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By TWiT
The podcast currently has 11 episodes available.
For many of us, dark matter and dark energy are two of the least understood areas of cosmology and astrophysics. This week, we invited Alina Kiessling and Jason Rhodes, both Research Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to explain these concepts and their broader implications for cosmology, exoplanet research, and more. Both of them are working on major space telescope projects to research "dark physics," as they will explain. Guest co-host Isaac Arthur asks compelling, comprehensive questions about physics and cosmology while Rod asks things like "is dark energy dangerous?" because, let's face it, someone has to ask the dumb questions. Join us for the fascinating deep dive into dark forces!
Headlines:
Main Topic - Understanding the Darkness:
Host: Rod Pyle
Co-Host: Isaac Arthur
Guests: Jason Rhodes and Alina Kiessling
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For decades we've seen images of huge glass domes on the moon and Mars, but the reality of building settlements off-Earth is likely to look much different. This week we're joined by Evan Jensen of ICON Build, a company that, in just a few years, has created housing across Texas via 3D printing. Now, in association with NASA, they are also investing heavily in researching how to 3D print habitats on the moon and one day Mars. It isn't easy working in a vacuum--water freezes and evaporates instantly, and any other materials you need must be transported there. ICON has some unique processes they are testing in their large vacuum chambers, and the results are truly fascinating. Join us for a look into the future of living on other worlds!
Headlines:
Feedback:
Main Topic: 3D Printing for Construction on Earth and Beyond with Evan Jensen
Host: Rod Pyle
Co-Host: Isaac Arthur
Guest: Evan Jensen
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.
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In the world of space podcasts, the Space and Things podcast is a keeper (along with ours, of course). The brainchild of Emily Carney, founder of the Space Hipsters on Facebook, and singer/songwriter Dave Giles, Space and Things brings us some premiere guests in the space sector. Subjects are always compelling, and as we well know, that takes work. We'll dive into the intricacies of creating--and maintaining--a quality space podcast and the success of Emily's Facebook group, the Space Hipsters, now 62,000 members strong.
Headlines:
Main Topic: Interview with Emily Carney and Dave Giles from Space and Things Podcast:
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guests: Emily Carney and Dave Giles
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.
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We see the sun every day as it rises and sets... it's one of the few constants in life. But it's a very dynamic body, throwing minor temper tantrums regularly. As it happens, we're at the peak of its 11-year cycle of activity and there's a lot going on! Dr. Alex Young, the Associate Director for Science in the Heliophysics Science Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, joins us to talk about the sun, solar activity cycles, the recent solar storms that have given us auroras and some communications blackouts, the science from the Parker solar probe, and much more. Don't take the friendly Mr. Sun for granted--join us for this fascinating episode!
Headlines:
Main Topic - Our Friendly Mr. Sun:
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: C. Alex Young
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.
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Well, we waited, we waffled, and we joked... but Boeing's Starliner finally made good! Seven or so years after their projected crewed flight date, the second provider of crew delivery to the International Space Station finally succeeded in sending two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, to the ISS. Despite a few problems with (sigh) valves, helium tanks, and thrusters, the mission appears to be going swimmingly. Then, just a day later, SpaceX launched a Starship on a fourth test flight with spectacular results--and may be ready for another test launch within a few weeks. All good news this week, and it feels like newspace just picked up a lot of steam. Join us!
Headlines:
Main Topic - Starliner and Starship:
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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In this episode of This Week in Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik discuss the latest updates on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, the potential for aurora sightings due to increased solar activity, and China's ambitious lunar exploration program with returning guest Mike Wall, Spaceflight Editor at Space.com. The conversation focuses on China's upcoming Chang'e 6 mission, its capabilities, and the implications of China's growing presence on the Moon. The hosts also touch upon the nationalistic aspects of the new space race between the United States and China.
Headlines:
Main Topic - China's Lunar Ambitions and the New Space Race:
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Mike Wall
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.
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This week we've invited JPL's Chief Engineer Emeritus, Rob Manning, back to discuss Mars exploration and, in particular, Mars Sample Return. As we discussed in episode 107, that project is in a bit of trouble. Rob was the Chief Engineer of every Mars rover up through Perseverance and the overall Chief Engineer on Perseverance, and he has some unique insights on how we have explored Mars, why it matters, and what the future holds... especially with regard to returning samples to Earth. Join us!
Headlines:
Main Topic - Mars Exploration and Sample Return:
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Rob Manning
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
Welcome to the Big Glass Wars! That's right, just when you thought you'd heard it all, turns out there's hot competition among a few countries to stay on the cutting edge of optical astronomy, and to do that, you need a great big hunk of glass to gather light from distant galaxies and stellar systems. Enter the Carnegie Observatories and their partners on the Thirty Meter Telescope and the Giant Magellan Telescope. Both are currently under construction, and both are threatened by budget parsimony from the U.S. Congress. Dr. John Mulchaey, Director of the Carnegie Observatories, joins us to discuss what's happening, why it matters, and what you can do to help maintain U.S. leadership in astronomy, cosmology, and other STEM-related fields.
Headlines:
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Dr. John Mulchaey
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The Voyager probes have been transiting space since 1977, and they're still at it 46 years later. But late in 2023, Voyager 1, now 15 billion miles distant, started sending what the flight controllers called "gibberish" back to Earth---uncoordinated ones and zeros and a heartbeat tone. They knew it was still alive, but something had gone wrong. The small team of software wizards at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory got to work and came up with a workaround... but due to the age of the program, did not have an old enough computer on the ground to test it! They'd have to eyeball the sequence and send it to overwrite existing programming on the spacecraft. The round-trip radio signal from Earth takes 45 hours... and it was a nail-biter. Join us as we discuss this rescue beyond the solar system with Voyager Mission Scientist Dr. Linda Spilker.
Headlines:
Feedback:
Main Topic - Saving Voyager 1 with Dr. Linda Spilker:
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Dr. Linda Spilker
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.
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While we may not think of it very often, music has a long history of influencing how we think about spaceflight. From the scores of early silent films to the modern classics we all know, like 2001: A Space Odyssey and the never-ending franchises of Star Trek and Star Wars, we often have a riff going through our minds when we see a space image—few can hear Strauss' Blue Danube without thinking of the space station in 2001, or see a tilted yellow title scroll without hearing that first orchestral crash of John Williams' immortal Star Wars score. And, in real life, we had the talented astronaut Chris Hadfield performing David Bowie's classic hit Major Tom, augmented by upbeat lyrics. Space music is big, and Chris Carberry, CEO of Explore Mars and author of the recently released book The Music of Space, is here to tell us why!
Headlines:
Main Topic: The Music of Space
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Chris Carberry
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
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The podcast currently has 11 episodes available.