Art Astra Podcast

Emily Olsen & Alexa Erdogan•artastrapodcast.libsyn.com

Society & Culture

Science

A podcast exploring the intersections between space studies and the arts. Hosted by Emily Olsen and Alexa Erdogan.

Last refreshed: July 9th, 2025 at 7:01 AM ⓘ

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Episodes

09 Space History Auctions with Cassandra Hatton

Have you ever wondered about what goes into planning and executing a space history auction? Emily and Alexa talk to Cassandra Hatton, Global Head of the Science & Popular Culture department at Sotheby’s auction house. Cassandra has set market records in space exploration, history of science and technology, natural history, and popular culture markets worldwide. Please see the Art Astra website ( artastra.space ) for this episode's transcript and show notes. -- Music credit: "Space" by Music_...

Nov 27, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 9

08 Space in Visual Design with Deborah Johnson

Have you ever wondered how concert sets and visual effects are designed? This week, Emily and Alexa talk with Deborah Johnson, aka Candy Stations, who designed the visual effects for Sufjan Stevens’ space-inspired “Planetarium” and “Age of Adz” album tours, and has collaborated with several other artists and musicians for performances across the country. Please see the Art Astra website ( artastra.space ) for this episode's transcript and show notes. -- Music credit: "Space" by Music_Unlimited...

Oct 30, 2024•51 min•Season 1Ep. 8

07 Space Pinball with Erin Winick Anthony

Whether you're a pinball champion, an avid enjoyer of the old virtual Space Cadet pinball games, or a complete newbie to the pinball world - you may be surprised at just how much overlap there is with spaceflight and pinball game design over the ages. Join Emily and Alexa in conversation with Erin Winick Anthony, a science communicator, engineer, and one of the top 100 ranked women's pinball players in the world, as we dive into the world of space pinball! The Art Astra Podcast is nominated for ...

Sep 26, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 7

06 Space Archaeology with Dr. Justin Walsh

What is Space Archaeology? Join Emily and Alexa as they speak with Dr. Justin Walsh of the ISS Archaeological Project about what doing archaeology in space really entails, what cultural and engineering insights we can gain from it, and what the future of this field looks like with the impending decommissioning of the ISS. The Art Astra Podcast is nominated for a Women in Podcasting Award! Listen to the episode and check out our website for details on how you can support us and vote, or visit wom...

Sep 12, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 6

05 Alma Thomas (Part 2) with Janelle Wellons

Join Emily and Alexa as they chat with Janelle Wellons, Spaceflight Operations Engineer and Flight Director, about how the visual artist Alma Thomas' paintings resemble actual imagery from spacecraft, such as those captured by the Cassini and Mariner 4 missions. Please see the Art Astra website (artastra.space) for this episode's transcript and show notes. -- Music credit: "Space" by Music_Unlimited

Jul 10, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 5

04 The Space Paintings of Alma Thomas (Part 1)

Join Emily and Alexa as they discuss the visual artist Alma Thomas, her paintings inspired by outer space, and how one of those paintings ended up in the collection of the CIA. Please see the Art Astra website (artastra.space) for this episode's transcript and show notes. -- Music credit: “Space” by Music_Unlimited

Jun 26, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 4

03 James Bond in Space with Amanda Ohlke

Join Emily and Alexa as they chat with Amanda Ohlke, Director of Adult Education at the International Spy Museum, about James Bond's adventures in space through the decades, and how those adventures reflected the public imagination over time. Ohlke also provides a sneak peek at the upcoming exhibition "Bond in Motion," now open and on view at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC, until April 2025. Please see the Art Astra website ( artastra.space ) for this episode's transcript and sho...

Jun 12, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 3

02 Space Image Processing with Jason Major

Do you ever wonder how space and art combine to transform raw, sometimes noisy images captured by spacecraft into beautiful, clean images for us to see here on Earth? In this episode, Emily Olsen and Alexa Erdogan discuss space image processing with Jason Major, space exploration and astronomy outreach enthusiast. Jason explains how he interprets data files from various missions to make the beautiful images of celestial bodies often seen in media and online. Please see the Art Astra website ( ar...

May 29, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 2

01 Lunar Dust Mitigation Barbie / It's (Probably) Shark Week Somewhere in The Universe

Join Emily Olsen and Alexa Erdogan as they discuss creative applications of space science. Alexa explains how scientists at Washington State University (WSU) used Barbie dolls in an important experiment to help solve problems humans will face on the Moon. Emily shares how an algorithm developed for the Hubble Space Telescope became key in tracking whale sharks. Emily and Alexa also discuss NASA's recently launched PACE mission. Please see the Art Astra website for this episode's transcript and s...

May 15, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 1

00 Intro Episode

Nice to meet you! You can learn more about us here & connect with us on socials. — Music credit: “ Space ” by Music_Unlimited

May 15, 2024•9 min

Art Astra Podcast Trailer

The Art Astra Podcast explores intersections of space studies and the humanities in popular culture with the aim of highlighting opportunities for people from all walks of life to participate in and get excited about space. Join Emily Olsen and Alexa Erdogan every other week as they chat with people working in a variety of industries to discuss how space and art meet and continue to inspire. Music credit: “ Space ” by Music_Unlimited...

May 08, 2024•41 sec

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