Your Space Journey

In this episode we interview Thomas Kacpura regarding NASA’s SCaN program (Space Communications and Navigations). I was fortunate to travel to NASA Glenn Research Center earlier this year to meet with Tom and discuss this incredible program. SCaN provides communications services that are essential to the operations of NASA’s space flight missions. SCaN provides communications support to NASA and non-NASA missions by managing three networks: The Deep Space Network, the Near Earth Network and the Space Network.  In this interview Tom provides an overview of SCaN, how the program has its roots in the 1950s, the three networks managed by SCaN, plus the incredible spinoffs generated by the development of SCaN technology.For more information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/scanSpecial thanks to Dylan Hagreen for sharing his space journey in this episode!

In this episode authors Michael Zeiler and Michael Bakich join us to discuss their fascinating new book, Atlas of Solar Eclipses, an adventure guide for the next 25 years of solar eclipses. This amazing atlas covers every type of solar eclipse around the world—total, annular and partial—with beautiful and informative maps to guide you to nature’s most stupendous site, a total eclipse of the Sun.The Atlas of Solar Eclipses — 2020 to 2045 is an adventure guide for anyone entranced by celestial wonders and interested in seeking nature’s most stupendous sight, a total eclipse of the Sun. The atlas covers every type of solar eclipse around the world — total, annular, and partial — with beautiful and informative maps at overview, regional, and detail scales.   You can view a preview of the atlas at https://tinyurl.com/AtlasOfSolarEclipsesPreviewThe atlas spans 56 solar eclipses from 2020 to 2045. Emphasis is given to total solar eclipses in heavily populated areas, such as the 2024 April 8 eclipse across North Amer

In this episode we continue our "Around the World in Space" series with the Canadian Space Agency.Ken Podwalski, Program Manager for the Lunar Gateway at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) joins us to discuss the Canadian Space Agency's efforts for the upcoming Lunar Gateway and Canadarm3. The Canadian Space Agency was established in 1990 but Canada has been involved with space for decades. In fact, Canada was the third country to develop and build its own satellite, Alouette, that launched in 1962. CSA is well known for its development of Canadarm, the robotic arm used on the space shuttle, the International Space Station, and soon the Lunar Gateway.  About the GatewayNASA is spearheading the initiative to establish the Gateway, a space station in lunar orbit. About one-fifth of the size of the ISS, this new outpost will be developed, serviced, and utilized in collaboration with international and commercial partners.The Gateway will be:- a science laboratory;- a testbed for new technologies;- a r

We continue our series with countries around the world in this episode as we feature the European Space Agency (ESA). Joining us for this interview is Günther Hasinger, the director of science for ESA. Günther was born in Germany and earned his PhD in astronomy, later becoming a professor, researcher and author. He is the author of an award-winning book called Astronomy’s Limitless Journey: A Guide to Understanding the Universe, and the winner of the Wilhelm Foerster Prize for public dissemination of science.In this interview we review several current and upcoming missions for ESA including Solar Orbiter, and its recent high-res images of the Sun from its first close approach this summer. Other missions discussed include Cheops (searching for exoplanets), BepiColumbo (Mercury Mission), and an extensive discussion on ExoMars and the upcoming 2022 launch of the Rosalind Franklin Rover, the first rover designed by ESA for Mars.For more information, visit https://esa.intSpecial thanks to Laen August of Alpha Cont

In this episode our panel discusses NASA's upcoming Perseverance mission, including its passenger Ingenuity, the first ever helicopter designed to fly on Mars. Targeted for launch in July 2020, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover will seek signs of past life, set aside a returnable cache with the most compelling rock core and soil samples, and demonstrate technology needed for the future exploration of Mars.MEET OUR PANELJoining us for this panel are Jenna Foertsch (https://www.jennafoertsch.com/), Ken Ruffin (board of advisor for the National Space Society at https://space.nss.org/) and Christian Ready, astronomer and creator of Launchpad Astronomy (https://youtube.com/christianready).Mars Perseverance Mission OverviewThe Mars Perseverance rover mission is part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. The Mars Perseverance mission addresses high-priority science goals for Mars exploration, including key questions about the potential for life on M

