Today In Space

On this week's episode, we review the OSIRIS-REx mission and Asteroid Bennu as the sample return is underway on September 24, 2023. This unique robotic space mission will give us data about our early Solar System and what ingredients were around an estimated to be 4.5 billions years ago. This pristine sample is not only a look at the Sol System's genesis, but Bennu is an asteroid with a potentially hazardous orbit with Earth in the next century.  We discuss: WHAT is the OSIRIS-REx Mission? WHAT is Asteroid Bennu? HOW did OSIRIS-REx gather the sample from Bennu's surface? HOW will OSIRIS-REx return the sample to Earth? WHY is OSIRIS-REx important? WHY is Asteroid Bennu important? HOW can we prevent Asteroid Bennu from impacting us in the late 2100s? Best of luck to the recovery teams! Hopefully the Bennu sample returned intact and uncontaminated.  Let us know what YOU think in the comments or email us at todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com! SOURCES: Top 10 things about Asteroid Bennu - NASA https://www.nasa.gov/fe

On this week's episode, we use three of the latest Alien/UFO/UAP events to demonstrate how our science-based approach to the unknown works. In line with what NASA shared at the latest UAP conference, it's about differentiating the extraterrestrial needle from the earth-based haystack. We know there's alot of chaos surrounding these issues but we felt more voices from a science background need to share their pro-aliens-are-possible thoughts. (HUGE kudos to Astro-Alexandra for demonstrating this early on and inspiring me to do this episode). As Carl Sagan has said in the past, Science is not just a mass of knowledge but a way of thinking. So let's talk about that way of thinking about wild stuff like Aliens, UFOs, and UAP! Between two government hearings (USA & Mexico) and the recovery of IM1 particles by Avi Loeb and the Silver Star crew, there's alot to unpack but our approach is only two steps! A simple yet effective measure of how to deal with this information. Clue: It's ALL ABOUT DATA. But it's not ab

Space is the ultimate extreme environment. The extreme temperatures, vacuum of space, and radiation variability can easily cause electronics to stop functioning and fail. In space your microchips can never fail since there’s no replacing it once you’re in orbit. That’s why it’s critical for these chips to be reliable, secure, and able to withstand the harsh environments of space. We are honored to have Dr. Deniz Civay on the podcast, who is the Harsh Environment Battleground Owner of Aerospace and Defense at Global Foundries, a semiconductor company. Deniz shares her #STEM #originstory and we discuss her path from #artist to #Satellites to Battleground owner at Global Foundries! Available NOW on @spotifypodcasts & @applepodcasts - live on #youtube at 3PM ET. Please like, share, and subscribe!  More topics from this episode:

On this episode, we review THREE of the major space events in the past month! We answer WHAT each mission is, WHO is involved, and WHY its important for space & humanity's future. Virgin Galactic's Galactic02 crew broke many records on their trip to the edge of space and back. We explain WHY a mission like this is so important SpaceX launched a crew of four on CREW7 to the ISS. We chat about the crew, and the importance of the US launching its own astronauts, as well as International Crew too. India's ISRO has successfully landed on the moon (4th country to do so) and the 1st to land on the southern pole. We discuss WHY its so important for progress and how the southern pole will be the place of interest in Space Race 2.5! Let us know what you think about this episode - We'd love to know your thoughts and questions! Email us at todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com SOURCES: https://www.independent.co.uk/space/chandrayaan-3-isro-live-moon-landing-time-b2397874.html https://press.virgingalactic.com/virgin-galac

On this episode we speak with Tanya of Mars herself! Dr. Tanya Harrison is our guest on "People of Science" this week to share her STEM Origin Story, time working on Mars Orbiter and Rovers, and how Space is full of great opportunities right now! So if you have a passion for STEM or just love Space and want to work in it - this episode is for you. So buckle up and let's dive in! Dr. Tanya Harrison has worked as a scientist and mission operations specialist on multiple NASA missions to Mars, including the Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance rovers, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Bridging the worlds of Mars and Earth, as well as academia and industry, she has worked as the Director of Science for Impact at Planet Labs and the Director of Research for Arizona State University’s NewSpace Initiative. She is currently a Fellow of the University of British Columbia’s Outer Space Institute and the Aurelia Institute.  Let us know what you think about this episode We'd love to know your thoughts and question

