crew.

The OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample capsule remains stuck shut after its return. NASA is still working on safely opening it to access the priceless cargo inside.
Main Topic - Top Space Frights
The harrowing Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, the first time humans landed on another world, almost ran out of fuel before touching down.

Black holes, with their incomprehensible gravity wells that spaghettify anything that gets too close.

Alexei Leonov's dicey first spacewalk in 1965 where his suit ballooned up and he nearly couldn't get back into the spacecraft.

Gamma ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the universe, that could strip a planet's atmosphere if pointed the wrong way.

The near-disaster of Gemini 8 in 1966, when Neil Armstrong and Dave Scott had to fire retrorockets, forcing an emergency reentry, to stop the violent tumbling of his spacecraft.

Spooky exoplanet TrES-2b, with its coal-black atmosphere and lava-hot winds.

Surprise guest and NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy's Pick: Her own scary moment on STS-120 in 2007 when a snagged solar array threatened to electrocute spacewalker Scott Parazynski.

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Pam Melroy

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

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Sponsor:
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1 hr 2 min
October 20, 2023TWiS 84: Hometown Hero - Astronaut Jose Hernandez and Inspiration Via the New Biopic "A Million Miles Away"
How many of us wanted to be an astronaut when we were younger? It's a big ask. Now, imagine holding this dream while being a young migrant farm worker in the arid fields of Central California. That was former NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez's dream--and against all odds and with enduring tenacity, he made it. This is a story of a child with a dream and the basis of the smash new biopic on Amazon Prime, "A Million Miles Away." Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik dive deep into the life and dream of Hernandez on this episode of This Week in Space.

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: José Hernández

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1 hr 9 min
October 13, 2023TWiS 83: A Hole in the Sky - Viewing 2023's Partial Solar Eclipse with Skywatcher Joe Rao
On October 14 many in the western US will be able to see a partial eclipse of the sun. Astronomer and skywatcher Joe Rao joins us to discuss October 14th's annular eclipse, when most of the sun will be blocked with just a "ring of fire" visible around the margins, and 2024's total solar eclipse--the event of a lifetime. View both, and do it safely--we'll tell you how.

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Joe Rao

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

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1 hr 3 min
October 06, 2023TWiS 82: Our Favorite Space Places - Space Museums and Facilities You Can Visit
From the Kennedy Space Center to Apollo Mission Control to SpaceX's Starbase, Rod and Tariq discuss the coolest space places on Earth for you to visit. Some are grand, a few are funky, but they are all great places to enjoy the finest moments in space exploration... and there are some hidden gems you shouldn't miss! Join us for this first installment of the Greatest Space Places, Phase One: USA!
Headlines:
Virgin Galactic's fourth commercial spaceflight launches first Pakistani woman astronaut Namira Salim. Salim flew with two other passengers on the successful suborbital flight.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks at the International Astronautical Congress, gives an update on Starship development. Musk says there is a "decent chance" Starship could reach orbit this year if engines fire properly. Also discussed upgrades to increase lift capacity.

Fashion brand Prada partners with spacesuit maker Axiom Space to design stylish spacesuits for NASA's Artemis moon missions. Prada will apply expertise in materials science and textiles.

Strange press release claims discovery of alien life, but only offers blurry photo of a dog staring at a wall as proof. Self-published book also promoted.
Main Topic: Favorite Space Places
Kennedy Space Center in Florida has both a visitor complex and active facilities. Highlights include the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit, Saturn V Center, Apollo-era launch pads, and bus tours to see current operations.

Johnson Space Center in Houston is home to historic Mission Control and astronaut training facilities. Nearby Space Center Houston houses space artifacts like the Saturn V rocket.

The National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC contains extensive aviation and space history exhibits, including the original Wright Flyer, Mercury and Gemini capsules, and a Skylab module you can enter.

SpaceX's Starbase test facility in South Texas allows the public to view Starship development up close from nearby roads. Launch attempts draw big crowds for a party-like atmosphere.

Other favorites highlighted: the Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles Airport, California Science Center, Wallops Flight Facility, Kansas Cosmosphere, and more. There are many unique sites around the country for space fans to explore.

