PODCAST · education
Let's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY Learning
by Shawna Christenson
Are you an educator looking to inspire your STEM students? Are you a university or high school student who has dreamed of going to space? Or are you a space enthusiast? This podcast will explore the many ways students and teachers can engage with industry with a particular focus on CubeSats and student team formation with a BLUE-Sky learning philosophy.
Episodes
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Episode 159: From University to the Workforce
Today we meet with Ben Jones, an Electrical & Manufactory Technician for NearSpace Launch in Upland Indiana. A recently graduate of Valparaiso University with a Bachelor of science in electrical engineering, Ben joined NSL in May of 2025 after participating in their DreamBig Project. Ben’s...
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Episode 158: Advocate and Archivist of Space
Chris Carberry is the CEO and co-founder of Explore Mars, Inc. (Explore Mars), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit space advocacy organization. In this role, he oversees the annual Humans to Mars Summit, the largest annual conference focused on sending humans to Mars, and has spearheaded dozens of programs,...
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Episode 157: Physics Phenom
Today we meet with the phenomenal Sam Wheeler is a physics instructor at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, where he teaches AP Physics C, General Physics, and Elements of Satellite Design—a course in which students design, test, and fly CubeSats on a campus zipline. His career...
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Episode 156: An Indefatigable Love of Space
Today we meet with Michael Fatig: He’s a lifelong space enthusiast and second generation career space professional as an Engineer, a program manager, a business unit manager, and a growth leader. He has worked on Over 35 missions including one that led to a Nobel Prize for science in…
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Episode 155: Representing the Under-represented
Lalitha Murali is a gifted and talented teacher for the Glendale River-Hills School District. 16 years ago, when she started teaching, she noticed that there were only a handful of immigrant and minority children in the gifted programs. By starting educational outreach programs and organizing...
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Episode 154: Engineering and Entrepreneurship
Raz Idan has been an educator for almost 20 years, working as a guide in multiple science museums and even at an astronomical observatory. He's a self-proclaimed space-nerd with degrees in physics, materials engineering, and a master's in space systems engineering on the horizon. Raz brings his...
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Episode 153: On Marketing Aerospace Education
Today we meet with Dean Cameron, the CEO of TOP shelf Media. He has been an aerospace marketing professional for the past 38 years with experience in engineering and design as well as numerous manufacturing disciplines. In an effort to support both current Manufacturing resources, Dean launched...
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152: Inspiring Generations Across the Globe
Melissa Sleeper is a National Board Certified Teacher currently teaching Life Science and Space Science at Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy in Melbourne, Florida. A career changer, Melissa worked as an Agriculture Economist/Statistician setting up crop reporting services and running rural household...
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Episode 151: On Being a Project Component Engineer
Melissa Mecca holds a Bachelors of science in mechanical engineering from the university of Florida where she graduated cum laude in 2021. She now has four years of industry experience under her belt at Aerojet Rocketdyne, a segment of L3 Harris providing space and defense propulsion products....
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Episode 150: On Learning a Trade
Today we meet with Jo Mackiewicz; she has spent 20 plus years researching how communication facilitates (and impedes) learning while teaching at universities such as Auburn and Iowa State. She’s studied (via corpus and discourse analysis) writing center talk, technical editing and, more recently,...
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Episode 149: On Hi-Reliability
Today we meet with Daniel Tatum. Dan is an electronics engineer specializing in hi-reliability applications. He provides design consulting services for small startups to get advanced electronics from concept to production quickly. Outside of work, Daniel is a motorsports enthusiast who spends his...
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Episode 148: The ACE of Space
Today we meet with Domina Stamas, a Space Camp alum and veteran science educator with over 15 years of experience, is the founding physics and astronomy teacher at Westlake Charter High School in Sacramento, California. She is also the founder of The ACE Project, which connects thousands of...
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Episode 147: Space Communications in Blum
Jackie Blumer is a passionate Earth and Space Science educator with over 25 years of classroom experience. She brings space exploration to life for students through innovative hands-on lessons, global collaborations, and real-world STEM connections. Jackie partners with organizations like…
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Episode 146: Researching and Writing about Space:
Tashfia Diha is a high school junior and the founder of the Youth Space Organization (YSO), a thriving community of space lovers who are passionate about research, digital storytelling, and writing. She is an alumnus of The Knowledge Society 24' where she led the space moonshot that won Most...
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Episode 145: SEARCHing for Space from Purdue University
Today we meet with Rodrigo Schmidt! Rod is an astrophysicist, space engineer and analog astronaut from Brazil. He is finishing his PHD at Purdue, where he is researching the development of space missions while applying AI to sandbox game environments like Kerbal Space Program. Rod is the also the...
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Episode 144: AI applications in Space Education
Today, we meet with Daniel Portas Levy, a 10th grader at Florida Atlantic University High School, where he is also pursuing an undergraduate degree in mathematics. He has been a part of the Wolfpack CubeSat Development Team since middle school. He brought that early interest along with him as he...