On this week's episode, we were honored to speak with Avi Loeb for the second time. We were gratiously invited to his home to record and chat all-things space, IM1, and his latest expedition. Dr. Loeb is the Baird Professor of Science and Institute director at Harvard University and the bestselling author of “Extraterrestrial” and "Interstellar". He explains the origins, hypothesis, and research behind searching for the debris of an interstellar object (IM1) that impacted the atmosphere of Earth over the Pacific Ocean. The speed of this object was detected and confirmed by the US Space Command. Avi and his Expedition crew aboard the all-aluminum 'Silver Star' ship dragged a magnetic sled over the ocean floor in search of 'spherules' or melted droplets from IM1's reentry. The 'spherules' would contain evidence of the materials that make up IM1's surface, and the team recovered some!  This week we share the more curious nature of science with an example of real-life scientific research conducted with a crew, ba

On this episode we are celebrating Independence Day and the reveal of the Sally Ride Monument at the Reagan Library! Here to join us for the podcast is the human who's been building monuments to the greatness of human spaceflight over the past half-decade - Steven C. Barber. He's been the project manager for the Apollo 11 Monument at the Moon Tree Garden at Kennedy Space Center, as well as the Project Manager for the Apollo 13 Monument at Houston Space Center. And now, two Sally Ride monuments (East Coast - Cradle of Aviation / West Coast - Reagan Library). A storyteller at heart, Steven is an Award Winning Director/Producer who is also telling stories through monuments of the space greats and firsts. It was a pleasure to meet Steven and hear about his Origin Story and the path that has now brought him to the space industry. There are so many paths to being a productive member of the space community, and his story like many is one we want to share. Thanks for being our guest for People of Space! Let us know

On this episode, we bring back an old Star Trek influenced segment of the podcast from a few years back: The Personal Log. Remember when Captain Picard (or any of your favorite Captains/Crew) would have a "Personal Log" Entry? Well, this is mine. We discuss human matters, and the mindset & thoughts behind tackling challenges in life. For this Personal log, we dive into some fitness progress I've had and revelation about tackling "the hill" both literally and figuratively. While I challenge the literal hill in my 30's that helped me become an athelete as a kid, I realized that this idea of a "hill" is also apparent in life and anything us humans decide to try and accomplish. It's also a great reminder of what the Space Industry has gone through over the past decade to go from rags (no more Space Shuttle) to riches (More access to space than ever before, including human spacecraft like Dragon). It's no easy challenge, and gravity and the hill's angles are constant. But you can train the hill, and change you

On this episode, we have our Top 3 space news stories from May to mid-June - and they don't disappoint! All the other space articles we've been gathering will be available in the description here. Vast Space is ambitiously shooting for 2025 to launch their Haven-1 space station module into orbit and have a crew of 4 stay for 30 days in orbit. Who is helping them send their space station up? How is the station going to allow for life support? Artemis 2 will have alot of firsts, including the first person of color, the first woman, and first Canadian to orbit the Moon. But it will also be the first to use Lasers to send HD footage back to Earth and improve how much data can be sent thanks to the O2O technology. Saturn's Moon Enceladus is spewing water into space, but recently a paper was published that shows those plumes contain a key ingredient for the building blocks of life. The benefits from the Cassini Spacecraft continue to this day, and the find of phosphorus in the plumes opens our minds to more possib

On this episode we have alot to cover! We're in FULL 3D printing production for our Starship Pen and we talk about the latest design changes and the "Hexatube". While I had plans for another topic this week, NASA's new UAP task force had their first meeting live streamed - so of course we had to talk about that. We watched the 4 hour meeting and share our thoughts - AND WE WANT TO HEAR YOURS!  So email/DM us todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com / @todayinspacepod Twitter & Instagram / @todayinspace TikTok / /TodayInSpacePodcast on Facebook and let us know your Questions and Thoughts on the latest news on UAPs We close out the episode sharing our first time using ChatGPT, and some thoughts on AI in general. Specifically, how we are using it to free up more creative time by having AI help us with the more mundain/difficult tasks in life and for the podcast. Our first project is something for planning my meals around my food allergies. It's a large task to plan and cook almost every meal, but its a life changer. So

