This Week in Space (Audio)

TWiS 189: Privatizing Orbit - The Pioneering Work of Jeffrey Manber

This week, we talk with our favorite Newspace Buccaneer, Jeffrey Manber. When so many people were touting their private spaceflight dreams in the 1980s, Manber took the next enormous stride and actually made it happen. He formed the Office of Space Commerce within the US Department of Commerce at the invitation of the Reagan administration, forged the first commercial relations with the then-Soviet Union, bridged that into the post-USSR period, and was responsible for the first commercial spaceflight to the then-mothballed Soviet-era Mir space station with a crew that stayed there for 70 days. He then went on to develop a variety of commercial space enterprises, from the first commercial platform to release smallsats from the ISS to initiating the Bishop airlock that became part of the space station. He also started Nanoracks, the first privately developed and standardized satellite deployment mechanism to fly. Finally, he initiated Starlab, the private space station currently under development by Voyager Technologies and a consortium of aerospace companies. Join us for this very special episode with one of the key founders of NewSpace! Headlines: * SpaceX Plans 2026 IPO and Possible $1.5 Trillion Valuation * NASA Loses Contact with Mars Maven Orbiter * Discussion of Star Trek's New Starfleet Academy Series Trailer Main Topic: Privatizing Orbit and the Roots of Commercial Space * Jeffrey Manber Details Early US-Russian Commercial Space Collaborations * Space Journalism Origins and Shaping Commercial Space Policies * Inside the Launch of Commercial Space Fund and the Office of Space Commerce * First US Commercial Contracts with Soviet Union and Mir Space Station * Navigating Washington Policy and Export Licenses for Soviet Deals * Attempt to Privatize Mir: Meerkorp, Leasing the Space Station, and Commercial Astronaut Crews * The Rise of Nanoracks and Commercial Payloads on the ISS * Building Star Lab: Partnerships, Scale, Launch Plans, and Commercial Design * Comparing Star Lab's Ambitions to Vast, Axiom, and China's Tiangong * Evaluating SpaceX's Public Offering and Its Impact on Elon Musk's Strategy * Jeffrey Manber's Other Projects: Writing About Mars and Lincoln's Wrath * Thoughts on America's Future in Commercial Orbit and Personal Memoir Plans Hosts: Rod Pyle [https://twit.tv/people/rod-pyle] and Tariq Malik [https://twit.tv/people/tariq-malik] Guest: Jeffrey Manber [https://voyagertechnologies.com/] 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 audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit [https://twit.tv/clubtwit]

TWiS 188: A New NASA Leader Rises? - Trump's NASA Chief Pick Jared Isaacman Meets Congress Again

Jared Isaacman, the billionaire entrepreneur, philanthropist, and private astronaut, took on Capitol Hill this week in his second confirmation hearing as President Trump's pick for NASA's next leader. Here's what it could mean, plus: A Russian cosmonaut got kicked off a SpaceX flight for allegedly trying to steal spacecraft secrets, China's 1st reusable rocket Zhuque-3 reached orbit, but crashed and burned (and exploded) during landing, and Russia accidentally wrecked the only launch pad it has for astronauts with Thanksgiving's new ISS crew launch. Headlines: * Russian Cosmonaut Pulled from SpaceX Crew 12 Mission over Alleged Incident at SpaceX HQ * Russian Soyuz Launch Pad Damaged After Thanksgiving Crew Mission, Threatening Future Flights * China's Land Space Rocket Nearly Sticks First Reusable Launch and Landing—Explodes on Return * Scientists Find Time Passes Faster on Mars Than Earth, Thanks to Relativity Main Topic: Jared Isaacman's Bid to Become NASA Administrator * Isaacman Returns for Second Senate Confirmation Hearing After Trump Re-Nominates Him * Controversy Over SpaceX Ties, Conflict of Interest, and Elon Musk's Influence * Bipartisan Support from Astronauts, Industry, and Lawmakers Highlights Isaacman's Appeal * Project Athena Leaked: Isaacman's Vision for NASA and Debate on Earth Science Outsourcing * Congressional Drama Over Artemis Funding, Gateway, and the US-China Race to the Moon * Questions Around Space Shuttle Discovery's Possible Move to Houston * Anticipation Builds for Senate Vote and NASA's Need for Stable Leadership Ahead of Artemis 2 Host: Tariq Malik [https://twit.tv/people/tariq-malik] Guest: Mike Wall [https://twitter.com/michaeldwall] 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]