We continue our series with countries around the world in this episode as we feature JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Joining us to discuss JAXA is astronaut Dr. Koichi Wakata.  Dr. Wakata has accumulated 347 days in space spanning four missions, setting a record in Japanese human space flight history for the longest stay in space. He has flown on three space shuttle missions, and a Soyuz mission, and became the first Japanese Commander of the International Space Station. Dr. Wakata has held several key positions with JAXA, including serving as JAXA Vice President and Senior Advisor.In this interview, Dr. Wakata discusses JAXA, his experience as an astronaut, current missions including Hayabusa2 (which rendezvoused with near-Earth asteroid Ryugu in 2018 and is returning samples to Earth later this year), and IKAROS (Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun), launched in 2010 and became the first spacecraft to successfully demonstrate solar sail technology in interplanetary sp

The United Arab Emirates are just a few days away (July 15, 2020) from launching the Hope Probe to Mars. The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) - Hope Probe will be the first probe to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere and its layers when it reaches the red planet’s orbit in February 2021. The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, based in Dubai, is managing, developing and executing all stages of the program. Joining us from the Space Centre are Ayesha Al Sharafi, the EMM Lead for the Spacecraft Propulsion Subsystem, and Mohsen Al Awadhi, the EMM Lead Mission Systems Engineer.Emirates Mars Mission OverviewThe Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) ​is the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) ​first mission to Mars. EMM is designed to ​orbit Mars and study the dynamics in ​the Martian atmosphere on a global scale, and on both diurnal and seasonal timescales. Using three scientific instruments on board of the spacecraft, EMM will provide a set of measurements fundamental to an improved understanding of ​circulation and wea

Over the next few episodes, we're embarking on a new space journey; a short series highlighting various countries and their efforts for the future of space exploration. In upcoming episodes we'll be featuring interviews with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), the Canadian Space Agency, and more. Be sure to subscribe today (it's free!) so you don't miss a single episode!The Rocket & Satellite Company, Pakistan's first private space companyIn this episode we interview Sami Ullah Khan, the CEO of The Rocket & Satellite Company, Pakistan’s first private space company. The Rocket & Satellite Company will offer solutions for two major space issues: space debris and in-orbit satellite servicing.About The Rocket & Satellite CompanyTHE ROCKET & SATELLITE COMPANY (SMC-PRIVATE) LIMITED is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission Government of Pakistan and is Pakistan’s 1st Private Space Company.The company will cover and offer the low-cost solutions to t

We interview Bob Balaram, Chief Engineer of the Mars Helicopter INGENUITY project at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in this episode to discuss this first-ever helicopter designed to fly on Mars. The Mars Helicopter, Ingenuity, is a technology demonstration to test powered flight on another world for the first time. It hitched a ride on the NASA Perseverance rover, which landed on Mars in February 2021 and is now taking its first flights.About Bob Balaram, Chief Engineer, JPLBob Balaram is Chief Engineer; a Principal Member of Staff at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. He received his Ph.D. in Computer & Systems Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1985 where his doctoral thesis addressed the control of highly non-linear systems. He has been at JPL ever since and works in the area of Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL), Modeling & Simulation, Telerobotics Technology, and Mobility Concept Development.Currently Bob is researching precision landing method

In this episode we first briefly recap the successful launch of SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavor, with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley. Then we dive into our conversation with Dave Eicher to talk all about Galaxies! Dave Eicher is one of the most widely recognized astronomy enthusiasts in the world. He has been with Astronomy magazine for 34 years, beginning as an assistant editor and working through associate, senior, and managing positions. He has been the magazine’s chief editor since 2002. Dave joins us today to discuss his latest book, Galaxies: Inside the Universe’s Star Cities. About Dave EicherA native of Oxford, Ohio, Dave grew up around Miami University, where his father was a professor of organic chemistry. Rather than turning to chemistry, however, Dave was attracted to the stars as a 14-year-old when he spotted Saturn through a small telescope at a star party. Comet West really turned him on to observing, and Dave soon went far beyond to explore clusters, nebulae, and galaxies from his dar

