Talking Space

On this special STS-133 edition of Talking Space, we discuss the successful launch of Discovery on her final flight, STS-133. We discuss the mission as well as hear some interviews from @CraftLass from her time at the STS-133 NASA Tweetup 1.0 in November and discuss them. Then, we hear from Gina Herlihy who was down at the Kennedy Space Center. Expect more from Gina on next week's STS-133 mission-specific show. Thanks to the following people for their interviews: @PhylisBanner @Thenasalady @phiden @Smith5SE @Camilla_SDO and @CraftLass To view the photo of Robonaut waving Discovery goodbye, visit http://bit.ly/flDepW The winning song for the contest, as you will hear in the outro music, is "Blue Sky" by Big Head Todd and the Monsters. Please note: The outro music is copyright Big Head Todd and the MonstersTalking Space is in no way associated with the group or their associated record company and the audio clip is used under Fair Use. Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratt

On this episode of Talking Space, we begin by preparing for the launch of STS-133 on Thursday, February 24th at 4:50pm EST and discuss its mission and payload. We then spend some time on the ISS talking about spacwalks, Japanese commanders, and humanoid robots to aid in crew morale...we kid you not. We then mention the reallocation of $287 million dollars from NASA's budget creating an intense conversation on budgets. We finally end on a happy note with plenty of puns as we discuss the launch of the aerosol-measuring satellite, Glory, launching from Vanderburg Air Force Base on February 23rd at 5:09am EST. Please note: The outro music is copyright Bruce Springsteen and Columbia Records. Talking Space is in no way associated with Columbia Records and the audio clip is used under Fair Use. Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gina Herlihy, Gene Mikulka, and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 2/21/2011

On this Valentines episode of Talking Space, we lovingly start with, once again, STS-133 and how for once it has not been delayed but an official date is set for February 24th...for now. We then discuss the Stardust-NExT mission, formerly Deep Impact, as it passed close by to Tempel 1, the same comet in which it crashed into in 2005. We then discuss keeping Endeavour flight ready through 2017 as well as its possible commercial use. The big story, however, is the release of NASA's proposed Fiscal Year 2012 Budget. Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gina Herlihy, Gene Mikulka, and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 2/14/2011

On this episode, we bring on special guest Amy Teitel. Amy is an aspiring author and the creator of her blog, Vintage Space, where she discusses her views as well as little known facts about some of the classic as well as current space missions. We ask her about some of those opinions as well as bringing up shuttle, landing systems, and even the infamous one-way trip to mars. To visit Amy's blog, please check out: http://vintagespace.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter as @astVintageSpace Host this week: Mark Ratterman. Panel Members: Gina Herlihy, Mark Ratterman, and special guest Elizabeth Howell Show Recorded - 1/30/2011

On this episode, we have special guest Elizabeth Howell, author of the website "Pars3c", join the team. We begin with more STS-133 news, followed by the official announcement of STS-135. Following that, we move out to the ISS where the Russians performed their 27th spacewalk. Following that, we get into heavy business, discussing the launch of the Delta 4 Heavy as well as JAXA's HTV-II. Lastly, we discuss the youngest person to ever discover a supernova and how they did it. To visit Elizabeth's blog, please go to http://pars3c.com and be sure to follow her on Twitter @howellspace Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gina Herlihy, Mark Ratterman, and special guest Elizabeth Howell Show Recorded - 1/23/2011

On this episode, we talk a lot of rockets! We start by discussing the stringer issue on STS-133. After discussing its launch date, we move on to another way it can be delayed. Lead spacewalker and STS-133 astronaut Tim Kopra was injured while riding his bicycle. We then talk about Mark Kelly asking for a backup while he tends to his injured wife, Representative Gabrielle Giffords. Following that, we talk about the Soyuz TMA-21, now being named Yuri Gagarin. Listen to find out why. We then go into a tough debate on the proposed Heavy Lift Vehicle. Lastly, we discuss the board of directors at a spaceport in New Mexico and antimatter in thunderstorms. Would you go on a one-way trip to Mars? Why or why not? Send us an email at mailbag@talkingspaceonline.com or visit the Contact Us page on our website. You can also send it to us on Twitter as @talkingspace or on Facebook at http://bit.ly/talkingspacefb. Below is the video discussed by Mark. This video was made by NASA Goddard Flight. To download these types of s

On this episode, we finally have the entire team back at the same time to make this episode. We begin with more delays of STS-133, which was no surprise to any of us. We then become surprised by the findings of an earth-like core on the moon as well as organics, the basic building blocks of life, found on Mars back in the 1970s by the Viking landers. We then offer our condolences and well wishes to the victims of the Tuscon, Arizona shooting which injured Representative Gabrielle Giffords, the wife of NASA astronaut and commander of STS-134, Mark Kelly (@ShuttleCDRKelly). Rep. Gifford's brother-in-law, Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) is currently commanding Expedition 26 on-board the ISS, bringing up the question of what to do if a family emergency occurs when you're 200 miles above the earth. To visit Brian Shiro's blog post regarding the moon's core, please visit: http://bit.ly/dJ2ZQb To check out all of the projects occuring in the Zooniverse, including Old Weather, please check out: http://zooniverse.org

