Talking Space

On this episode, we orbit around Atlantis and her final flight signifying the end of the 30 year space shuttle program. We discuss the current status of STS-135, as well as listening to some updates from the NASA personnel working on the mission and the true importance of the mission. We then listen to Charlie Bolden’s comments on NASA’s future endeavors. Following this, we discuss a program on CNN: “Atlantis: The Final Frontier”. After that, we discuss an article which “ruffles Gene’s feathers” in The Economist. We also mention another article talking about America’s space program and if it really matters. Lastly, we discuss an article by “Bad Astronomer” Phil Plait giving his view on NASA’s shuttle program. Don’t forget to tune in to our live launch coverage of STS-135. Coverage begins on Friday, July 8th at 10:30am EDT/14:30 UTC with launch scheduled for 11:26 am EDT on http://astronomy.fm Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gina Herlihy, Gene Mikulka, and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 7/

On this episode of Talking Space, we get an update on STS-135. We discuss past issues, and the launch date of Atlantis on her final flight. Remember Talking Space will be there! For all the information, check out any page on our website, http://talkingspaceonline.com and join us live. Please remember this was recorded before the Final Flight Readiness Review (FFRR). As an update: NASA managers have given Atlantis a "go" for launch on July 8th at 11:26am EDT. We talk about Mark's interview with the 135 astronauts, White Sands landing facility closing, and even Mark going inside Discovery! We move on to the restoration of the Soviet shuttle, Buran, and an asteroid that came awfully close to our home planet. We finish off with the Shuttle Landing Facility setting a world record. To re-listen to our interview with Apollo astronaut Rusty Schweickart in which we discussed Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), check it out by visiting our website, http://talkingspaceonline.com An image was inserted here. To view it, please v

On this episode, we begin with a status update of STS-135, from the tanking tests, to a leaky valve, to a very interesting view on what will be in Atlantis's payload bay. We also make a big announcement about Talking Space's coverage of STS-135. An announcement for the ages, not to be missed! We talk about the Multi-Puropse Crew Vehicle (MPCV) taking a tour around the states as well as an announcmement about a date for the announcement of the new Space Launch System (SLS). We then conclude with a heated, interesting discussion that occured at a Republican debate in New Hampshire regarding the United State's space program and its future. To learn about Symbiotic Modulation, check out the site mentioned in the show:http://sciencestorm.com/award/0414463.html For a visual to help out on the audio clip supplied by Mark, please visit http://talkingspaceonline.com for the link Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gina Herlihy, Gene Mikulka, and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 6/19/2011

On this special episode, we interview the Associate Program Scientist for the International Space Station, Dr. Tara Ruttley. Tara was the Lead Hardware Engineer for the Health Maintenance System on the station until about two years ago when she acquired her current title. Dr. Ruttley discusses with us a couple of the experiments being performed onboard the ISS and some of the intricacies, concerns, and fun facts about them. We talk about her background on getting involved and her interest in biology. We then discuss with her on NEEMO-6, a NASA mission (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations) which simulated time onboard the ISS, although underwater. We discuss schedules, aquanauts, and men who don't sound like men underwater. This is an episode not to be missed! For more information on what's going on with science on the ISS, check out: NASA's Site for ISS Research: http://1.usa.gov/mKipOl NASA's ISS Research Twitter account: @ISS_Research For the ISS research blog which Tara is an author for, check

On this episode of Talking Space, we have a lengthy discussion regarding the final landing of the space shuttle Endeavour, ending a career spanning 25 missions since 1992 ending with STS-134. Mark was at the Kennedy Space Center for landing and we have his updates and interviews. We then discuss with him his experience with the rollout of STS-135, the final flight of Atlantis and the space shuttle program, which occured the night before into the morning of landing. We also mention the launch of Expedition 28, which upon this release launched successfully. We then discuss the SAC-D satellite or Aquarius launching with some Earth science experiments onboard. We then play a conversation from last week's episode which was deleted regarding astronaut Harrison Schmitt giving the idea of eliminating NASA and starting fresh. We then mourn the loss of former KSC Director Lee Scherer. To view the launch videos from Ames Research Center discussed in the show, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/shuttle_station/features/

