Episodes
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Episode 1807 : Of Dragons, Starships, and Starliners
Buckle Up! This jam-packed, time-extended episode is loaded with exclusive insights you won't hear anywhere else. First up, we share follow-up information on the X-59 Aircraft and its progress. This revolutionary plane is designed to muffle sonic booms and, if it's successful, will open new...
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Episode 1806: Roman’s March to L-2
It’s all hands on deck for the Talking Space Team as we examine the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope which began its three month journey to its permanent station-keeping point at Lagrange Point 2. Once there and fully commissioned, Roman will begin it’s initial 5 year mission, surveying billions...
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Episode 1805: Space Flight is Not Simple
Hosts Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, and Heather Smith review ISS crew transitions, wildfire threats to NASA's Deep Space Network, growing criticisms of the Artemis program architecture, and a 1960s navigation satellite still transmitting signals today on episode 1805 of Talking Space. ISS Crew...
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Episode 1804: On A Quesst
When the Russian crew on board the ISS decided to perform an unusual procedure on the station’s Zvezda module, it caused quite an agreeable break in the routine of the day on board the orbiting laboratory. The crew on the US segment entered an emergency evacuation posture aboard their Crew…
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Episode:1803 Things That Go Boom in the Night
The Talking Space Team gathers around the microphone once again to survey the horizon of spaceflight news—and what an eventful week it has been. On May 26th, NASA announced a new wave of contracts for its moon base program, along with updates on the progress of Artemis III. We break down exactly...
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Episode 1802: Fly US To The Moon
The full Talking Space team gathers around the microphone once more to share their thoughts and reactions to the Artemis II lunar flyby and how the 10-day mission was perceived back on Earth, especially those who seldom think about NASA. The panel examines next steps for the Artemis program,...
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Episode 1801: Artemis II: Moonbound
Recorded on Sunday 29 March, 2026: Just days before the first human mission to the Moon in 53 years, Talking Space returns to discuss preflight activities and the changes within NASA’s Artemis lunar program. Mark Ratterman discusses his thoughts on the growth of activity in and around the Kennedy...
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Episode 1703: Stopping the Space Shuttle Rustlers
In 2012, following the end of the Space Transportation System program, NASA faced the monumental task of finding permanent homes for the three remaining Space Shuttle Orbiters—so that their incredible stories could be preserved and shared with the public. After a lengthy and sometimes contentious...
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Episode 1702: OSIRIS-APEX and the 2026 NASA Budget: A Discussion with Dr. Dani DellaGiustina
The OSIRIS-APEX mission, an extension of the wildly successful OSIRIS-REx mission, is set to rendezvous with Asteroid 99942 Apophis in April 2029. This mission takes full advantage of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which still has plenty of fuel and is totally healthy after delivering samples from...
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Episode 1701: A Fleet for Lunar Science
Episode 1701: Talking Space returns after a hiatus to discuss the landing attempts by the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. First a successful soft landing of the Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost 1 mission on the plans of Mare Crisium. Then a much more perilous landing attempt for the...
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Episode 1614: Talking Space Retrospective, Part 2
It was September 9, 2009; aka 09/09/09. That was the easy-to-remember air date of the first episode of Talking Space. The Space Shuttle era was ending. As far as most of the public was concerned, that represented the death knell for the U.S. Space Program. But Gene, Mark and Sawyer knew better…
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Episode 1613: Talking Space Retrospective, Part 1
It was September 9, 2009; aka 09/09/09. That was the easy-to-remember air date of the first episode of Talking Space. The Space Shuttle era was ending. For most casual observers, that represented the death knell for the U.S. Space Program. But Gene, Mark and Sawyer knew better, and they were…
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Episode 1612: EPA, TCEQ Cite SpaceX for Starbase Clean Water Act Violations
Environmental regulators are beginning to clamp down on Starbase. The big question is: Do these enforcement actions have enough significance to force the FAA to delay launch activities at Boca Chica? Some troubling headlines appeared on CNBC.com on Monday, August 12, 2024 concerning SpaceX’s...
