There’s no title big enough to hold the accomplishments and aspirations for Taylor Winkelman. What has this woman NOT done? Just read her bio. Professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Legislative Assistant. Veterinarian. Army Sergeant. Advocate for space policy in Washington D.C. In general, Taylor works to make our world a better place for all of us. And, in typical Taylor fashion, why stop with the world? Let’s bring the benefits of the UNIVERSE- the many benefits that space expl...
Feb 28, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 63
It seems like Dan Jacobs was made for his role as the International Relations Manager for NASA’s Gateway Program and the International Space Station. Within his NASA career, Dan has found a perfect balance between both space and politics, and that’s a good thing. As a liaison between the scientists and engineers and non-scientists and the general public – Dan works to interpret ideas, then putting them into technical agreements that benefit 19 countries, 240+ astronauts who have traveled to the ...
Feb 21, 2020•33 min•Ep. 62
Beth shares a Casual Space conversation with the incredible Bill Nye! Together, they enjoy: Sharing the incredible success story of the Planetary Society’s Light Sail 2 (a spacecraft that is still sailing on sunbeams), and why it’s such a significant and inspiring citizen-science project, and what it could mean for the future for space travel. (Read more about Light Sail 2 right here in the show notes at the link below) Discussing the many ways we can travel to space, but the challenge of gettin...
Feb 13, 2020•20 min•Ep. 61
You know that teachers are already an intricate and massively important part of helping to educate (STEAM) and inspire student explorers and curious minds! And while some great PAYLOADS have gone from the classroom to space, it soon will be the TEACHERS TURN TO EXPLORE. This opportunity is way overdue, don’t you think? Liz Kinnick and her team at the Teachers In Space program agrees. So she’s working to provide teachers with extraordinary space science experiences and industry connections. Liz w...
Feb 06, 2020•51 min•Ep. 60
Our nation’s space agency has experienced many incredible human feats (landing a human on the moon, walking in space, assembling an International Space Station, etc.) as well as three very public manned missions that resulted in heroes’ lives lost. In this episode, Beth and Dean continue the second part of this discussion about NASA’s Successes from Failures to include the manned missions; Apollo 1, the Challenger space shuttle, and Columbia STS-107. Beth worked at NASA Johnson Space Center duri...
Jan 30, 2020•47 min•Ep. 59
Beth and Mat enjoyed sharing their Falcon Heavy Launch experience AND.. Why this launch was the MOST spectacular folks have ever seen What Light Sail 2 is, and why it’s such a significant and inspiring citizen-science project, and what it could mean for the future for space travel How Mat has ALWAYS been inspired by space exploration and joined the National Space Society at a very young age What it’s like working with the talented team of experts at the Planetary Society, including his “boss” Bi...
Jan 23, 2020•44 min•Ep. 58
“We are addressing the problem of communications, being able to provide big data from small spacecraft.” -Doug Stetson from FreeFall Aerospace When we travel through and explore space, we’re going to need to communicate, and gather a LOT of data. Fast, reliable, low-cost access to large volumes of data is one of the most critical capabilities that will define the future. So the folks at Freefall provide some pretty neat technologies that help move data and help us communicate effectively and qui...
Jan 16, 2020•37 min•Ep. 57
Jason is the lead for Orion Crew Systems Integration at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Human factors are always considered when designing a new spacecraft for the crew. Jason and his team consider EVERY BUTTON, SWITCH, and DIAL placement, function, and purpose. This is just a PART of Jason’s intricate role helping our space exploration crews travel safely… he’s got more than 25 years of experience training astronauts and flight controllers to operate life support system components on-board the Int...
Jan 09, 2020•33 min•Ep. 56
The tables are turned in THIS episode as Dean takes over the microphone! Dean wants to know the HOW, WHO, and WHY so he asks: How did Beth’s love for space exploration start? Who were some of the people that helped Beth in her success? Why did she start the CASUAL SPACE PODCAST? Dean’s approach is as much fun as it is sincere. Get a genuine understanding for Beth and Dean’s passion for space exploration, right down to the heart of their inner geek. Did you know? Beth went to Space Camp 3 times? ...
Jan 02, 2020•47 min•Ep. 55
Bill Foster is a Ground Control Officer and has supported more than 50 NASA missions from within Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center. He shares his unique perspective with Beth on: What it’s like INSIDE NASA’s Mission Control Center? Bill walks us through a behind-the scenes history of the Mission Control Center: from the state-of-the-art projectors on the main screens in the 1960s, to the modern ground stations around the world (along with the Air Force and the Deep Space Network) have ...