On this episode, we share an AG3D lab update on our 3dprinted Starship rocket pen and the latest design development - its almost ready for launch! We also chat about astronomy and capturing the M101 pinwheel galaxy Supernova with our Vespera Telescope   We discuss how important new observations are for continuing our understanding of the universe and reality we live in... Let us know what you think, and if you have any thoughts on our 3dprinted rocket pen or the M101 supernova! Please send us any requests for topics on future shows, or stellar objects we should observe - Email us at todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com SOURCES: https://science.nasa.gov/supernova-discovered-nearby-spiral-galaxy-m101 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/astronomers-have-spotted-a-once-in-a-decade-supernova-and-you-can-too/ 17 people in space https://www.space.com/record-17-people-in-earth-orbit-at-once  -------------------------- Here's to building a fantastic future - and continued progress in Space (and humanity)! Spread L

On this episode, we review the Axiom 2 launch and docking to the ISS after riding up on Crew Dragon 'Freedom' and a brand new Falcon 9! (A rare sight these days). Lots of great 1sts on this mission, including a great crew of four that will spend 8 total days on station before returning to Earth for splashdown. We'll also share our thoughts on why the International Space Station really is the original 'gateway' for humanity post-cold war. And with the boom in New Space business and lower cost to access space, the Space Station will usher us into the age of commercial space stations and Artemis with the Lunar Gateway! But it didn't seem like that 10 years ago...alot has happened since then... Let us know what you think, and if you have any thoughts on how influencial the space station has been, and will continue to be in its final decade of service.  Email us at todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com SOURCES: https://www.npr.org/2023/05/22/1177567288/spacex-nasa-peggy-whitson-iss-international-space-station https:

On this episode, we spend some time talking about Mental Health and a period when it felt like chaos was all around - graduating from college with my Aerospace Engineering Degree. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...but I learned alot! One might say this period was where I first learned I could have control over my own mind if I put the work in. A little story time about one of the lowest periods of my life, and how human connections helped me get out of a serious rut. The reason I share this is to hopefully start the conversation and help one person get a little bit closer to healing or asking for help.  Let us know what you think, and if you have any tools you use to manage your own mental health! Big Quesions/Thoughts for this episode: "You don't know what you don't know" Managing life vs. Survival mode How meditation and breathe work helped me with Anxiety What a notebook can do to focus your thoughts How learning about your brain and body is critical for a fruitful life We'd love to k

On this episode we share the exciting story of 'Space Hero', a worldwide competition with grand prize of a trip into SPACE! We were honored to have Co-CEO of Space Hero Thomas Reemer on the podcast to discuss the origin of the company and competition. Thomas shares his origin story of 25 yers in media & technology, starting as a music manager and event organiser, and even being an for artists such as Prince and George Clinton. Thomas is a wealth of knowledge about the current space industry and its capabilities to launch humans into space. His insight in the space industry is also unique with a media, event organizing, and technology mix that can help tell a powerful story about human space travel. It was also great to discuss music and share some thoughts on more philosophical and big picture themes for today. Let us know if YOU think you can be a Space Hero in the comments! Big Quesions/Thoughts for this episode: How important television is as a form of entertainment? How does SpaceX have so much drive

On this episode, we share our experience at the "Black Hole Symphony". our thoughts and review of iSpace's Lunar Landing attempt with Mission 1, and unpackage our Starman Helmet after it's 1st Yuri's Night with Space United.  Let us know in the comments! Big Quesions/Thoughts for this episode: What does a musical & visual representation of a black hole sound like? What caused the landing of Hakuto-R to lose communcation before landing? How do you send 3D printed parts in the mail? How difficult is Lunar Dust to deal with? We'd love to know your thoughts and questions! Email us at todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com SOURCES: https://www.multiverseseries.org/blackholesymphony https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/25/ispace-moon-landing-watch-live.html https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/11/israeli-spacecraft-beresheet-falls-short-of-history-as-moon-landing-fails-in-final-moments.html https://spaceunited.com/  -------------------------- Here's to building a fantastic future - and continued progress in Space (and humanity)! Sp