On the first episode of season 3 and of 2011, the team, through the magic of editing, has come together once again to discuss a year in review, hilighting the major stories in space of 2010, as well as our own personal favorites. Plus, we throw in a few of our own predictions for the new year. Be prepared for great things to come this season. We have some fun things planned for you, the listener, that we think you'll enjoy so stay with us through the year. To visit ISSWave, please visit http://isswave.org or check them out on Twitter as @ISSWave Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 1/4/2011 and 1/5/2011

On this episode, we talk about OpenLuna Foundation OpenLuna is a volunteer organization. They welcome and encourage participation. The OpenLuna Foundation was founded to return mankind to the moon through private enterprise. Listen to our conversation with Paul Graham, President/ Chairman of the Board and Debi-Lee Wilkinson VP of Membership/Development & board member. OpenLuna is innovative and open source. Yes! Open Source. This is a show you'll want to download, save and listen to several times. They joined us to talk about……… “Your Moon, Your Mission, Get Involved!” http://openluna.org/ And on twitter Follow OpenLuna @OpenLuna Hosts this week: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman and Sawyer Rosenstein Special Guests: Paul Graham and Debi-Lee Wilkinson of OpenLuna Foundation Show Recorded – 10/2010 & 12/19/2010

On this episode, we talk about STS-133 tanking test and rollback to the VAB. The launch of Soyuz TMA-20 with Expedition 26 crew members Dmitry Kondratyev, Catherine Coleman and Paolo Nespoli. We kick around some ideas wondering about the loss of communications from the mission control center outside of Moscow to both the Soyuz and the ISS. Then we reminisce about @NanoSailD :( Moving on to another bit of bad news we cover the failure of the JAXA Venus Climate Orbiter "AKATSUKI" (Planet-C) to enter orbit around Venus. Ending on a high note, NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy or SOFIA completed its' first of three science missions. AKATSUKI's first shots of Venus: http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/e/topics/2010/1210.shtml Bill Nye the Science Guy visits NASA's Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, CA home to SOFIA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/SOFIA/bill_nye_visits_daof.html Late news: NASA Hosts Planet-Finding Tweetup in California's Silicone Valley. For Information about the #NA

On this episode, we start by discussing the delay, once again, of Discovery on STS-133, which is now scheduled for No Earlier Than February 3rd, 2011. We then go on to discuss our main topic, which was the successful launch and re-entry of the Falcon 9/Dragon Capsule launched by SpaceX from Florida on December 8th at 10:47am EST. Included are the team's remarks as well as audio from the post-splashdown news conference with SpaceX founder Elon Musk. Once again, we congratulate them on their successful test. We then move on to discussing the recent discovery and controversy over life found in California which can live on Arsenic, an element which is lethal to all known living creatures. Lastly, we discuss the return of the US Military's X-37B which spent 200 days in space doing work undisclosed to the public. Also, be sure to check out a holiday gift idea Mark has at the end. To visit the Yahoo! story discussed in the show, please visit http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20101208/sc_yblog_thelookout/scie

On this episode, we start by discussing the new launch date and time for Discovery. As well, we predict whether or not the shuttle will launch in December or during its next launch attempt, in February. We then move on to discussing the Expedition 25 mission aboard the International Space Station after landing in the high deserts of Kazakhstan. We then move on to talk about NASA's new position as first in social media. We then discuss astronaut Leland Melvin who has a new position at NASA in the education department. Gene and Sawyer had a chance to interview him, and you'll hear clips from the interview. Lastly, we discuss Sawyer's trip to Meteor Crater as well as a tribute to Leslie Nielsen. To check out the rankings in social media, please visit the L2 Think Tank at http://l2thinktank.com/?page_id=8358 Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 11/28/2010

First, I'd like to extend a special thank you to Gene Mikulka for performing the editing. On this episode, we discuss the never-ending delays of the space shuttle Discovery. Stay tuned to our STS-133 Live Launch Coverage page to find out all of the latest information on the launch. We then continue to discuss the recently released Inspector General reports released by NASA. We then discuss some posts made by Wayne Hale on his blog, as well as the recent launches of the Minitaur IV nd the Delta IV rockets. Lastly, we discuss Gina's amazing time at the Astronaut Hall of Fame and their annual Autograph Show benefiting the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. Also, a special thank you to Gene Mikulka for performing the editing while Sawyer was away. To visit Wayne Hale's Blog, please visit: http://waynehale.wordpress.com/ To learn more about and to help out the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, please visit:http://www.astronautscholarship.org Here is a video describing FASTSAT as mentioned in the show (You must h