Dec 20, 2019•59 min•Ep. 54
Dr. David Warmflash returns to the podcast to discuss the timely anniversary of Apollo 12, and shares several highlights from this mission and potential future lunar missions on episode 53, including… The crew, Commander Charles, “Pete” Conrad, Alan Bean, and Richard Gordan- were a great crew who helped cheer one another on throughout the mission. It was a very different tone than some of the previous Apollo missions…. Seeing Earth from the distance (The Overview Effect), caused several Apollo a...
Dec 12, 2019•49 min•Ep. 53
Kevin Cole is a geologist and astronomer who loves looking at what makes up our planet, and the planets all around us. When we study rocks from our planet Earth, sometimes we find answers to the questions within our universe! Beth never knew rocks could provide so much information, until she talked to Kevin. Beth asks Kevin to take a geological tour of the universe and his description is fascinating. No joke- gather your kiddos and learn about the interesting parts of our solar system that you m...
Dec 05, 2019•57 min•Ep. 52
Marcelo Gleiser is a theoretical physicist who specializes in particle cosmology, working to study and make sense of the fundamental questions we all share about the origins of the cosmos, life and our conscious mind. On this episode, Marcelo shares… His very close connection to Albert Einstein, how this connection invited Marcelo to learn beyond about Einstein the scientist; he was encouraged to learn about Einstein the man. His idea about “reality amplifiers” the tools we can use to help us di...
Nov 28, 2019•44 min•Ep. 51
Stuart helps Beth understand the work he and the team at Catapult… a unique technology and innovation company, boosting UK productivity by helping organizations harness the power of satellite -based services. Beth asks Stuart, “What is Catapult?” (A network of physical locations designed to transform the UK’s capability for innovation in specific areas and help drive future economic growth.) Stuart explains to Beth how he’s driven by how his team’s actions to help different organizations (both l...
Nov 21, 2019•31 min•Ep. 50
Boeing! The U.S. Air Force! Space Command! Ron’s been there, done that, and shares his experiences as he works to implement them at Astroscale (a pioneering international space technology company that is working to solve a global space-environmental problem) What is space situational awareness? Ron helps us all understand- there’s a LOT of space debris out there… What is ELSA-D? (It’s a very exciting project you should know about- coming soon in 2020!) https://astroscale.com/showcasing-elsa-d-to...
Nov 14, 2019•46 min•Ep. 49
Mike’s love for space exploration runs deep and was influenced by the space movies and museums that he enjoyed as a kid. Now he enjoys watching rocket launches through the eyes of his kids! Mitigating orbital space debris- what does this mean for the future of space and how both governments and private industry can work together on this challenging issue? Mike helps us understand “the rules of the road” when it comes to how space debris is governed, and why the U.S. has been a leader in helping ...
Nov 07, 2019•46 min•Ep. 48
Christina Koch and Jessica Meir make HISTORY as the first two women to complete spacewalks TOGETHER in space! Beth and Dean review what this means for women everywhere, why this is a significant milestone for women, and how women have been a significant part of our success in space exploration for over 50 years. Beth and Dean discuss many firsts for women in space in this episode and more: NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir successfully completed a spacewalk on Friday, October 18, 2...
Oct 31, 2019•39 min•Ep. 47
Let’s clear up some space myths with astronomer and author Bob King: Bob believes incorporating humor and fun is beneficial when learning about space! The Earth is NOT flat. It’s fun to debunk myths about the Moon, the planets, the stars, gravity…contrails! Did you know Bob King IS the famous blogger AstroBob? Read his posts at: http://astrobob.areavoices.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/astrobobking/ Bob shares how to live a long & blissful life knowing we’re safe from an asteroid collisio...
Oct 24, 2019•51 min•Ep. 46
When we’re exploring space, we have to play nice with others. And, protect our planet Earth. Cara and Beth discuss: How the Girl Scouts started Cara’s love for space, then confirmed by the Mars Curiosity landing The Science Communication campaign Cara worked on to support the Rosetta Mission! Why studying in Ireland brings a new perspective when it comes to International Space Exploration How inspiring it is to see so many opportunities for women in the field of space exploration! About Cara: Ca...
Oct 17, 2019•30 min•Ep. 45
Everything you ever wanted to know about exoplanets! Our Resident Space Expert Dean explains: Who, what, where and why exoplanets are important! What is TESS and Kepler as it relates to our search for exoplanets and What we can expect in the future once we find planets outside our solar system that might be able to host life! About Dean: BS Technical Photography MS Astrophysics NASA MER Mars program NASA Public Relations Astronomy instructor & lecturer Where to find Dean: www.TritionCollege....