On this episode, we review the SpaceX Starship's 1st fully integrated test flight! A highly entertaining test flight that was doomed to explode by design (or RUD, as SpaceX loves to say). This test flight took many by surprise as the joy of a successful failure was confusing to most. The iterative process has many failures before success, and that's part of the journey of progress. We review WHAT the test flight was, WHY Starship is important, and HOW this test was a successful failure for SpaceX and all of humanity. We close with Space Storytime about the only comparable heavy rocket to Starship in history - the Soviet N1, and how its chief designer Sergei Korolev worked himself to death trying to compete with the USA's Saturn V rocket.  What do YOU think? Let us know in the comments! Big Quesions/Thoughts for this episode: What was the test supposed to prove? Why were so many people confused by "success" with a rocket blowing up? How does the Starship system help NASA? How does it help humanity travel the

On this episode, we are sharing our thoughts on Infinity with the help of our new telescope Vespera! Stargazing can be a very useful tool for your mental health and a good dose of reality and humility of just how infinite the universe is. We also share our latest books we're listening to from Carl Sagan & Andy Weir, as well as the latest image from JWST, and our thoughts about the potential alien life out there. What do YOU think? Let us know in the comments! Big Quesions/Thoughts for this episode: How big is infinity? Do we even have the mental capacity to truly understand how infinite it really is? What is it about stargazing and constellations that has the power to change humanity through storytelling and culture? Is there Alien life out there? What's your favorite sci-fi first contact book or movie? Do I have to be the smartest person in the room to consider myself a good scientist or engineer? Or is there more to it than that? We'd love to know your thoughts and questions! Email us at todayinspacep

On this episode, we share our first thoughts after the Artemis 2 crew has been selected! x3 NASA Astronauts and x1 Canadian Space Agency Astronaut. These four individuals will orbit the moon with the Orion Spacecraft and test all the human rated systems and prepare for Artemis 3 where the first person of color and first woman will step foot on the Moon. We also breakdown what the Artemis Program is and what kinds of technology are needed to bring us to the Moon, and eventually to Mars (so a great episode if you are just catching up on what NASA is doing!) Big Quesions/Thoughts for this episode: How will this crew of four change the future for Humanity as we return to the Moon to stay, and work our way to Mars? Who chose these Astronauts for Artemis 2? What was their thought process? Does NASA have a "marketing" or message problem? Does NASA appear more unified in its goal than it has been in the last decade? Who are my favorite Astronauts in the Artemis Team? Who are my picks for Artemis 3 moon landing? We

On this episode, Alex reviews some of the most interesting Space from March in this final episode of the month! We have a busy April in Space, but let's not forget all the amazing things that happened in this 3rd month of 2023: Relativity Space successfully launches the test flight for Terran 1, an 85% 3D printed rocket that has now showcased that 3D printed structures (at least made with the Stargate printer) can handle the maximum forces of rocket launch! iSpace's Hakuto-R lunar lander has made it to Lunar Orbit on Mission Day 100! Next step, lunar surface approach and landing! The US Space Force has requested $60 million dollars/2 years to develop Tactically Responsive Space launch contracts for 24-hour flight readiness! Elementary School students help NASA (and all of us) learn that EpiPens degrade and are toxic when exposed to cosmic radiation! We also share our thoughts on the exciting things waiting for us in April for Space related activities. From NASA JPL Open House, to the Artemis 2 Crew announce

On this episode, Alex discusses Relativity Space and their 3D printed rocket Terran 1 which took to the pad twice, went through both 3 hour windows for launch, and scrubbed both times. BUT still have a rocket to try and launch again on March 22 10PM EDT. While scrubs hurt us emotionally, they are part of having a safe rocket industry - and we were very impressed with what we say out of Relativity Space and Terran 1. We discuss 3D printing and space combining and how it could help revolutionize humanities multiplanetary future (and even help us build in space). We also share our first thoughts on our new Telescope, the Vespera Observtion Station from Vaonis. We talk about what we've been able to do so far, how we've been using it. and why we chose this telescope. Questions/Thoughts for this week: What is so important about a rocket company 3D printing a rocket? Without Relativity Space, would NASA put an 85% 3D printed rocket on the launch pad for the first time? How SpaceX and Relativity Space share many of