On this special episode of Talking Space, we welcome back co-host of the Science Channel original show "Meteorite Men" and now author, Geoff Notkin. We discuss some moments together at the Challenger Centers for Space Science Education and other personal topics. On top of that, we discuss his new book, available online only, Meteorite Hunting: How To Find Treasure From Space. We include talks about shooting stars, land owners with shotguns, late-night stargazing in graveyards, and some behind-the-scenes stories from the television show that you'll never see on air! To purchase a copy of Geoff's book, Meteorite Hunting: How To Find Treasure From Space, please visit http://meteoritehunters.tv. The book ships to anywhere in the known universe, so our international listeners are not excluded from this! For more information on Geoff Notkin as well as more on the Science Channel show "Meteorite Men", check out: http://meteoritemen.com for information on the television show To contact them through social media,

On this clip-filled episode of Talking Space, we begin with the conclusion of the STS-134 mission, recapping the final spacewalks and the outline for the end of Endeavour's operational career. We then briefly discuss STS-135 before delving deeper into it through a special interview which Mark obtained with Space.com writer Denise Chow. We then move on to talk about the rebirth of Orion as the Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle, or MPCV, and listen to clips from an interview with Doug Cooke from NASA. Then we finish off by discussing the official loss of the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Spirit, who last year became stuck upon a rock. Contact was unable to be reestablished, and we bid her farewell. To read Denise Chow's articles, check out the website http://SPACE.com and you can follow her on Twitter as @DeniseChow Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gina Herlihy, Gene Mikulka, and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 5/29/2011 Listen now:

On this episode of Talking Space, we countdown 3, 2, 1, as we did on May 16th live on Astronomy.FM reporting on the final launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. We go into a deep discussion on the subject of STS-134's timeline and payloads, including the spectacular Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, or AMS. We then move on to talk about a US Senate hearing on human spaceflight and national security. Listed below is the transcripts of Frank Slazer, Dr. Christopher Chyba, and Capt. Frank Culbertson. We then move on to the case of the busted lunar sample seller, and lastly provide the final result of the BTS-1 mission onboard their Inspiration 1 capsule. The links to the testimonies of the following people to the US Congress are available on http://talkingspaceonline.com: Dr. Christopher Chyba, Professor of Astrophysics and International Affairs, Director, Program on Science and Global Security, Princeton University Captain Frank L. Culbertson Jr., Astronaut and former Commander of the International Space Station

In this special episode of Talking Space, Gene Mikulka recounts his experiences during NASA's Kennedy Space Center's "Once and Future Tour" conducted for members of the media before the first launch attempt of Shuttle Endeavour on Shuttle Mission STS 134 on April 27, 2011. The first stop on the tour is a demonstration of a new LIDAR designed by a partnership between Lockheed Martin and Ball Areospace, the system is engineered to make rendezvous and docking of any new piloted or robotic spacecraft far more safer than it is today. Called the Sensor Test for Orion RelNav Risk Mitigation or STORRM for short, it is a prototype system that will be tested by Shuttle Endeavour during the STS 134 Mission. Representatives from both companies explain what STORRM is and how it will be tested. Next was a demonstration of the current Space Shuttle Extravehicular Mobility Unit or EMU know by the rest of us as a Spacesuit. Gene was able to speak to one of the space suit engineers about how the suit is built and how it hel

On this episode of Talking Space, Mark Ratterman interviews 3 NASA Astronauts + 1 NASA JSC Scientist. Interviews were on  April 27th and 29th, 2011 prior to the launch attempt for STS-134 on April 29th. Interviews were at the NASA KSC Press Site. Gene Mikulka contributed most of the questions Mark asked the Astronauts, Mark also ad-libbed a few during the recorded conversations. Thank you Gene, great job! A sincere Thank You to NASA, the KSC Media Services Staff and our Guests: NASA Astronaut - Dr. Michael Barratt - ISS Expedition 19/20 via Soyuz TMA-14, STS-133 NASA Astronaut - Steven Swanson - STS-117, STS-119 NASA Astronaut - Dr. Michael Foale - STS-45, STS-63, MIR 23 via STS-84/STS-86, STS-103, ISS Expedition 8 via Soyuz TMA-3 NASA JSC ISS Associate Program Scientist - Dr. Tara Ruttley Sit back, listen, enjoy, then a pop quiz - Does 3 + 1=WOW?