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Episode 1611: Dissimilar Redundancy
NASA has tried to get Extra Vehicular Activity Number Ninety underway since June 13th. The first attempt was thwarted by a space suit comfort issue, the second by a water leak that created a blizzard of ice inside the Quest airlock. Are the Shuttle-Era Extra Vehicular Mobility Units (EMU) or…
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Episode 1610: How GOES-U?
The Geosynchronous Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-U, launched at 5:26 PM EDT on 25 June 2024 from Launch Complex 39 A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. A SpaceX Falcon Heavy took the 6000-pound satellite to its geostationary orbit in the Western Hemisphere.…
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Special Episode 1609A: Boeing's Starliner is NOT in Peril.
“Starliner Stuck In Space!!!”, “Starliner Stranded at the ISS!!”, “Space-X To Rescue Starliner Crew!!!” These were the various outrageous headlines being thrown around by various space media outlets this week, concerning the Boeing Starliner Mission and its progress. None of these sensational...
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Special Report: Starliner Status as of June 23, 2024
A quick special report on the status of the joint NASA/Boeing Starliner Mission based on a Blog Post prepared by NASA and Boeing for our listeners.
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Episode 1609: Double Stars Rising
After years of development, testing, disappointment, and perseverance, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Willams took Boeing's CST 100 Starliner to the International Space Station for its first flight with a human crew. The team discusses all facets of the launch, rendezvous, docking (not...
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Episode 1608: Good Things Come To Those Who Wait
May 6th was going to be the date that Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunni Williams were going to take the Boeing CST 100 Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station for the first time with astronauts on board. Starliner has undergone a rather stormy development period and is several...
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Episode 1607: Staying Healthy in Space: Unpacking the GEARS Experiment
In this special episode of Talking Space, we delve into a rarely discussed, but crucial aspect of living in space: health and sickness. We're putting the spotlight on the unique challenges posed by bacterial and viral infections aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and future…
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Episode 1606: Delta 4 Heavy Recap; Coping with Mars Sample Return Budget
Welcome to another episode of Talking Space, where we bring you the latest updates on space exploration and technology. In this episode, we're excited to introduce our new team member, Heather Smith, who brings her passion for space to our discussions. Welcome, Heather! The episode kicks off with...
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Episode 1605: Getting the NAC of Things
Is the NASA Advisory Council (NAC) system becoming unglued? During the NAC Science Committee meeting on March 21st, there were significant questions about the Primary NAC and its ability to deliver recommendations to NASA's leadership expeditiously so they can be acted upon by NASA Leadership.…
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Episode 1604: Starship Flight 3 Recap; How to Safely Enjoy the Eclipse
We’re giving up on new ways to describe how busy it is now in the world of space-related news. Nonetheless, we still have a Starship Flight 3 recap, a look at the next (and last) Delta IV Heavy launch, and we also focus on the upcoming total solar eclipse. But first, in the News Roundup, even…
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Episode 1603: IM-1 Lunar Mission Recap; Interview with Launch-Viewing Rookie
There’s a ton of space news to discuss this time around, and we made the time to do it in this lengthy episode. Not to worry, there’s lots of good stuff in here, including: Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rolls out to LC-36; Changes in the ISS management team; ISS Leak in the Zvezda increases; Roscosmos...
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Episode 1602: IM-1 Lunar Lander Launches Successfully; Deep Cuts at JPL a Heartache
It’ll do your heart good to have a listen to the IM-1 launch audio snippet at the opening of this episode. This episode finds us still focusing on the Intuitive Machines IM-1 lunar lander launch and lunar landing attempt to come later this week. Chantelle Baier from 4Space joins us once again to...
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Episode1601: Taking Non-Traditional Space Companies and Artisans From Concept to Launchpad: A Conversation With Chantelle Baier of 4Space
Welcome to the First Talking Space of 2024! The Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission is the second flight of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) missions. Its purpose is to have commercial entities be responsible for sending NASA science payloads and eventually cargo to the lunar surface…
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Episode 1515: What Do Aussies Think About Space?