Oct 10, 2019•47 min•Ep. 44
The movie Contact was inspired by scientist, Jill Tarter! Sarah and Beth discuss: What it was like to meet (and then write about) her childhood mentor, Jill Tarter How Sarah met Jill and asked to write the story of Jill’s life- all from a bus?!? The impression left on you growing up with rocket launches in your backyard And… what the future of SETI might bring us – answers to our deepest questions- are we alone in the universe? About Sarah Scoles: http://www.sarahscoles.com/ “I'm a Denver-based ...
Oct 03, 2019•41 min•Ep. 43
Jeffrey discusses with Beth: How Jeffrey became a entrepreneurial pioneer, becoming one of the first (commercial) space contractors (working on the Russian space program on MIR and Soyuz, and later with the international Space Station). About starting the first commercial space company, NanoRacks and what’s on the horizon for the company’s (international) future… About bringing whiskey to space! And so much more, including Jeffrey’s perspective on: About space exploration’s public and private pa...
Sep 26, 2019•48 min•Ep. 42
Beth, Kelly and Zach have way too much fun geeking out about: Whether or not we would put an Elon Musk- invented NeuroLink implant in our brains… How Kelly and Zach had to really focus on only 10 technologies for their book, “Soonish” Kelly’s extreme fear of being bored and her many career achievements from bugs to asteroids…and how she keeps parasites in her ice cubes in her kitchen freezer sometimes (not really). Asteroid mining and the future of accessing raw materials while we’re traveling i...
Sep 19, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 41
There’s lots to learn in this episode including: What makes neutrinos (the building blocks of the universe) so important and so elusive! What you can see in a particle vacuum- they pop in and out of existence- and Jessica is searching for new particles! How Jessica was inspired by watching sci-fi shows with her aunt , and how knew she wanted to become an astrophysicist at a very young age. And… what is Wakandacon? https://wakandaconforever.com/ At the end of the day, what Jessica wants YOU to re...
Sep 12, 2019•37 min•Ep. 40
Triple threat Tyler Nordgren and Beth talk about: Seeing the Great American Solar Eclipse in 2017 and what to expect when in comes back Why our National Parks are a treasure for our observation and appreciation Traveling the world in search of cosmic phenomenon About Tyler: Dr. Tyler Nordgren is a professional astronomer and artist. He holds a Ph.D. in Astronomy from Cornell University where he did work on dark matter as well as a B.A. in Physics from Reed College. For over a decade he has worke...
Sep 05, 2019•52 min•Ep. 39
In this two-part series, RSE Dean Mikolajczyk shares several examples of how NASA learned valuable lessons from manned spaceflight mistakes including: (Part 2 will feature manned flights and will be posted January 2020) What we learned from the Surveyer Program (the very first unmanned lunar landers) Mars Polar Lander (just a bit of a fast landing) Mars Express (this lesson really hurts) and The most recent Moon lander mission: Israel’s nearly-successful, almost first-ever private moon lander “B...
Aug 29, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 38
Ed shares with Beth: Becoming a Space Camp Hall of Fame Honoree and meeting his childhood hero astronaut Charlie Duke Details regarding the many job responsibilities the NASA Mission Control Flight Director has, getting to crew to space safely and back home safely is always the first priority. Big and small success that are worth celebrating- and learning from- during days/ nights on the International Space Station About Ed: Right Stuff” recipient Ed Van Cise knew before his trip to Space Camp® ...
Aug 22, 2019•30 min•Ep. 37
Beth Meets Airline Captain Mark Hardcastle and learns: How the air force academy put Mark on the path to a future in aviation. What’s Mark’s favorite plane? (It’s the Cadillac of planes)… Mark explains “The magic of the 4th” How do we respond when things challenge us? Mark’s got 60+ years of inspirational stories he’s gathered and shares both on stage and in his book, The Symphony of Your Life – Restoring Harmony When Your World is Out of Tune About Mark: Mark graduated from the USAF Academy in ...
Aug 15, 2019•49 min•Ep. 36
Robert explains… While the Swedes may not be very braggadocios, they’ve launched more than 650 balloon missions with NASA, JAXA, and others to test things in 50+ kilometer altitudes…and more than 550 rocket launches! They go straight up, 400-700 kilometers, and come right back down, (often in the snow). Launching near the polar north of Sweden allows balloons with experiments and materials to hover in very low wind environments…it’s ideal for items that need to be exposed to and tested in space-...
Aug 08, 2019•45 min•Ep. 35
This week, Beth gains a deeper understanding & appreciation on how COMPUTERS help NASA explore the cosmos with her returning guest and Resident Space Expert Dean Mikolajczyk. Here are the highlights: Dean shares his insights from his days as programmer for the MARS rovers Spirit and Opportunity! Dean explains how a democratic computer system works down to the second before a launch SAFE MODE (and why this feature on computers is so important). The reason why Space X lands on a barge… (it dep...
Aug 01, 2019•59 min•Ep. 34
