Today In Space

On this episode we speak with Dr. Masha Petrova, the CEO of Nullspace, Inc. a company creating simulation software for electromagnetic applications in the Academic, Commercial, Aerospace, and Defense Industries. Masha shares with us her STEM origin story from a childhood love of Soviet Space SciFi to becoming a PhD Simulation Engineer in the US, which led to her "aha" moment of realizing she was actually an "Extroverted Engineer". Dr. Petrova is an experienced executive with a passion for leading multi-disciplinary global teams toward successful results by focusing on operations and creating a unified vision. After receiving her PhD in aerospace engineering, Dr. Petrova spent 15+ years in the engineering simulation and design software industry, including holding global marketing executive roles at Ansys, Altium, LLC, and  IncMSC Software (during acquisition by Hexagon MI) as well as 3 simulation software start-ups all acquired by Ansys, Inc. in the last 10 years. Thank you to Masha for joining us on the podca

In episode 339, we are talking all about Starship's 3rd Test Flight after a VERY exciting launch on March 14th, 2024 a.k.a. Pi Day. The massive Starship made lightspeed progress from the last two tests but the question is: Was IFT3 a success? Did SpaceX have a successful test flight? Don't worry - if you are new to Starship and need a quick review we got you covered! This is a great episode for anyone who was too busy to watch the flight live on Pi Day, or you want to dive a little bit deeper into what SpaceX is doing with this game-changer of a space launch system. We have our reaction to the test flight at the end of the episode (but who are we kidding, the whole episode is me reacting to this AWESOME day in space!) Let us know what YOU think in the comments, DM us on social media, or email us at todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com! We'd love to keep the conversation going and want to hear from you. SOURCES: IFT3 - SpaceX Recap https://x.com/spacex/status/1765037578343121372?s=46&t=CTA3xJCHFoY9hV9qgrj4Jw IFT3

In this week's episode, Alex shares some of his Florida vacation and the 'magic' of branding and storytelling at both Disney and Universal Studio Themeparks. Alex also shares his rotten luck with catching Rocket launches while in Florida...and its not for a lack of launches either! It's also been over a year with our Vespera Telescope so it's time for a recap on what we've learned and what's stuck out so far. This week's Thought from an Engineer is: Why do Nebulas in my telescope appear SO BIG while the galaxies appears SO SMALL?  Here's to building a fantastic future, for all of humanity!  Topics from the episode: telescope, space, podcast, florida, learned, galaxies, great, launches, nebulas, supernova, mind, whirlpool galaxy, galaxy, engineers, picture, scrubs, rocket launch, star, share, magic We'd love to know your thoughts and questions!  Email us at todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com SOURCES: https://www.britannica.com/place/Canis-Major-Dwarf-Galaxy The 'Topics from the episode' above and the timestamps bel

This episode was recorded live while watching the Intuitive Machines-1 (IM-1) moon landing on February 22, 2024 around 6PM. Alex shares his live reaction and thoughts while the NOVA Command team in Houston, TX intiates landing sequence and then troubleshoots the signal after the landing attempt. Is the lander ok? Will the signal get better? That's for the future. Right now, we were just excited to be able to watch the first Lunar landing attempt by the US since 1972 for Apollo 17. It's been a while, but one thing is for sure - it's the new Moon Era and the is finally making large strides at lunar activity.  Alex shares his thoughts at the end of the broadcast about how the original Space Race and this new Space Race (2.0?) are the same and very different. Can we use the last space race and what came from it, as an example for what we can expect with a thriving space program? Can we expect as much change in private companies as we saw with NASA after Apollo 11? All we know is we're excited to be living in the

On this episode, Alex shares his thoughts on the latest Lunar Lander attempt by NASA with the IM-1 Mission. Intuitive Machine's is providing the NOVA C lunar lander as part of the CLPS program, where NASA funded commercial contracts to build out the Artemis Infrastructure around the Moon. There's no internet on the moon yet...not even running water. So there's alot to do, and this IM-1 mission aims to help NASA and multiple commercial payloads. But first, we need a successful SpaceX Falcon 9 launch to Lunar Orbit and then a soft landing. Alex shares thoughts about how treacherous landing on the Moon is, how important it is that we build infrastructure around the Moon, and why this NOVA C lander could be a game-changer for progress in space.  It's also a rare Space Valentine's Day so we made a multicolor 3D printed Mission Patch Valentine for the IM-1 mission. We discuss the upgrade of multicolor 3D printing, and how Alex sees 3D printing playing a HUGE role in the future of human spaceflight. Including, what

