This Week in Space (Audio)

This week, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik discuss the alarming impact of budget cuts on international space missions and crucial solar observatories, share exciting new solar discoveries, and welcome special guest Colonel Nick Hague, the first Space Force Guardian to launch a full mission, for an in-depth conversation about his experiences as an astronaut, the Space Force's vital role, and what it takes to join their elite ranks. Headlines * European Space Agency Programs Threatened by NASA Budget Cuts: The European Space Agency (ESA) reveals three key missions are significantly threatened by proposed NASA budget reductions, requiring "dramatic recovery actions." * Rosalind Franklin Mars Rover in Jeopardy: The ESA's Rosalind Franklin Mars rover faces its second major setback as its U.S. launch partner is no longer included in the current budget, leaving the rover without a ride. * U.S. as an "Unreliable Partner": Rod and Tariq discuss concerns about the U.S. being perceived as an unreliable partner due to repeated withdrawals from international space partnerships. * National Solar Observatory Funding Cuts: The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, the most powerful solar observatory, faces drastic funding cuts that could prevent effective science operations. * First Look at the Sun's Poles by Solar Orbiter: Scientists using the ESA's Solar Orbiter have obtained the first direct images of the sun's poles to study its cycle, weather, and magnetic field. * Geomagnetic Storm & Auroras: Tariq notes a coronal mass ejection is expected to buffet Earth on Saturday, potentially causing visible auroras during the podcast recording. * Who Will Lead NASA? Potential Administrator Candidates: Politico Space's newsletter highlights potential candidates for the next NASA administrator, sparking discussion on the agency's future leadership. Main Topic * Colonel Nick Hague: Colonel Nick Hague, Space Force Guardian and NASA astronaut, joins the show to discuss his background, path to NASA, and recent ISS experiences. * Nick Hague's Path to Space & Service: Colonel Hague shares his journey from stargazing in Kansas to his interwoven military and space exploration career, starting with the Air Force, joining NASA in 2013, and transferring to the Space Force in 2021. * Test Pilot Training School & Astronaut Capabilities: Colonel Hague explains how test pilot school develops critical skills highly applicable to astronaut duties and space operations despite not being a direct requirement. * Readaptation After Space Flight: Colonel Hague describes adapting to Earth's gravity after six months in space, noting challenges in regaining balance and strengthening muscles, requiring months of physical therapy. * Subconscious Mind & Gravity: He shares that after prolonged zero gravity, the subconscious mind still expects that objects will float, making everyday actions on Earth feel strange. * First Space Force Guardian to Launch Full Mission: Colonel Hague discusses the personal honor of being the first Space Force Guardian to launch and complete an entire mission. * Space Force's Critical Roles: Colonel Hague details vital Space Force functions, including maintaining GPS for financial systems and tracking over 50,000 objects in space to prevent collisions. * Congestion in Low These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/165 [https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/165] Hosts: Rod Pyle [https://twit.tv/people/rod-pyle] and Tariq Malik [https://twit.tv/people/tariq-malik] Guest: Nick Hague [https://www.nasa.gov/people/nick-hague/]

What a wild week it's been for NASA. With drastic budget cuts looming—pending any action by Congress—then comes the sudden and unexpected pulling of Jared Isaacman for the role of NASA Administrator, with no replacement named. Then came the very public split between President Trump and Elon Musk, and a flurry of furious Twitter/X and Truth Social postings, aimed at each other with razor-sharp edges. And finally, the proposed and drastic cuts to NASA outreach and education budgets, slimming them to nearly nothing. These are strange and concerning times for America's space agency, a premier global brand and icon of peaceful American prowess. We turned to Casey Dreier, the Chief of Space Policy for The Planetary Society, who has been quite vocal in his concern, for context. These are critical times for spaceflight, so you won't want to miss this episode! Headlines * Trump and Musk "Bromance" Ends: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik discuss the public falling out between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, which included Trump's threats to cancel SpaceX contracts and Musk's counter-accusations regarding the Jeffrey Epstein files. * Commercial Crew Program and Boeing's Starliner: Tariq Malik highlights the critical role of SpaceX's Dragon in NASA's commercial crew program, especially given Boeing's Starliner delays, making NASA dependent on SpaceX for U.S. independent access to space. * Japanese ispace Lunar Lander Failure: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik discuss the second failed attempt by the Japanese company ispace to land its Hakuto-R lunar lander on the moon, losing the European Space Agency's mini-rover, called Tenacious, in the process. * Speculation on SpaceX Nationalization: The hosts discuss online speculation, including from Steve Bannon, about the possibility of the U.S. government nationalizing SpaceX, and Elon Musk's subsequent de-escalation. * LAUNCH Act: Rod Pyle introduces the bipartisan LAUNCH Act, aimed at streamlining licensing for commercial space companies to encourage more rocket launches with faster approvals. * Senate Reconciliation Bill: Tariq Malik and Rod Pyle discuss Senator Ted Cruz's Senate reconciliation bill, which proposes to restore funding for the Space Launch System (SLS), increase NASA's budget by $10 billion, and fund Artemis 4 and 5, missions previously targeted for alternate architectures. * 60th Anniversary of First U.S. Spacewalk: The hosts commemorate Ed White's historic spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission in 1965 and discuss anecdotes and lingering questions surrounding the event. * Definition of an Astronaut/Spacewalker Debate: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik briefly touch on the ongoing debate about what defines an "astronaut" or "spacewalker," given varying definitions and commercial spaceflight. * Tribute to Marc Garneau: The hosts pay tribute to Marc Garneau, Canada's first astronaut, who passed away at 76, highlighting his career with the Canadian Space Agency and his later political career. The Dark Age of NASA Science * The Planetary Society's Mission: Space policy expert Casey Dreier provides an overview of the Planetary Society, its founding by Carl Sagan, its independence from government and corporate funding, and its projects like the Lightsail 2. * Catastrophic NASA Budget Proposal: Casey Dreier These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/164 [https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/164] Hosts: Rod Pyle [https://twit.tv/people/rod-pyle] and Tariq Malik [https://twit.tv/people/tariq-malik] Guest: Casey Dreier [https://www.planetary.org/profiles/casey-dreier]