TWiS 187: An Inspired Enterprise - A History of Star Trek with Glen Swanson

Were you inspired by "Star Trek" (or one of its innumerable spinoffs) as a young person? We know we were, so it was a pleasure to invite Glen Swanson, author of the new Star Trek history book "Inspired Enterprise" onto the show. We've all heard lore about the original series, but Swanson, who was previously the Chief Historian at the Johnson Space Center, used his prodigious skills to perform a deep dive into the topic. From Gene Roddenberry's original inspiration to working with Caltech, the RAND Corporation, and NASA; and on to the design of the good ship Enterprise itself (and the very popular AMT models that followed), this book provides everything you need to know to be a certified Trekker. Headlines: * Comet 3I Atlas confirmed as a comet, not a spacecraft & NASA releases new images and details of the comet * SpaceX's Starship Version 3 booster suffers damage during test * Uranus reaches yearly opposition—best viewing opportunity Main Topic: The Real Inspirations Behind Star Trek * Glen Swanson shares career highlights as a NASA historian and magazine founder * How Gene Roddenberry's background and influences shaped Star Trek * NASA's direct involvement and technical guidance for Star Trek's creators * The significant role of the aerospace industry, Rand Corporation, and real-world science in Star Trek's development * The story behind NASA and the Smithsonian Enterprise shooting model connections * AMT's plastic model kits fueled fan obsession and supported the show's visuals * Influences from movies like Robinson Crusoe on Mars and Forbidden Planet * Space Station K7 design's origins traced to NASA and Douglas Aircraft concepts * Star Trek's impact on inspiring real-life astronauts and the space community * Glen Swanson's book, "Inspired Enterprise," and how you can get a signed copy Hosts: Rod Pyle [https://twit.tv/people/rod-pyle] and Tariq Malik [https://twit.tv/people/tariq-malik] Guest: Glen Swanson [https://www.glenswanson.space/] 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]

TWiS 186: Snow on the Moon? - With Dr. Jim Green, Former NASA Chief Scientist

Snow on the moon? Yes, though not recently... but maybe billions of years ago. Recent discoveries indicate that the early moon, orbiting just 20,000 miles above our planet at the time, may have shared a dynamic magnetic field with that of the Earth, resulting in the moon having an early atmosphere about twice as dense as the Martian atmosphere is today! This has wide implications for planetary science, but perhaps our favorite is that it may have snowed both carbon dioxide and water ice on the moon back in the day. We're also talking about the amazing launch and recovery of New Glenn, the plight of the Chinese taikonauts aboard the Tiangong space station, and a recent SpaceX memo about—no surprises here—a delay to their lunar landing program for Artemis III. Join us! Headlines: * China's Shenzhou Astronauts Still Dealing with Stricken Spacecraft * Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Launches and Lands, Sends Probes Toward Mars * Comet C/2025 K1 Atlas Breaks Up After Solar Flyby * SpaceX Artemis Moon Landing Delayed to 2028 Main Topic: Moon Volatiles and Lunar Science * The Moon's Formation and the Giant Impact Hypothesis * Intertwined Magnetic Fields on the Early Moon and Earth * Transmission of Earth Atmosphere and Volatiles to Lunar Surface * Lunar Outgassing, Volcanism, and Creation of an Ancient Lunar Atmosphere * Permanently Shadowed Regions as Time Capsules of Early Moon and Earth * Scientific Importance of NASA's VIPER Rover for Analyzing Polar Ices and Volatiles * Commercial and Scientific Value of Moon's Minerals and Resources * Long-Term Preservation of Lunar Samples for Future Research * Early Moon Weather: Volatile Snow, Atmosphere Collapse, and What It Means for Lunar Resources * Educational Outreach through Virtual Space Science Experiences Hosts: Rod Pyle [https://twit.tv/people/rod-pyle] and Tariq Malik [https://twit.tv/people/tariq-malik] Guest: Dr. Jim Green [https://science.nasa.gov/people/james-green/] 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]

TWiS 185: Gutting Goddard - Dismantling a NASA Center

As you may or may not know, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is in the administration's crosshairs. With cuts to their budget and staffing beginning under Elon Musk's DOGE, it has taken a different form with the government shutdown. Employees furloughed or retired from critical programs, laboratories shuttered, and entire facilities gutted--all without the approval of Congress. By the time the shutdown is over, NASA's primary research center--and the one most responsible for what many are now calling "the C-word," climate science--will be a shell of its former self. Josh Dinner, who recently completed a months-long investigative report, joins us. Also: Jared Isaacman is back in the running as NASA chief, the 25th anniversary of the ISS, and China now working with the US on orbital dangers. Headlines: * Trump Renominates Jared Isaacman as NASA Chief, Sparking Political Drama * 25 Years of Continuous Astronaut Presence on the International Space Station * China Initiates Rare Satellite Collision Avoidance With NASA * Apollo-Era Radio Telescope That Spied on Soviet Satellites Up for Sale * Mars ESCAPADE Missions Twin Probes Prepare for Launch on New Glenn Rocket Main Topic: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Crisis * Goddard Hit by Accelerated Building Closures and Funding Cuts * NASA Employees and Lawmakers Accuse Agency Leadership of Breaking the Law * Climate Science and Political Motives at the Core of Goddard's Struggles * Union Power Stripped After NASA's Reclassification as National Security Agency * High-Profile Missions Like Hubble, the Nancy Roman Space Telescope, and LISA Facing Uncertainty * Loss of Talent and Institutional Knowledge Threatens Future Space Projects * Congress and the Public Urged to Support, But Outlook Remains Grim * Could New Leadership Reverse the Changes Brought to Goddard, or Reinforce Goddard's Decline? Hosts: Rod Pyle [https://twit.tv/people/rod-pyle] and Tariq Malik [https://twit.tv/people/tariq-malik] Guest: Josh Dinner [https://www.joshdinner.com/] 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]