On this episode, Alex opens the podcast with a quick run through (~4 min) of some of the Space Launches to look out for in February (SpaceX, Japan, India, NASA, Rocket Lab). We deep dive on NASA's PACE Mission, flying onboard a SpaceX Falcon9 rocket NET 1:33AM ET 2/8/24 (only a few hours after this podcast is released). We discuss what the mission is, what the payloads are, and why that science will be critical for understanding the water cycle on Earth and the climate changes that come from it.  Alex closes the episode out with another 'Human Factor' segment, where we discuss the deep topic of WHO ARE YOU? But more importantly, how learning about yourself you can help you find a career that fits your strengths and fills you with purpose. The lucky ones know early on what they are good at, while most of us (myself included) had to try a lot of things to know what we "don't like". I share a story of when I realized that the typical Aerospace Engineer role wasn't for me, even though that was my whole identity a

On this episode, we remember the 3 year journey of the Ingenuity Helicopter on Mars, which now has a broken rotor and is unable to fly safely anymore. We discuss how influential the Martian Helicopter was by obliterating it's original 30-day life span and providing miles of coverage inside of Jezero Crater. We discuss some facts on the first powered flight on another world, and close up with a discussion around the Wright Brothers and how influential their R&D efforts were to a young, eager to learn Engineer (me!).  Come for the Ingenuity drone talk, and stay for the Space Storytime! Thank for joining us, and welcome to Today In Space Topics from the episode: work, flying, space, ingenuity, helicopter, podcast, flight, mars, 3dprinting, drone, rover, Jezero crater, wright brothers, r&d, class We'd love to know your thoughts and questions! Email us at todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com SOURCES: https://mars.nasa.gov/news/9540/after-three-years-on-mars-nasas-ingenuity-helicopter-mission-ends/ https://www.th

On this episode we speak with Madison C. Feehan, the founder of Space Copy and Moon Trades. She has a background in lunar instrument development, global open science programs, and is a member of Women in Aerospace Canada. She’s also been an External Peer Reviewer and Executive Panelist for NASA since she was in high school.  Topics from the episode: space, ai, industry, entrepreneurship, nasa, printing, artemis, science, lunar, moon, 3dprinting, working, process, integrate, create Madison share's her wealth of knowledge for space and entrepeneurship and its great to meet people in the industry (and at NASA) who are actually making it happen. We dive into the world of space tech, additive manufacturing, and space business with a glimspe at what our possible future holds in the final frontier (and on Earth)! Are you excited to see 3D printed habitats on the moon? What could we solve on Earth with 3D printing technology like this? We'd love to know your thoughts and questions! Email us at todayinspacepodcast@gma

In the second episode of 2024, we went hard and produced a list of the 24 things to look out for in Space this year. Is my voice sore from this recording? Yes. Am I still excited for what's to come? OF COURSE! There are 8 groups of what to expect in 2024: Lunar, Space Station, Orbital Human Spaceflight, Deep Space, Payloads/Sats, Space Flyers, Astronomy, and Rocket Technology. We even added updates to this list as we were editing, since NASA released their new Artemis plan and the Vulcan took flight with CERT-1 and the Peregrine Lander saga is underway. We'd love to know what YOU are looking forward to in Space for 2024! Let us know in the comments or by emailing us at todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com. REVISION (01/13/24) We have corrected our original recording where we incorrectly mentioned that NASA's VIPER Rover would be on the same Astrobotics Peregrine Lander that won't make it to the moon. VIPER will take a Falcon Heavy and Astrobotic's Griffin Lander to the moon. While delays are still possible, they are

For the first episode of 2024 (Happy New Year!) we're diving into the Human Factor to talk about Confidence vs. Ego. A perfect topic as we all look to make improvments in our lives with "new year new you" vibes. What keeps you honest and on goal when things get tough? What keeps you from continuing your goals for the 'new you'? It's Confidence! (or is it Ego?). We share our advice on how to navigate that by "checking your Confidence LVLs". To us, confidence can't be a "yes or no" thing, otherwise you end up using Ego to compensate because no one is ever 100% confident. So let's learn to manage risk and build our confidence starting with being honest about what we "actually" know vs. what we actually don't know. And then, going after it and learning! I'm no psychology or behavior expert but I am a human being striving for growth and self-improvement. So we're learning and we hope you join us and share your questions and what you know! We're looking to have actual experts about being a human being on the podcas

