From a young age, Time would gaze at the Moon from his window, and dreamed of to becoming an astronomer but lost courage due to his visual impairment- Tim is legally blind. One day, Tim’s wife bought him a telescope to “help get him out of the house.” While stargazing with a group from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC), Tim discovered his superpower: the ability to see in part UV light as well as having better night vision than anyone else! With his new found superpower, he would b...
Nov 13, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 182
This band is on a mission: To boldly go where no star band has gone before, mixing pop culture with rock-n-roll theater, comedy, and sci-fi awesomeness to unite and entertain multiple generations of fans throughout the nerd-o-sphere. Insert Star Trek voice-over voice : Casual Space Podcast formally invites you to experience the artful and entertaining parodies of the classic movies, tv scores, pop rock classics that are recreated by the incredible band members who make up The Roddenberries! This...
Nov 02, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 181
This is the story of Andromeda Wright. Planet PA-99-N2. The war between the planet of fire and the planet of snow, and the only heroine who would be able to stop the war and change the way people think of stars.,, it’s all part of the VERY FIRST story that’s been selected from the submitted STORIES of Space Project! I’m reading it on the podcast this week, as I will each and every week from now until the end of the year… in addition, I’ll be sharing with you some of the very interesting items th...
Oct 23, 2022•37 min•Ep. 180
The worlds of music, art and science can symbiotically exist and share center stage together to offer a sense of awe, wonder and inspiration about moons of the solar system, and ultimately about our home planet. Award winning composer and pianist Amanda Lee Falkenberg has created THE MOONS SYMPHONY- a project 5-years in the making, consulting with planetary scientists from NASA’s JPL to ensure the science was anchored in scientific accuracy. Listen to hear not only the most beautiful and incredi...
Oct 07, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 179
Erin grew up in Florida watching shuttles launch and shake the windows of her house on reentry. She has always had a passion for making things, leading to her degree in mechanical engineering. Erin works at NASA's Johnson Space Center as a science communication specialist for the International Space Station at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. She shares the amazing stories of research on the space station with the world through writing and social media. Today on the Casual Space Podcast, Erin shares...
Sep 30, 2022•49 min•Ep. 178
Space is hard and complicated. Space norms are even harder and even more complicated. SO, in order to develop successful space norms, we will need creativity, perseverance, and a large and inclusive range of participants in the process. On today’s episode, Robin Dickey discusses an approach towards space exploration that examines what’s responsible to do, what is feasible to do, and what can be done to make space more safe and more sustainable for all in the future. About Robin: Robin Dickey is ...
Sep 25, 2022•51 min•Ep. 177
Impulse Space is partnering with Relativity Space to perform the first ever commercial landing on the red planet! Places in space, like Mars, are being viewed as potential destinations that can support the expansion of human presence in the inner solar system. Impulse Space and Relativity Space’s mission to Mars is a step forward for the entire community interested in the benefits that space can bring to humans on Earth. Today, Impulse Space’s COO and industry leader Barry Matsumori explains how...
Sep 16, 2022•30 min•Ep. 176
Robert Feierbach returns as our special guest this week on the podcast and announces his new endeavors as President of Maritime Launch USA, Inc., the US affiliate of the Canadian commercial spaceport based in Nova Scotia, and, Robert unveils his new business, 0-G Launch, a Washington-DC based company deploying a fleet of specially-modified commercial aircraft to provide high-precision microgravity flights and horizontal air-launch services to the fast-growing aerospace industry, and shares his p...
Sep 09, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 175
“We are in a space renaissance right now, but with that comes new challenges. This is especially true for spacesuits.” Will Green is a Ph.D. student at the University of North Dakota. He is collaborating on research with NASA that is centered on applying breakthrough technologies to push the boundaries of what is possible with spacesuits. Will has taken part in analog missions at UND’s Inflatable Lunar/Martian Analog Habitat as a mission commander and an EVA ground control officer. Will’s previo...
Sep 02, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 174
Martynas Fedotovas and Nika Chinchaladze are space entrepreneurs and CEOs of Altair Enterprises LLC - a space education & research organization that enables people to pursue careers in the space industry - and the organizers of the International Space Convention 2022 - the biggest space industry business event in the Caucasus region. They also Co-authored the book - Space Business 101: 7 Steps to Position Yourself in the Next Trillion Dollar Industry. On this episode, Beth and Nicholas and M...
Aug 25, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 173
Do you have a story? A story about space that you’ve been thinking about for some time? Your story has the potential to change the way we explore space, but opportunities to share your story have been limited, challenging, and undiscovered. Until today. Today, a simple story will fly to space, changing how we explore it. Your story. Right here, right now. www.storiesofspace.com Listen to this episode as Beth personally invites you to fly your story to space. Humans have imagined what space explo...
Aug 20, 2022•18 min•Ep. 172
This week, NASA has announced that they are moving towards the first launch attempt for the Artemis I mission with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft currently in the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA is currently targeting launch for no earlier than Monday, Aug. 29, at 8:33 a.m. EDT during a 2 hour window!!!!! So, Dean and Beth dig right in to the who, what, where, when, why and how of NASA’s Space Launch System on this week’s...
Aug 06, 2022•41 min•Ep. 171
Big dreams start at Space Camp. The kids and family recipients from the Cosmic Odyssey scholarship program are joined by Inspiration4 astronaut Chris Sembroski in this creative conversation. Together, we discuss how our experiences can be put into the next Space Camp movie! From who’s in mission control and on the rocket to where we’re going to explore- we giggle through creating our own space exploration adventure based on our training at Space Camp! We feel our team would be qualified- we’ve g...