This week we speak with Dr. Mike Wall, ace space reporter from Space.com, about Starship's recent test flight. What went right, what went wrong, and what are the prospects for Elon's mammoth rocket meeting NASA's goals for a moon landing in 2027? Also, Musk's recent video outlining future plans for Starship and a Martian metropolis, Chinese company Sepoch's recent (and very Starship-like) vertical launch and landing test, Japan's robotic lander, Resilience, about to attempt a lunar touchdown, and roadside assistance for the Psyche asteroid mission. See this and more on This Week in Space! Headlines * New Dwarf Planet Discovery: Scientists at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton have identified a new dwarf planet with an orbit over 16 times the size of Earth's. Its closest approach to the Sun is 44.5 times Earth's orbit, similar to Pluto's orbit, placing it far out in the Oort cloud. While exciting, this object, named 2017 OF, is not Planet Nine because its mass doesn't align with the perturbations observed in other objects. * NASA's Psyche Mission Update: NASA's Psyche spacecraft experienced a fuel pressure glitch requiring a switch to a backup propellant line for its Hall effect thruster. Engineers successfully restored pressure, and the mission is still on track to arrive at the metallic asteroid Psyche in 2029. This mission is crucial as Psyche is believed to be the stripped-away core of an ancient proto-planet, offering insights into planet formation. * China's Reusable Rocket Advancements: Chinese rocket manufacturer Space Epoch successfully performed a vertical ascent and controlled vertical descent test of a booster stage, similar to SpaceX's Falcon 9 landings. The stainless steel rocket successfully soft-landed in the waters off Hainan Island, demonstrating advanced gimballing for stable landing. Main Topic - Starship Flight 9 Test * Recap: SpaceX's Starship Test Flight 9 was deemed a partial success. The Super Heavy booster was reflown for the first time, demonstrating reusability and performing well despite an experimental hard ocean splashdown that resulted in an explosion six minutes into flight. The Ship upper stage reached space and the desired trajectory, an improvement over previous flights, but failed to deploy dummy Starlink satellites or perform an in-space relight due to an attitude control anomaly, possibly a fuel leak. * SpaceX's Ambitious Starship Plans: Elon Musk outlined plans for Starship Version 3, envisioned as the first fully mature version capable of Mars missions, rapid reuse, and in-orbit refueling. The long-term goal includes sending thousands of Starships and hundreds of people to Mars to establish a self-sustaining city. * Lunar Starship for Artemis Missions: There's ongoing discussion about the number of tanker flights required for a lunar mission, with estimates ranging from 8 to 12, even 16 flights. The timeline for Artemis III in 2027 is a concern, given the need for numerous refueling missions and the development of life support systems for crewed flights, which are currently absent in the Starship test vehicles. * Competition in Lunar Landers: While SpaceX is developing Lunar Starship, Blue Origin is also a strong contender with its Blue Moon lander, which is * China These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/163 [https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/163] Hosts: Rod Pyle [https://twit.tv/people/rod-pyle] and Tariq Malik [https://twit.tv/people/tariq-malik] Guest: Mike Wall [https://twitter.com/michaeldwall]