For the first time since 2011, astronauts are set to once again launch from U.S. soil aboard SpaceX Crew Dragon. The Demo-2 mission is set to launch from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 4:33 pm EDT Wednesday, May 27, 2020 (with a backup launch date of May 30th). Veteran astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will be on this mission to the International Space Station.In this episode we present our Zoom meeting with NASA Social Alumni Danielle Spinola, Jason Fields, Jordan Eichenblatt, Jeremy Miller and Chuck Fields, where we discussed this historic mission, shared concerns, expressed excitement and the amazing journey of America's human spaceflight program. NASA Launch America: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/dm2/Commercial Crew Program: http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrewAbout our panelists:• Jason Fields https://www.fmofm.com/• Danielle Spinola of Tupelo Honey Teas https://www.tupelohoneyteas.com/• Jeremy Miller https://www.jeremyrossmiller.com/• Jordan Eichenblatt of Hifive Creati

Eli Naffah is Chief of NASA's Space Communications and Spectrum Management Office.  In this interview, conducted onsite at NASA's Glenn Research Center, Eli discusses NASA's new Communications Services Program (CSP).NASA has long been a leader in space communications services, but the agency is now looking to U.S. industry to develop healthy commercially-provided satellite communications (SATCOM) capabilities, using radio frequency and optical systems, for near-Earth operations. The agency will continue to develop technologies and systems for deep space exploration, but for missions in low-Earth orbit, like those to the International Space Station, NASA believes using commercial SATCOM will help drive market innovation, improve efficiencies for NASA, and reduce costs for all providers and users. In the first step toward using these next-gen communications systems, NASA has established the Communications Services Program (CSP), which aims to better understand the current capabilities and the fea

In this episode we welcome Tory Bruno, the president & CEO of United Launch Alliance. Tory joins us by phone to discuss how his interest in model rockets at the age of nine years old let to him pursuing a career in aerospace engineering, beginning at Lockheed Martin until he joined ULA in 2014. Tory discusses how ULA has achieved an incredible (and unsurpassed) 100% mission success rate, as well as the development of the new Vulcan Centaur rocket, which is set to launch in 2021 on its first mission with sending a lander to the Moon!About Tory BrunoSalvatore T. “Tory” Bruno is the president and chief executive officer for United Launch Alliance (ULA). In this role, Tory serves as the principal strategic leader of the organization and oversees all business management and operations. ULA is the nation’s most experienced space launch company with more than 137 successful consecutive launches since 2006 and a 100% mission success rate. About ULA's Vulcan CentaurULA is transforming the future of space laun

Sylvia France is the President of OrbitsEdge, Inc., a startup company on Florida’s Space Coast that helps companies collect and process huge amounts of data in space. This amazing company is working to create robust data centers in space--above the cloud, helping to reduce bottlenecks in data processing. Commercializing space needs more than launch capabilities and satellite communications. Today’s satellites are not designed to handle the huge amounts of space-born data. An in-orbit data infrastructure is necessary to drive growth and space commercialization.  OrbitsEdge’s core mission is to provide the missing piece, an in-orbit virtualized data infrastructure at the edge of space, that’s agile and adapts to new demands turning data into actionable insights. In the last decade, especially the last few years, low-cost reusable rocket technology has completely disrupted the projections of space industrialization. Getting satellites into space is getting cheaper and easier every day.  For cloud computing on Ea