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Episode 143: Software and Space from Florida Atlantic University
Today we meet with Alex Castronovo, a 17-year-old student at Florida Atlantic University High School and long time Wolfpack member. Alex has demonstrated proficiency in software development, with contributions in neuroscience research as a research fellow at the Max Planck Florida Institute for...
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Episode 142: RAPTORS in Space
Today, Kevin and I meet with the TheTERP RAPTOR team at the University of Maryland who are leading an ambitious mission. What started as a class project has rapidly grown into a multi-institutional collaboration, bringing together researchers from UMD, the Naval Research Laboratory, and the...
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Welcome to Season 2: Year End Review and Looking Ahead in 2025
In this first episode of 2025, Kevin and I discuss the amazing work of the Wolfpack CubeSat Development Team and how AIA (Aerospace and Innovation Academy) is beginning it's Spring trimester. Your middle-high school space-loving student can still join by visiting the website at aerospacehigh.org....
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Episode 140: O Canada! STEM and Space
Today we meet with Maria Nickel, a Kinesiology and STEM specialist teacher for over27 years. Although she has taught a variety of subjects K- 12, Maria is currently the STEM innovation program specialist K- 12 for the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada where she focuses a lot on space. Maria...
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Episode 139: Legislative Advocacy in Action
Today Kevin meets with Takeisha Stokes. Takeisha has over a decade of government experience specializing in legislation and politics. With a masters in Government with a focus on International Politics, Takeshia is a born advocate, keeping people at the forefront of her mind in all she does....
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Episode 138 Bringing HEAT to the Physics classroom
Today we meet with Rebecca Vieyra, a physics educator who coordinates the American Association of Physics Teachers' NASA HEAT team, a group of educators and researchers committed to advancing heliophysics education in formal classrooms. She is originally from Illinois, where she taught high…
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Episode 137: Pursuing Student Passion Pathways
Today, Kevin and I meet with two high school students from The Greene School in West Palm Beach Florida who have been making space one of their passion projects! Kenan Sato-Hua, is a 14-year-old 9th grader who participates on both the debate and aerospace team. He recentlypresented at the...
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Episode 136: Beyond the Stars; A Romanian view of Space
Today Kevin and I meet with Dorina Girbovan has three Masters in Science and one Ph.D. in Physics. As the G100 Romania Country Chair for the Space Technology & Aviation Wing, she advocates the promotion of women in science and technology. She promotes space education for teachers worldwide as...
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Minisode 6: SmallSat Education Conference Revisited with Kevin Simmons
In this solo episode, Kevin shares about the successes of this year's SmallSat Education Conference!
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Episode 135: Experimenting in Space
Taylor Peterson is a third year PhD student studying aerospace engineering at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Her current research looks at 1) osteoporosis in astronauts and 2) simulating cryogenic propellant boiling in microgravity. She is the recipient of a 2023 National Science...
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Episode 134: Inventing Space with Chet Knoer
Chet Knoer has been a lifelong space enthusiast and it all started with a visit to Space Academy at the age of 12. Now understand that As a child, Chet thought that to work in space meant you must be an inventor. They found out later that meant being an engineer. Over the last 8 years, Chet has...
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Episode 133: Inspiring Next Generations
Holly Pascal is a driven Aerospace Software Engineer at L3Harris, a distinguished Fortune 500 company. She will be featured in WomLead Magazine and stands out as a member of the highly selective Engineering Leadership Development Program at L3Harris, showcasing her mission to create a positive...
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Episode 132: Mechanical Engineering, Portland Style
Today we meet with Catie Spivey, a Mechanical Engineer and graduate of Portland State University. Catie was the lead on PSU's first CubeSat which launched in 2022. During her senior capstone project, she worked on a prototype liquid fueled rocket airframe and found she really enjoyed that subject...
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Episode 131: Revolutionizing the STEM Classroom with ITech
Today we meet with a group of amazing ed tech innovators who help make teachers and student lives easier/ Evelyn McCulloch is the Director of Educational Technology at i-Tech Support, Inc. She supports schools throughout Florida helping them to build a positive digital culture through…
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Episode 130: POLAR Project Management
Today we meet withChristine Shayim, a Junior at the University at Buffalo studying computer engineering, with a minor in mathematics. Outside of the classroom, she dedicates her time to working at the UB Nanosatellite Laboratory, as the Project Manager and the Flight Software Lead for POLAR. She…
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Episode 129: Computer Science and MEMESat
Today we meet with Jillian Russell, a junior and Computer Science major at the University of Georgia. Now, Jilliam has always loved space, and she currently works at the UGA Small Satellite Research Lab with their beloved satellite, MEMESat- or the Mission for Education and Multimedia Engagement...
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Episode 128: Fun with Physics and Natasha Waldorf
This episode, we interview student Natasha Waldorf—she’s a senior majoring in physics and applied computer science at Whittier College, a small liberal arts college near Los Angeles. Due to the challenges of COVID lockdowns during her late high school and early college years, Natasha found online...
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Episode 127 Pursuing one’s Dreams of Space
Today we meet with educator and engineer, Claudia Cortez. Claudia has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Management Technology from the University of Arkansas Grantham, a Master of Business Administration from University of Texas at Brownsville, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in...