First off, apologies are in order for our extended absence from your podcast-hungry ears. We try our best to record on a consistent basis, but sometimes there’s a perfect storm of Life Events getting in the way for the Talking Space team when it comes down to getting an episode in the can. We DID...
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Episode 1514: Starship vs. the Fish People, MSR Woes and a Powerful Tale from ASCEND
There’s a lot going on this time around, as usual. First, in the news roundup: Starship: The Lawsuit pitting the Center for Biological Diversity against the FAA and SpaceX proceeded mostly as expected (with a notable exception). The FAA awaits the US Fish and Wildlife Service to complete their...
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Episode 1513: What’s a WR? How does it Affect Starship’s Next Launch Date?
So much has happened so fast in the last couple of weeks related to SpaceX’s pursuit of Starship’s Flight 2 launch license. Look at all these goings-on: September 10, 2023: The list of 63 corrective actions specified in the Mishap Investigation Report are published; September 13, 2023: Acting FAA...
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Episode 1512: Pretty Plasma Trail, But Not from Starship Anytime Soon?
This episode brings lots of Space news from around the globe, as well as from our own back yards. Literally. First off: both Sawyer and Mark witnessed the plasma trail from the latest Crew Dragon reentry from their own back yards. A photo that looks … kind of like what they saw (taken by NASA) ……
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Episode 1511: Looking Outside the Bubble – A Conversation With Nathan Price
How many people outside the space community know about the Artemis Moon to Mars program? What do people who don’t follow spaceflight think of the current program? If given a chance, would YOU go to the Moon or Mars? Our guest, Nathan Price, is attempting to explore these questions with people who...
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Episode 1510: Artemis III – A Different Mission?
ESA’s Aeolus earth observation satellite, launched in August 2018, ended its primary mission on July 28, 2023. It still had one final mission: a safe, fiery, controlled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere conducted by the European Space Agency flight controllers. Larry Herrin provides details of the...
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Episode 1509: Starship Launch Delays – a Triple Whammy?
SpaceX’s effort to launch its second integrated test of Starship is likely facing a triple whammy of delays, including a new one that should really be of no surprise to the company. It certainly is no surprise to Eric Roesch, who joins us on this episode to discuss the latest developments in the...
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Episode 1508: Starship, ULA & STEM news
The environmental lawsuit brought by a consortium of environmental and tribal groups against the FAA and SpaceX has shown no visible movement since July 5, 2023, but we have all the details on what did transpire on that date. Turns out that since our recording date, another filing in the case…
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Episode 1507: A Secret Mission and … OceanGate’s Titan?
You may ask, “Why are we talking about the OceanGate Expeditions’ Titan submersible tragedy in a podcast dedicated to space-related stuff?” The commonality with undersea exploration is the lack of Human Commercial Spaceflight Safety Regulations. Do we need more regulation? The team muses about…
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Episode 1506: Shocking Answers to Your Starship Lawsuit Questions
Talk all you want about the delays caused by repairs/mods to the launch pad and re-certifying the Autonomous Flight Termination System, the real issue that is grounding Starship at Boca Chica is this one thing: The Lawsuit. You know … the one filed by a consortium of environmental groups and...
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Episode 1505: SpaceX Can’t Slow Down; Starliner’s Pet Black Swan
This episode is packed full of news and insights. Let’s get to it! In the News Roundup: NASA selects the second lunar lander partnership for the Artemis moon missions Rocket Lab scoops up a bargain with purchase of lease for Virgin Orbit’s Long Beach, CA headquarters and the usual “certain other...