If you're lucky enough to have witnessed the landing of Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969, you know what a momentous occasion that was. If you're younger than a Boomer, you've read and heard about that amazing day, but it might not have the impact it did for those who witnessed it. Bob Slater, M.D., is out to change that with his campaign to make July 20 a national holiday called "Lunar Landing Day," and we think it's a fine idea--and so do the moonwalkers, Mission Control folks, and lots of others. It'll be good for STEM, good for national pride, and just good all around. Join us to learn more and about how you can help make this great idea a reality! Headlines * Next Starship Launch Scheduled: SpaceX aims for its third Starship launch of the year, Flight 9, no earlier than May 27th, 7:30 PM Eastern. This follows previous failures, with hopes for a successful mission. * SpaceX Flight 9 Gets FAA Approval, with Caveats: The FAA approved Starship Flight 9 after SpaceX's Flight 8 failure assessment. A changed trajectory was requested for safety. The goal is to recreate earlier trajectories for a soft landing in the Indian Ocean and will be the first full reflight of the Super Heavy booster. * China's Experimental Fuel Dump: Chinese company Landscape launched a methane-fueled rocket that performed an experimental fuel dump at 155 miles, creating a visible ribbon of reflective crystals. Discussion arose on its necessity, accidental nature, or deliberate intent, and its resemblance to 1950s US/Russian plans to nuke the moon as a political statement. * "Golden Dome" Missile Defense Initiative: The Trump administration announced a $175 billion "Golden Dome" missile defense shield, similar to Israel's Iron Dome, to intercept orbital threats. U.S. Space Force General Michael Gutzlian will oversee the three-year development. * AI Processing Center in Abu Dhabi: OpenAI plans a new AI processing center in Abu Dhabi, requiring immense power (equivalent to five nuclear plants), raising concerns about AI's resource consumption. * "Rocket on a Rocket": Blue Origin's NS-32 private space flight will include investor Mark Rocket, CEO of Kai Aerospace and seed investor in Rocket Lab, among its six passengers: a Panamanian businessman, a radiologist and space camp alumni, an entrepreneur and real estate developer, a middle school STEM teacher, and a Canadian entrepreneur and adventurer. * From the wacky Weekly World News: Are eight U.S. senators actually aliens in disguise? (Just a gag!) Main Topic - The Landing Day Initiative * Dr. Robert Slater, M.D., joins the podcast to discuss his Lunar Landing Day Initiative. * Dr. Slater's Path to Space Passion: Slater's passion for space began at age six, watching the moon landing, an event his parents stressed as historical. * The Lunar Landing Day Initiative: Inspired by the lack of public recall about July 20, 1969, Slater started the initiative to celebrate the moon landing as a unifying, historic American achievement. * Lunar Landing Day Initiative Federal Holiday Goal: The ultimate goal is to make July 20th a federal holiday with a paid day off for federal employees, encouraging states and companies to follow. * Historical Significance: Dr. Slater emphasizes the moon landing's historical context as a Cold War These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/162 [https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/162] Hosts: Rod Pyle [https://twit.tv/people/rod-pyle] and Tariq Malik [https://twit.tv/people/tariq-malik] Guest: Dr. Robert Slater [https://lunarlandingday.net/]

It's time for Rod and Tariq to catch up on headlines... and space dad jokes! We're going to update you on the ever-slimming NASA budget, the latest news on the Voyager spacecraft, what's up with the SLS, Orion capsule, and Artemis programs? SpaceX's 9th Starship test flight, AliBaba in orbit, and the end of the universe. And more space jokes than ever for you to choke on. * Gilmore Space Launch Attempt: Gilmore Space's Ares rocket experienced a payload fairing separation on the pad before launch. * NASA Budget Cuts & Artemis Program: Proposed budget cuts threaten NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), Orion capsule, and Lunar Gateway, sparking debate about the future of the Artemis program and a potential shift towards commercial solutions. * Voyager 1 Thrusters: After 21 years of inactivity, Voyager 1 successfully fired its backup thrusters, ensuring continued communication from interstellar space. * NASA Advisory Groups React: NASA advisory groups, including the Mars Exploration Program Advisory Group, expressed concern over budget cuts and their potential to hinder U.S. leadership in space exploration. * Texas MARS Act: Texas Senator John Cornyn proposed allocating $1 billion for modernizing the Johnson Space Center. * Intuitive Machines Update: Intuitive Machines plans to return to the moon in Q1 2026 with Intuitive Machines 3, having identified and addressed the causes of previous landing failures. * SpaceX Starship Update: Elon Musk will provide an update on SpaceX's Mars plans before the next Starship test flight, frlight 9, addressing challenges like refueling the vehicle in space. * The End of the Universe: Astrophysicists predict the universe's end, or "heat death", will occur sooner than previously thought, approximately 10 to the power of 78 years from now. * China's Orbital Computing Sats: China launched its first 12 orbital computing satellites, part of a planned 2,800-satellite constellation designed to shift power-hungry computing and AI capabilities off-planet. * Starlink Profitability: SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet business has generated $11.8 billion in revenue in 2024, surpassing its space transportation business. * VIPER Lunar Rover: NASA may be working to save the VIPER lunar prospecting rover mission, which was previously canceled due to lander delays. * Solar Flare Activity: The sun has unleashed a strong solar flare, an X2.7 magnitude, with the potential for increased auroras on Earth. * Auroras on Mars: Perseverance rover images reveal the first visible light auroras on Mars from the planet's surface. * Virgin Galactic Update: Virgin Galactic plans to launch its new Spaceship Delta fleet in early 2026 and resume ticket sales, with prices increases to come. Hosts: Rod Pyle [https://twit.tv/people/rod-pyle] and Tariq Malik [https://twit.tv/people/tariq-malik] Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space [https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space]. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit [https://twit.tv/clubtwit]