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Episode 126: Global Education with Chalk Talk
Today we meet with Urooj Seemeen, CEO and Founder of E-Services & Technologies, a global organization with a mission to drive change through education in our world. As an engineer by profession and an educationalist by passion, Urooj has dedicated hr career to empowering individuals through...
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Episode 125: Space Physics with Dr. Turkakin
Today Kevin and I meet with Prof. Hava Turkakin has always been fascinated by the secret works of the universe. Possessing a bachelor’s degree from the Black Sea Technical University in Turkey, and after teaching high school for several year, her desire to learn more about physics spurned her to...
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Episode 124: AI and Space
Today, we meet with Frank Soboczenski --an Assistant Professor in Artificial Intelligence at the University of York, an affiliate computer scientist at King's College London with links to Northeastern University. He is also the lead scientist for the NASA TechLeap Quantum Earth Observation high...
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Minisode 4: CubeSat Mission Planning
In this final installment lesson, Kevin teaches me about the steps to go from CubeSat idea to space using the CubeSat 101 handbook. Check out the lesson on Youtube Aerospace and Innovation Academy vodcast playlist!
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Minisode 3: CubeSat Subsystems
In this lesson, Kevin talks about the various kinds of subsystems that make up a CubeSat! If you are going to build one, you have to know the parts. Our students learn real-world aerospace in teams that meet as after school clubs. Your student can stand out today on resumes and college…
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Minisode 2: Early and Interesting CubeSat Missions
In this second in our series, Kevin tells us more about the history of CubeSats by addressing early and interesting missions and helps explains their payloads!
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Minisode 1: What is a CubeSat?
In this first of our minisode series, Kevin gives us a brief overview of the history of a CubeSat!
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Episode 123: Launchpad 23
Today, we meet with Kristine Poptanich, the Chief Executive Officer and founder of Launchpad23, an online education opportunity for families seeking to build the future-ready skills so often missed in traditional curricula. She previously served as vice president at an ed-tech startup, on the...
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Episode 122: In Defense of Space
Todd Harrison is Managing Director of Metrea Strategic Insights. Prior to joining Metrea in May 2022, Mr. Harrison was a senior fellow and the director of Defense Budget Analysis and the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He has served in the...
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Episode 121: The Luxury of 1G with Dr. Shawna Pandya
Today we meet with veritable force to be reckoned with. Dr. Pandya’s experience is vast, which explains in part why many believe she is inline to be a future astronaut. She is a physician, aquanaut, scientist-astronaut candidate with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS)....
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Episode 120: Off the Shelf and Into Space
Dr. Don Platt is an Associate Professor at Florida Tech University and Director of Florida Tech's Spaceport Education Center. He has extensive experience in developing, testing and flying different types of avionics, communications, and rocket propulsion systems and. His areas of current focus…
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Episode 119: A Sikorsky Woman in STEM
Kevin and I look forward to talking with a great role model in aerospace: Rachel Garza. After receiving her degree in aerospace engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Rachel started her engineering career at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, where she worked as an…
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Episode 118 On Being a Space Hipster
Today we meet with avid space enthusiast Emily Carney. In 2010, Emily Carney started a spaceflight blog called This Space Available via https://space.nss.org/category/this- space-available/). She loves to tell the story that, one time, the late astronaut Gene Cernan (Gemini 9A, Apollo 10, and...
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Episode 117: In-orbit Servicing with AstroScale Japan
Today, we are rejoined by Andres Permuy, now a third-year Physics Major and Math minor at Georgetown University. Currently Andres is studying abroad at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. He aspires to receive a master's degree in Space Robotics to pursue a career in Orbital Robotics and…
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Episode 116: Democratizing Space with PocketQubes
Caius Reza is the Lead Business Executive at Alba Orbital, a Scottish company that builds and launches PocketQubes – PocketQubes, like what their name would suggest are tiny satellites small enough to fit in your pocket! After graduating from the University of Strathclyde in 2019, he joined the...
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Episode 115: Brothers in Space
Today we are joined by two new Wolfpack members from Buffalo, NY. Brian Bartelo is 13 years old and brother Sean is almost 11. While they have many interests, one of their main passions is space. Brian has an impressive resume already. He has presented topics such as mitigating space debris at…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Are you an educator looking to inspire your STEM students? Are you a university or high school student who has dreamed of going to space? Or are you a space enthusiast? This podcast will explore the many ways students and teachers can engage with industry with a particular focus on CubeSats and student team formation with a BLUE-Sky learning philosophy.
HOSTED BY
Shawna Christenson
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Let's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY Learning have?
Let's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY Learning currently has 169 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Let's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY Learning about?
Are you an educator looking to inspire your STEM students? Are you a university or high school student who has dreamed of going to space? Or are you a space enthusiast? This podcast will explore the many ways students and teachers can engage with industry with a particular focus on CubeSats and...
How often does Let's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY Learning release new episodes?
Let's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY Learning publishes regularly with 169 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Let's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY Learning?
You can listen to Let's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY Learning on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Let's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY Learning?
Let's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY Learning is created and hosted by Shawna Christenson.
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