Image Source: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

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

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Sponsor:
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1 hr 11 min
September 29, 2023TWiS 81: Rob Manning, the Carroll Shelby of Mars - Chief Engineer at Jet Propulsion Laboratory
We all know that NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory designs, builds, and flies the premiere machines of space exploration, but just who designs and prepares them? It takes a team, but unique leadership must be at the top, and Rob Manning, JPL's Chief Engineer, has long been such a leader. From his earliest work on Voyager through engineering every set of wheels on Mars to overseeing engineering for all of JPL, Rob's story reads like an engineer's dream. Come share that dream with us as we talk to Rob, the Carroll Shelby of Mars.
Rod and Tariq kick off the show by discussing the latest space news, including OSIRIS-REx's return with asteroid Bennu sample, NASA website changes, and an impending government shutdown

Special guest Rob Manning shares his unbelievable career path from JPL technician to Chief Mars Engineer

Manning recalls the scrappy early days of Mars Pathfinder and the "magical" atmosphere of autonomy and innovation

Building Pathfinder on a shoestring $150 million budget meant improvising with consumer hardware and "ad hoc engineering"

Pathfinder team was isolated and given the freedom to innovate, but faced intense scrutiny from legendary NASA experts

Manning details how Pathfinder pioneered airbag landing and was the first Mars landing in over 20 years

Pathfinder was initially designed for one-month lifespan but kept going for over three months - a shocking engineering achievement

Manning emphasizes the importance of hands-on engineering experience versus today's digital abstraction

They discuss how Pathfinder's philosophy and margins set the stage for Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity greatly outlasting expectations

Manning previews upcoming Europa Clipper, Psyche asteroid missions, and more

Manning shares principles for building robust systems: embrace complexity, test thoroughly, plan for the unknown

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Rob Manning

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

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1 hr 17 min
September 22, 2023TWiS 80: Onward to the Stars - Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz and the VASIMR Plasma Drive
Franklin Chang-Diaz rose from arriving in America with $50 in his pocket to earning a Ph.D. from MIT, becoming a NASA astronaut, and flying seven shuttle missions--the first Latin American immigrant to reach space. Since his retirement from NASA, he has worked tirelessly on the VASIMR plasma drive, which promises to one day deliver crews to Mars in 39 days instead of the 6-7 months required by chemical rockets. Join us for this fascinating and inspirational conversation as we talk about an American/Latin American hero and the closest thing to warp drive we're likely to see for a century.
Asteroid bits from NASA's OSIRIS-REx are incoming this weekend after a successful sample grab from asteroid Bennu

Private company Varda Space appeals denied reentry license for their prototype capsule

Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz introduced - MIT plasma expert, NASA astronaut, ISS builder, and plasma drive inventor

Dr. Chang-Diaz recounts being inspired by Sputnik and Yuri Gagarin as a child in Costa Rica, writing to Wernher von Braun about becoming an astronaut, and moving to the US in pursuit of his space dreams

He discusses overcoming obstacles as an immigrant learning English, earning scholarships to college and MIT, pivoting to nuclear and plasma physics when NASA cut Apollo funding

Dr. Chang-Diaz recalls the excitement of NASA selecting him as an astronaut, flying seven Space Shuttle missions, building the ISS, and spacewalking through an aurora

He explains how the nuclear-electric VASIMR plasma engine works, enabling weeks-long Mars trips, its testing status, and the next steps for commercial deployment

Dr. Chang-Diaz muses on solar system exploration with continuous VASIMR propulsion, recharging with space nuclear reactors, and mining fuel sources across the planets

He reflects on managing danger as an astronaut after losing friends in the Challenger and Columbia shuttle disasters

Dr. Chang-Diaz shares an inspiring vision for space as a cosmic civilization and business enabling humanity to spread beyond Earth

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz

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

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1 hr 12 min
September 15, 2023TWiS 79: Stardust! - Back from Bennu with OSIRIS-REx's Incalculably Valuable Dirt and Anjani Polit
For as long as they've understood what asteroids actually are, scientists have pined for pristine samples that haven't had to endure hurtling through Earth's scorching atmosphere. The OSIRIS-REx probe, which launched in 2016, is finally returning its ultra-valuable payload--a bit of primordial star-stuff from the early solar system--to Earth. On September 24, a small capsule will land in the Utah desert, and secreted inside is at least two ounces of sample material from asteroid Bennu. It's been a long and sometimes arduous voyage, and we're joined by Anjani Polit, the Mission Implementation Systems Engineer for OSIRIS-REx.

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Anjani Polit

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

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1 hr 2 min

About This Week in Space (Audio)

From the publisher's feed

The new space age is upon us, and This Week in Space leaves no topic untouched. Every Friday, join Editor-in-Chief of Ad Astra magazine, Rod Pyle and Managing Editor of Space.com, Tariq Malik as they explore everything related to the cosmos.

You can join Club TWiT for $10 per month and get ad-free audio and video feeds for all our shows plus everything else the club offers...or get just this podcast ad-free for $5 per month.