Backstage with Martha Davis of The Motels! In this episode we go backstage with Martha Davis & The Motels before her Valentine’s Day concert where she talks about performing (and her nunchi philosophy for reading the crowd), her upcoming SPACE-themed two-album set called “Escape From Planet Earth”.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Interview with astronaut Fred Haise, the lunar module pilot of Apollo 13!50 years ago the world witnessed the amazing story of Apollo 13, launched on April 11, 1970. Two days into the mission, an explosion in one of the oxygen tanks prevented the three astronauts, Commander Jim Lovell, Command Module Pilot Jack Swigert and Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise, from landing on the Moon. The entire world awaited the safe return of the crew for four days, as the three astronauts used the Lunar Module Aquarius as a lifeboat until successfully splashing down in the South Pacific on April 17, 1970.In this episode, astronaut Fred Haise joins us by phone to discuss his amazing career, where he also served as backup for Apollo 8, Apollo 11 and Apollo 16 (and slated to be Flight Commander for the later cancelled Apollo 19). Fred also was heavily involved in the space shuttle program and successfully landed the space shuttle Enterprise for the very first time. In this interview Fred also describes his thoughts leading up to hi

NASA has just selected a new mission to study how the Sun generates and releases giant space weather storms into space. The new mission is called SunRISE, which stands for Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment. This mission will ultimately help protect astronauts traveling to the Moon and Mars by providing better information on how the Sun’s radiation affects the space environment they must travel through.The principal investigator of SunRISE, Dr. Justin Kasper, joins us to discuss this incredible mission. Justin is also a professor of Space Science & Engineering for the University of Michigan, where he designs sensors for spacecraft that explore extreme environments in space from the surface of the Sun to the outer edges of the solar system. SunRISE is an array of six CubeSats operating as one very large radio telescope. NASA has awarded $62.6 million to design, build and launch SunRISE by no earlier than July 1, 2023.NASA chose SunRISE in August 2017 as one of two Mission of Opportunity proposals to

Captain Scott Kelly is a veteran of four space flights, he commanded three expeditions to the International Space Station, and he’s spent 520 days living in space, including 340 consecutive days, the single longest space mission by an American astronaut. However, recently astronaut Christina Koch spend 328 days in space, just shy of Scott’s record by 12 days, but Christina did set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.  Since Scott’s return to Earth he’s released his memoir entitled “Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery” and also “Infinite Wonder: An Astronaut’s photographs from a year in space.” In this interview Scott joins us by phone to discuss his amazing experience and his inspiration for achieving goals that are literally out of this world.For more information about Astronaut Scott Kelly, visit https://www.scottkelly.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/StationCDRKellyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stationcdrkelly/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StationCDRKelly/ T

How a child looking up to the stars in Switzerland became a NASA science leaderIn this interview we go onsite at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C. for an in-depth conversation with Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen. As NASA’s Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, Zurbuchen is tasked with helping us answer some of humanity’s biggest questions: Where did we come from? Are we alone? How does the universe work? Dr. Zurbuchen is well versed in the practice of asking difficult questions that help us seek interconnected answers leading to real world impacts.Zurbuchen is an award-winning astrophysicist, with honors including receiving the National Science and Technology Council Presidential Early Career for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) Award in 2004 and three NASA Group Achievement awards.Since day one at NASA’s Headquarters in Washington, DC, Zurbuchen has focused on inspiring learners of all ages and fostering an inclusive team of science leaders. Encouraging people to dive deeper and earn the fu

In this episode we feature Dr. Nathalie Cabrol, a French American astrobiologist specializing in planetary science. She has been a Principal Investigator (PI) at the SETI Institute since 1998 and is also the Director of the Carl Sagan Center for Research. She leads projects in planetary science and astrobiology, develops science exploration strategies for Mars, Titan, and the Outer Solar System icy moons, and designs robotic field experiments. Nathalie has received several NASA & other research awards. Her work is featured in the US and international media, including the Discovery Channel, NOVA, National Geographic, Scientific American, Ted talks, and much more. For this interview I spoke with Nathalie just before her most recent research trip to the Andes, where she explores high altitude lakes where environmental conditions are analogous to early Mars. During the interview she describes her amazing work in astrobiology plus her incredible story of how she first met Carl Sagan while she was a student wor