This Week in Space (Audio)

The solar system is a dangerous place, with asteroids barreling between the planets and frequently skimming past Earth. Just one 50-foot rock, like the one that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013, could kill up to a million people! Dr. Ed Lu, former NASA astronaut, co-founder of the B612 Foundation, and head of the Asteroid Institute joins us to talk about finding the millions of potentially dangerous asteroids that are still uncharted and how we might avoid catastrophic encounters.

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Dr. Ed Lu

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We do love us some space conspiracies! This week, Tariq Malik and Rod Pyle discuss their favorites – from the classic "we never landed on the Moon" to the less-discussed hexagon on Saturn's north pole (we all know it's an alien greeting card, right?), they'll look at, discuss, and debunk the wackiest conspiracies ever... because, "the truth is out there!"

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

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Space Ace Leonard David joins the conversation on This Week in Space. NASA has released preliminary results of their Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena report, and they are nearly the opposite of the DoD's previous report. NASA found very few incidents to be truly "unidentified," though this report was notably based solely on unclassified material and was in essence, a study-of-how-to-study UFO data... so we are left continuing to look to the skies.

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Leonard David

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Many of us would love an opportunity to fly into space, even if for just a few minutes. Dylan Taylor recognized this, and also the power of the Overview Effect to change people's perceptions about spaceflight and our world. He created the nonprofit Space For Humanity to select deserving people from around the world to fly aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, on which he has flown. The results have been impressive, and as these people return to their home states and countries, they become ambassadors for the final frontier. Join us as we speak to Rachel Lyons, Executive Director of Space For Humanity.

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Rachel Lyons

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You may not have heard of Charles Miller, but you should have. He was an early proponent of commercial spaceflight and was instrumental in making it part of NASA's mandate in 1998. He was a senior advisor to NASA on the topic for three years and, both before and after, a powerful proponent as a private citizen, starting a number of space advocacy groups. He recently founded Lynk, a company that connects cell phones to satellites worldwide with their own proprietary satellites. In short, he's one of the original Space Buccaneers and one of the few non-billionaires instrumental in creating the new space age.

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Charles Miller

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The sun brings light and heat to Earth, but it can also blast our planet with stormy weather, flares, and massive coronal mass ejections that can impact our power grids, satellites, and even endanger astronauts in space and, eventually, back on the moon. And it's heating up as the sun approaches Solar Maximum of its latest Solar Cycle 25. NASA solar astrophysicist Dr. C. Alex Young of the Helioscience Division of the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland joins us to dish on the latest from the sun and what it means for us on Earth.        

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: C. Alex Young

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Jupiter is the king of the solar system, yet it has only been visited by a handful of probes. Juno is the most recent, and has redefined how we understand the giant planet. Since 2016, Juno has explored Jupiter's intense and mysterious magnetic field, changed how we look at giant planet formation, made critical observations of the complex movements of Jupiter's atmosphere, flow through the planet's nearly invisible rings, and probed the intricacies of the Jovian core. Add to that the Junocam project, which allowed citizen scientists to request specific targets for imaging, and you have one heck of a successful mission, now in its 22nd year! Join us as we talk to Juno's chief scientist, Scott Bolton.

Image credit: NASA

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Scott Bolton

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Today we're talking to Robert Pearlman, the king of space collectors! Robert runs the CollectSpace website, the premiere go-to for collecting space hardware and paraphernalia. Need to know what that space helmet is worth? Robert has your back. Oh, you don't have a space helmet and want one? Robert's your man. You'll be amazed at what people will buy, and for how much. 

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Robert Pearlman

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This week, Jeff Greason, our favorite interstellar propulsion advocate and resident genius, talks about how humanity will eventually travel (and live) beyond our solar system, and why it is imperative that we one day do so. The technologies may be closer than you think!

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Jeff Greason

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There's no middle ground on SpaceX's Starship, it seems. You love it, or you hate it; you're an Elon fanboy or a grizzled OldSpace curmudgeon. The battle rages over the outcomes from the truncated Starship launch test last week, and we're going to jump right in, punch through the noise, unwind the arguments, and shine the light. Or not. You decide. If nothing else, we'll kick the bear called Starship!

Image credit: SpaceX

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

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