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Episode 1504: Space Debris Risks – Perception vs. Reality With a Little Human Nature Thrown In
Talk about risky! This time around, the two cousins are being left alone to see what mischief they can get up to. Good thing there’ll be an adult in the room. Mark Ratterman and Larry Herrin are joined by our guest, NASA’s Dr. Mary K. Kaiser, to discuss the omnipresent issue of space debris. We…
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Episode 1503: Of Spaceplanes and Starships
In this installment, we welcome Larry Herrin, a former 10-year-old Apollo astronaut, as the newest pundit on the Talking Space podcasting team. We forgot to mention in the show that Larry is also Mark Ratterman’s cousin! As his inaugural contribution, Larry tells us about a relatively new,...
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Episode 1502: 50-50 and More
We start this week off with a roundup of news from NASA with the announcement of the Artemis II crew, its Mars Habitat, the second independent review of the Mars Sample Return, and a celebration of two missions hitting 50 - 50 orbits for Juno and 50 flights for Ingenuity (and you can even an…
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Episode 1501: New Season, New Era
Talking Space returns for its fifteenth season with a new format! First up, we have a brief roundup of news, including Kathy Lueders retirement from NASA, with Ken Bowsersox set to take over Space Operations on May 1st, the cessation of Virgin Orbit’s operations, more delays with Starliner…
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Episode 1407: The ”Endurance” of Commercial Crew
The Talking Space team was on site as the Crew-5 astronauts and cosmonaut made their way to the ISS. Hear the launch audio plus what went on behind the scenes when a hurricane threatened the mission and ground infrastructure. Full show notes coming soon.
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Episode 1406: Launchapalooza
August 4th, 2022, was one of the most active launch days in recent memory. The Talking Space Team attempts to check all the boxes bringing a little insight into each one, including some launch audio from the Mighty AtalsV that carried the SIBRSGEO 6 into orbit and the scream of the Falcon 9 as it...
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Episode 1405: Launch Weather for the Win(d)
On this episode of Talking Space with Mark Ratterman and Dr Kat Robison we have an excellent interview from Mark with Kennedy Space Center’s Dr Kristin Smith and Kathy Rice, both of whom are in KSC's weather office. Special thanks to KSC’s public affairs team, especially Mary MacLaughlin, who…
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Episode 1404: A New Era in Commercial Space
This episode we take a unique look at the historic Axiom-1 mission to the ISS from multiple perspectives. That includes our own Sawyer Rosenstein who was at the press site for the launch and our own Mark Ratterman who viewed the launch from offsite. There was a unique oddity to the audio from…
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Episode 1403: The First Four Miles to the Lunar Surface
Our Mark Ratterman was on hand at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for the rollout of America's new launch vehicle: NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion Spacecraft sitting atop the 322 foot stack. . It was the first time a large rocket set on its way to the launch pad from the…
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Episode 1402: The Heavens Above, The Troubles Below
The concept that space unites nations on Earth is tested like never before. In a rare single topic installment of Talking Space, the team pauses its regular reports and observations of the space sphere and examines the impact of the current geopolitical circumstances and the short and long-term...
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Episode 1401: Rockets and Future Visions
On a very SpaceX-centric edition of Talking Space to start 2022, The team looks at the SpaceX Polaris Program that hopes to test elements needed for operating the SpaceX Starship, including the first Extra-Vehicular Activity or Spacewalk for a private space mission. We take a look at the SpaceX...
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Episode 1306: Zero-G and I Feel Fine - Mission: Astro Access
On this very special episode of Talking Space, we discuss something very few people have ever experienced, Zero Gravity. However, 12 Zero-G flyers just made history. 12 ambassadors for "Mission: Astro Access" completed the first ever microgravity flight for people with disabilities. That includes...
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Episode 1305: Space is Open for Business
If it seemed like average people flying into space was something from the future, this episode is proof that the future is now...or is it? In this episode of Talking Space, we start with the launch of the first all-civilian orbital mission, Inspiration 4. We report what it was like from the…
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About this show
A free and open exchange of news, ideas, and opinions on all things spaceflight. We put the context around the spaceflight headlines.
Hosted by
Gene Mikulka ,Mark Ratterman, Dr. Kat Robison, Larry Herrin, Heather Smith, and Sawyer Rosenstein (emeritus),
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