On this episode of Talking Space, we start with the update on STS-134, the final flight of Endeavour, and its new launch date. By the way, don't miss our live launch coverage beginning on May 16th at 8:30am EDT on http://astronomy.fm! We then discuss the 50h successful Atlas V launch. We move on to SpaceX's possibility of combining two of their preparatory flights, COTS-2 and COTS-3, possibly leading them to an ISS docking sooner than later. Following that, we crack open some history books on the 50th anniversary of Alan Shepard's flight, the first American in space. The next topic became the Astronaut Hall of Fame and the amazing Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. Lastly, we went on to discuss a spacesuit for sale and the recovery of the BTS-1 team, consisting of a rubber chicken (@Camilla_SDO), a teddy bear, (@AstroFuzz), and a stuffed pig (@SkyeBleu). We wish them all the best! For more information on the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, visit http://astronautscholarship.org Please note: We did have tech

On this episode of Talking Space, we devote the entire show to the days leading up to the scrub of the launch of the shuttle Endeavour on Friday, April 29, 2011. Mark and Gene participated in press events at the Kennedy Space Center, and we discuss tours of launch pads, astronaut interviews, and more! Listen in for some spectacular stories you can ONLY hear here! Also, stay tuned for a STS-134 clip show. To view the pictures mentioned in the show, click on the Photo Album link on our website, http://talkingspaceonline.com. Below are some teaser images. (Two images were inserted here. To view them, please visit http://talkingspaceonline.com Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gina Herlihy, Gene Mikulka, and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 5/1/2011

On this episode, we begin with STS-134 and the Flight Readiness Review setting the launch date and time as April 29th at 3:47pm EDT. Endeavour will be launching on her final mission carrying the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) and a special payload which survived the Columbia disaster in 2003. We then move on to NASA's CCDev, or the Commercial Crew Development Agreement, and who will be getting money supporting their concepts ranging from $22 million to $92 million. Lastly, we get into a heated argument about an editorial posted online and in the New York edition of the New York Times calling the space shuttle Enterprise, which will soon be housed at the Inrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum in New York city, a pile of garbage and a hand-me-down. The article to which is referenced from the New York Times is available online at http://nyti.ms/halISu Don't forget to tune in to http://astronomy.fm at 3pm EDT on April 29, 2011 for LIVE STS-134 launch coverage! Even if you can't make the live launch, check out

On this episode, we talk about AMS-02. We discuss the history, cost, some basics of the instrument, how it is installed and activated. We include audio from several NASA Briefings on AMS-02 from the following: Prof Samuel Ting, AMS Principal Investigator from MIT Trent Martin, NASA AMS Program Manager from JSC Mark Kelly, Commander of STS-134 Our own Talking Space - Mark Ratterman brings first hand information from three NASA media events at KSC and an up close picture of AMS in the Space Station Processing Facility AMS-02 the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer has been dubbed the Hubble Telescope of cosmic rays For further information check out: http://www.ams02.org/ and http://ams.nasa.gov/ For the AMS02 Briefing Materials: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/news/ams02_032411.html For video of the AMS-02 Briefing at JSC http://youtu.be/MxPnAMLDmKY Hosts this week: Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 04/21/2011

On this episode, we invite back Elizabeth Howell as we talk about last week's decision to place shuttles in Cape Canaveral, Florida; Los Angeles, California; Chantilly, Virginia/Washington DC; and New York City, New York. We talk about a press conference with Assistant Administrator of the Office of Strategic Infrastructure, Houston being upset about not getting a shuttle, and out opinion on their locations. Thank you as well to James Cook, Scott Orshan, and @Aries419 for sending us your input. We then discuss the allocation of Endeavour's Canadarm to a lucky Canadian institution and predict where it might go. Lastly, we talk about a story which fooled Mark a few weeks ago, but makes for some entertainment this episode. Be sure to check out Elizabeth Howell at the Ottawa Business Journal by visiting http://obj.ca and at her own site, Pars3c, at http://pars3c.com Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, and special guest Elizabeth Howell Show Recorded - 4/17/2011