On Part TWO of our two-parter episode with Matt Schricker of @Bostronomy - we dig deeper into Astronomy, Astrophotography, and Telescopes. Matt shares his Astronomy on Instagram and TikTok but also has a creative style that we enjoy very much in his content. We also chat about the human experience of stargazing and how even your position on the planet can change your whole outlook on constellations! If you ever wondered about Astronomy and whether you could get into it OR if you ever thought it was too complicated - LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE! Some very down to Earth space-talk with two guys from Boston drinking some cold adult beverages and chatting about life and the "space condundrum". A perfect getaway for the holiday travel (and an escape from the holiday stess).  Please enjoy this episode with Matt Schricker and make sure to follow him @Bostronomy on Instagram and TikTok The credit for this episode's 'Astronomy Pic of the Week' goes to Matt Schricker! Our first guest Astropicture The Pleiades, an Open Clus

On this FIRST of a TWO PART episode, we have Matt Schricker of @Bostronomy on the show for a 'very Boston podcast' where we chat about Astronomy, Music, and Matt's STEM origin story. Matt shares his Astronomy on Instagram and TikTok but also has a creative style that we enjoy very much in his content. We dive into his origin story, being a Dad, his love of music (his band "Fever Dream" plays in Boston regularly), and the more human side of space and science.  If you ever wondered about Astronomy and whether you could get into it OR if you ever thought it was too complicated - LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE! Some very down to Earth space-talk with two guys from Boston drinking some cold adult beverages and chatting about life and the "space condundrum". A perfect getaway for the holiday travel (and an escape from the holiday stess).  We had so much fun space talking, this episode has a whole other episode! Part TWO coming out the week of Christmas so look out for it. In the meantime, enjoy this episode with Matt Schri

Space Debris - a problem that continues to exponentially grow as more and more payloads are sent to Earth orbit every day. Old satellites, or ones without fuel or power, essentially become a giant piece of trash that orbits uncontrolled with the “traffic” of low earth orbit. Now, with companies beginning to be hit with government fines over leaving debris in space - what can be done to prevent or reduce the potential and real space debris? This week, we chat with Paul Warley, CEO of Ascent Solar, a thin-film solar provider, about what makes flexible, lightweight solar PV advantageous when it comes to the growing issue of leaving debris floating in space. These flexible solar panels don’t just reduce collateral debris from an impact, the panels also retain a huge portion of their power produced, losing essentially only the spot of impact for power generation. Paul shares with us: - How thin-film PV’s flexible design helps it stay attached when it comes in contact with floating debris - Why their chemical mak

On this Thanksgiving week episode, we're breaking down Starship's latest test flight - IFT2 and comparing it to the first integrated test flight (a.k.a. IFT1). We think there are four major WINS for SpaceX, NASA, and humanity after IFT2's successful test launch. There is ALOT of work before humans can launch onboard, but IFT1 and IFT2 were only 6 months apart and they had to rebuild the pad. With a great looking launchpad post-launch, we expect LOTS of progress in 2024 for Starship!  This episode is for folks of all levels of space nerdom, whether you're waiting for updates on Starship daily, or just finding out about the world most powerful rocket ever made...there's something for everyone. It's a true historic moment in space history that won't be fully appreciated (even by the most hardcore) for how special this moment is until the future. With a rocket system that has TWICE the thrust of the Saturn V - we're thankful for the balance between NASA & SpaceX (and the FAA) that this rocket is being develop

You may be familiar with some recent news about far-flung interstellar locations, like the Psyche Mission, Mars InSight Mission, and the Juno Mission to Jupiter.  Award-winning planetary scientist Dr. Sabine Stanley has been involved in some of these missions and is the author of the new book from Johns Hopkins Press, What’s Hidden Inside Planets?  Thanks to Dr. Sabine and her team, our listeners can use promo code HPLAN for 30% off What’s Hidden Inside Planets? when you order from Hopkins Press at press.jhu.edu. Link: https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/12879/whats-hidden-inside-planets?utm_source=radio_tour&utm_medium=podcast_radio_promo&utm_campaign=f23_stanley_hplan We were lucky enough to have Sabine on the podcast to share all about it for this episode of People of Science. She also shares her non-traditional STEM Origin story that starts in a small mining town in the middle of an impact crater! Available NOW on Spotify, Apple podcasts, Amazon Music, and Youtube! Please like, share, and subscr