On this episode, we discuss the troubles preventing Discovery from flying on her final voyage. We talk about the cracks discovered in the external tank and what this could do to a launch date. We also discussed the recent Expedition 26 spacewalk aboard the International Space Station. We then delve into more space policy dilemmas as well as budgetary issues for the James Webb Space Telescope, the replacement for the aging Hubble Space Telescope. Lastly, we talk about some amazing finds by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory finding a newborn black hole. Host this week: Gene Mikulka. Panel Member: Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 11/15/2010

After the long delay, which we apologize for, we are back! On this show, we begin by discussing the recent success of the Deep Impact spacecraft on its EPOXI mission where it had its closest encounter ever with Comet Hartley 2. From there we move on to our discussion about Discovery's final flight: STS-133. Although we haven't been able to bring you our live launch coverage, we still have some great clips for you as well as discussions about the mission itself, the crew, the payload, and more. Special thanks to Mark Ratterman, Gina Herlihy, and CraftLass for being down at the Kennedy Space Center and getting the interviews and clips for us. Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, and special guest CraftLass Show Recorded - 11/8/2010

On this very special episode, we invite on special guest Mike Mullane: Air Force Colonel, veteran of 3 space shuttle flights, and author of Do Your Ears Pop in Space and 500 Other Surprising Questions about Space Travel as well as his astronaut memoir, Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut. We discuss the details his memoir as well as his personal experiences in space flight. We also discuss the fact in which Col. Mullane few aboard STS-41 D, the maiden voyage of the space shuttle Discovery as we approach STS-133-her final fight. This is an episode not to be missed! To purchase Mike Mullane's books on Amazon, Do Your Ears Pop in Space and 500 Other Surprising Questions about Space Travel and Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut, click on the title of the book and it will redirect you in a new window. [Note, links are attached here. To view them, please visit http://talkingspaceonline.com] For more information on Mike Mullane, visit his website: http:/

On this episode, the whole team of four is back in action. First, we discuss Mark's visit to the Assembly and Refurbishment Facility (ARF) for the final mating of the External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters for STS-134 scheduled for launch in February 2011. Many former members as well as astronauts were there for the occasion and we have audio clips from them, as well as the team's reaction. We also discuss the passing of NASA's budget. However, it's not appropriated yet, so it is still unofficial. We discuss our reactions to what is actually in the budget. We then move on to the finding of a "Goldilocks Zone" planet possibly able to harbor life. As well, we wish NASA a happy 52nd birthday and congratulate our good friend Miles O'Brien on his new job as the science correspondent for the PBS News Hour. Please note: The outro music is copyright Thin Lizzy and Vertigo Records. Talking Space is in no way associated with Vertigo Records and the audio clip is used under Fair Use. Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstei

Mark Ratterman attended the final roll out of Orbiter Vehicle 103, known as the Space Shuttle Discovery and describes his experiences while at the Kennedy Space Center. He also had the opportunity to speak with Stephanie Stilson, NASA Flow Director overseeing Discovery's processing operations, a duty she has had since December 2000. Mark also attended the arrival of Space Shuttle External Tank Number 122 and helps to tell it's interesting story. Other items discussed include the change of command on board the International Space Sation, The return home of Expedition 24, JAXA having issues selling space on the it's KIBO module on board the ISS, ESA and SpaceX announcing delays, The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter taking a nap, and the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity turning into a Meteorite Hunter! Two pictures were inserted here. To view them, please visit http://talkingspaceonline.com Host this week: Gene Mikulka Panel Member: Mark Ratterman.

On this special episode, Gene sits down with Mark to discuss his recent expedition to the Kennedy Space Center for the arrival of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer 2 (AMS02). Mark discusses its purpose aboard the ISS as well as talks with some of the members of the AMS02 team and the crew of STS-134 who will be bringing AMS02 to the ISS aboard space shuttle Endeavour on the final space shuttle flight. For more information on AMS02, visit their website at http://www.ams02.org Two images were inserted here. To view them, please visit http://talkingspaceonline.com Panel Members this week: Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 9/18/2010

On this episode, we go all around the world in 47 minutes. We start off discussing Discovery as she Endeavours towards the lost city of Atlantis...or as it seemed after the water main break at KSC. We then discuss it's payload, Robonaut 2, as well as the recent Progress docking to the ISS. Mark then talks about NASA sending up its pieces to the ISS via the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). We then move on to policy and some comments made by congressman and former NASA administrators alike. Lastly, how can $17.38 cents push a launch all the way until 2011? Find out by listening. For the article written on The Hill, please click here. [Link available at talkingspaceonline.com] The articles discussing the comments of Congressman Gordon and former NASA administrator Griffin can be found by clicking each of their names respectively. [Link available at talkingspaceonline.com] Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gina Herlihy, Gene Mikulka, and Mark Ratterman Show Recorded - 9/12/2010