On this episode, we discuss the postponement of the STS-134 launch which we briefly mentioned last week. We also talk about some debris which avoided the ISS, sending its crew to safety onboard their Soyuz. We continue with our correct speculations last week about the SpaceX announcement of the Falcon Heavy. Following that, we move onto some big anniversaries, including the 30th anniversary of STS-1 and the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's 1st flight aboard Vostok-1. We speculate where the shuttles will go once they retire, and then reveal the announcement of where they'll go. Be sure to listen to find out their final resting places. We end with our reflections of 50 years in space and what Gagarin's flight meant to us. Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 4/10/2011

On this episode of Talking Space, Sawyer returns from his two week absence. We start with Mark's adventures covering the upcoming STS-134 Space Shuttle mission at the Kennedy Space Center and learn more about the crew, the payload, and the preparaitons for this mission. Next we move on to discuss the first images returned from a spacecraft orbiting Mercury. We talk about what we believed would be the Falcon 9 Heavy rocket announcement, and it turns out, as of April 5th, the announcement of the vehicle was made. We were right on the money! Find out about it in the show. We move on to the lack of signal from our rover friend Spirit and discuss the retirement of Burt Rutan. We then move onto NASA's song contest, and finally discuss how NASA and Victoria's Secret come together. To vote in NASA's song contest, please visit: https://songcontest.nasa.gov Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 4/3/2011 *Note: Two images were inserted here. To view these

This week we share the microphone with Frank Morring Jr., Senior Editor at AVIATION WEEK, and a journalist for 35 years, specializing in aerospace for the over 20 years. Frank joined AVIATION WEEK in 1989 as a defense/space reporter and senior space technology editor. In 2007 he was named deputy managing editor/space, responsible for coordinating space coverage across all bureaus and publications. Frank began his career working for his hometown daily in Huntsville, Alabama, and moved to Washington in 1979 as correspondent for the Birmingham Post-Herald. He later covered the Cold War Pentagon for Scripps-Howard News Service. Frank received a degree in comparative literature from Dartmouth College. Read Frank's articles at http://www.aviationweek.com/ Host This week: Gina Herlihy, Panelists: Mark Ratterman & Gene Mikulka

Elizabeth Howell from the Ottawa Business Journal and the award winning Pars3c Spaceflight blog joins Mark Ratterman and Gene Mikulka in this weeks Talking Space Installment. Don't worry, Sawyer Rosenstein and Gina Herlihy will be returning! Grist for this week's mill includes Coverage of STS 134 preparations at the Kennedy space Center along with two unfortunate events; the first fatal accident at Launch Complex 39A and the discovery of an illegal controlled substance just shy of the KSC secure area. The MESSENGER spacecraft became the first robotic emissary from Earth to go into orbit around Mercury. We discuss MESSGNGER's mission and the implications for planetary science going forward. An agreement was forged last week that commits the European Space Agency to supporting International Space Station operations through 2020. The panel discusses the implications for that agreement, what it means for the Station going forward and possible future international agreements between

On this episode of Talking Space, we continue our look at the STS-133 mission including the 2nd spacwalk, Obama's call to the shuttle and station crew, and her last days in space. Then, we hear from Gina on her STS-133 launch adventure reporting for us including her interview with the first Pilot of Discovery on STS-41-D. Then, we discuss the progress of Endeavour on STS-134. Following that, we say as much as we can about the US Air Force's 2nd X-37 B, their reusable spacecraft, which successfully launched on March 5th, as well as the failed launch of the Glory satellite and what we know so far about the cause of the accident. Lastly, we go into a conversation about NASA's future and its budget. Gina's pictures and videos are available at http://talkingspaceonline.com Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gina Herlihy, Gene Mikulka, and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 3/6/2011