On this week's episode, we replicate a pumpkin using 3D scanning and 3D printing in the AG3D lab. While the Replicator in Star Trek is still far away, todays technology has come A LONG WAY since even 10 years ago.  We discuss what we used to bring this pumpkin-stein into life, and I also share some background on how 3D scanning and 3D printing went from an expensive set of tech, to something almost anyone can have in their homes for under $500. Space and 3D printing are also slowly beginning to cross-the-streams, and we discuss things like the 3D printed wrench in the ISS and how we think additive manufacturing is going to help revolutionize how humans live and work in space.  We’re discussing what we can do TODAY with technology that’s certainly the precursor to a a sci-fi future we see in Star Trek. It also brings up the existential question - what IS this 3dprinted pumpkin? Is it real? Is it a copy? Or some kind of spectral capture of a pumpkin, like a digital memory?  We’d love to know what you think

This week we introduce a new segment - THE HUMAN FACTOR! As hard as we might try to forget, scientists and engineers (and anyone) lives inside of a human body. While we might push ourselves mentally, we have a tendency to fuel and treat our bodies like crap. But having a well operating human body will make us all better at whatever we do, even if its not science or engineering. We're taking a journey through wellness, biology, behavior, and more - and this week I'm sharing my almost 10 year wellness journey to start things out. I'm no biology expert (it was actually my worst subject in school, aside from chemisty). So we're learning and we hope you join us and share what you know! We're looking to have actual experts about being a human being on the podcast to share what they know so we can all learn. If you know anyone who's an expert in 'humans' that you'd like to see on the podcast - email us at todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com! SOURCES: https://humanresearchroadmap.nasa.gov/Documents/IRP_Rev-Current.pdf htt

On this week's episode, we recap the PSYCHE mission after launch on October 13th, 2023 onboard a Falcon Heavy Rocket from Kennedy Space Center at LC-39A (side booster's recovered at LZ1 & LZ2). This is the a mission of many firsts, but primarily the 1st mission to an all-metal asteroid for NASA.  We discuss: WHAT is the PSYCHE Mission? WHAT is Asteroid 16 PSYCHE? WHAT is an M-Type Asteroid? HOW will PSYCHE move around in space? WHAT kind of science will PSYCHE do once in orbit at the all-metal asteroid? WHY is the successful Falcon Heavy launch a win for the whole space industry? WHAT new innovative technologies will be tested during the mission? Best of luck to the PSYCHE team on their 6 year journey to the Asteroid located between Mars & Jupiter! A long but fascinating journey to explore the unknown. Let us know what YOU think in the comments or email us at todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com! SOURCES: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia24030-psyches-hall-thruster https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa

On this week's episode, it's all-things Annular Solar Eclipse with the stellar event on Saturday, October 14th, 2023. The path of totality in the US and the "ring of fire" will be visible from Oregon to Texas from 9:13 a.m PDT to 12:03 p.m. CDT (and many other locations in Central & South America) We discuss: WHAT are differences between Annular & Total Solar Eclipses? WHAT is the "Ring of Fire"? WHERE will this be visible from? HOW can you watch the Annular Solar Eclipse? HOW can you safely observe without damaging your eyesight? HOW can you tell you have legit solar eclipse glasses/filters? HOW to make a DIY Pinhole Solar Eclipse viewer HOW we will be using our smart Telescope Vespera to watch the partial Solar Eclipse from Massachusetts Let us know what YOU think in the comments or email us at todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com! SOURCES: Types of Solar Eclipses https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/types/ Find out if your Solar Glasses are safe (NASA) https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14395 History of Solar Ecli

On this week's episode, we are diving into the latest JWST discovery of CO2 on the surface of Europa. We're answering the WHAT before the WHY in this 15 minutes deep dive into James Webb, Europa, and what this discovery means for life in the universe, and especially a potential alien pool of life in our own solar backyard. We discuss: WHAT is James Webb Space Telescope? WHAT is Europa? WHAT did JWST find on Europa? HOW does JWST look for exoplanets? HOW does Europa's icy crust move over the subsurface ocean? WHY would we spend valuable observation time w/ JWST on Europa? WHY is the discovery of CO2 on Europa's surface important? WHY is possible life in our stellar neighborhood is so important? Can't wait for the launch of the Europa Clipper, launching aboard a Falcon Heavy NET October 2024! What timing! Let us know what YOU think in the comments or email us at todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com! SOURCES: https://europa.nasa.gov/resources/174/induced-magnetic-field-from-europas-subsurface-ocean/ https://jwst.nas