Jul 28, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 170
Author and astronomer John Read is back with a BEAUTIFUL new book, Learn to Stargaze for Kids https://www.learntostargaze.com/books , and we’re talking about what’s within the James Webb images, and comparing some of them against Hubble. As always, there’s a lot to learn (so much fun)! During the second half of our conversation, John helps walk us through all of the super-easy ways we can find some specific constellations in our summer night sky. Enjoy John’s stargazing tips here on the Casual S...
Jul 22, 2022•41 min•Ep. 169
Brad West will have to eat the same food, do the same exercise, contain and restrict his social circles, conduct similar experiments, tasks, and basically copy everything his twin brother Brent will do…while in space…for more than 500 days… simulating the same amount of time it will take for humans to get to Mars- and helping to prepare humans to explore Mars. Why would Brad and Brent do this? It’s all part of the proposed “Twin Orbit Study” that you’re about to discover right here, on the Casua...
Jul 16, 2022•54 min•Ep. 168
In just DAYS (July 12, 2022), NASA will release the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope for the WORLD to enjoy …and Dean and Beth are on the edge of their seats (making bets on what we’re about to see) and what it will mean for space exploration when we look further into the universe than ever before. The world’s largest and most complex space science observatory will now begin six months of commissioning in space! At the end of commissioning, Webb will deliver its first images. Web...
Jul 11, 2022•43 min•Ep. 167
Starting a non-profit, serving on a board of directors, conducting medical research, and speaking at space exploration conference has been some of the activities for Gitika Gorthi. Oh, and recently graduating from HIGH SCHOOL! Gitika is busy working toward a career in aerospace medicine, and she knows exactly where she wants to be, what she wants to study and what problems she wants to solve in the aerospace industry. Whew! So, get ready to meet the incredibly impressive Gitika Gorthi in this ep...
Jul 01, 2022•42 min•Ep. 166
This weekend, Beth’s heading down to Huntsville, Alabama to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of Space Camp! Space Camp has been inspiring trainees since 1982, and has been a gateway for the future's astronauts, scientists, and engineers. On this episode, Beth shares her personal story of her very first time attending Space Camp (there would be several more throughout the years) and shares a chapter from her new book highlighting the experience that would forever change her path towards her wo...
Jun 23, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 165
On Tuesday, May 17, A House Intelligence subcommittee held the first congressional hearing in more than 50 years to focus on military reports of unexplained aerial phenomena (UFOs and UAPs)! This rare event included documents, discussions, videos and testimonies from Pentagon officials, pilots and others- along with the formation of a new organization called, AOIMSG….and YOU KNOW wherever there’s a long space acronym, an episode of Casual Space is sure to follow!!! Join Beth, Chad and special gu...
Jun 05, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 164
Nicole is an astronaut, aquanaut, artist, mom, and now author of her first book Back to Earth ~ What Life In Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet - And Our Mission To Protect It . She creatively combines the awe and wonder of her spaceflight experience with her artwork to inspire everyone's appreciation of our role as crewmates here on Spaceship Earth. Today on the Casual Space Podcast is Beth’s conversation with Nicole recorded earlier this month, in preparation for the Analog Astronaut Confer...
May 27, 2022•35 min•Ep. 163
Chad and Chris are back and reminisce about their journey into the universe (Chicago) for the official Star Trek convention! Together, Chris and Chad share the highlights from this fan experience that includes everything from the big celebrity stars to the panel discussions, memorabilia, and the tattoos? Beth jumps in at the end for the lightning round questions (is Q a bad guy, or a good guy?) and shares a few thoughts on what’s going to happen next year (we will all be going back). Don’t miss ...
May 16, 2022•41 min•Ep. 162
Beth sits down with three members of Vaya Space , a hybrid rocket engine and small satellite launcher company! Mickael Buswell, Brian Ha, and Grant Begley explain how they’re working to offer frequent, reliable, economical, and environmentally-friendly small satellite launch opportunities in precise orbital placement…by using hybrid rockets that are redefining the cost, performance, and safety of space access! Using their proprietary technology, STAR-3D™ hybrid rocket engines are produced by 3D ...
Apr 30, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 161
Happy Earth Day! Satellites improve our life on Earth by providing valuable data about our incredible planet. How exactly do satellites work? What kind of data do we need to improve, save, and protect our Earth? Here’s your 1-0-1 on satellites! From how they work, how they acquire power, how they navigate in orbit, and how they help us all benefit from the data they provide back to us on Earth! Mark Lorden is our expert guide as the co-founder and Chief Business Development Officer of Exo-Space,...
Apr 22, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 160
How will Humanity Return to the Moon by the Mid-2020s and Go to Mars by the Mid-2030s? How Can Innovations that Enable Human Missions to the Moon and Mars Benefit Humanity? If we find life on Mars, what happens next? These are just a few of the fascinating topics that will be explored at the 2022 Humans to Mars Summit (H2M) that is taking place on May 17-19, 2022, at the National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, D.C. https://www.exploremars.org/summit/ The Human to Mars Summit is the ...
Apr 15, 2022•27 min•Ep. 159
Try to keep up with Laura Forczyk! At the time of this conversation, Laura has a new NEW baby, a new business and just a few new multiple things that she’s working on. All at the same time. You may want to sit down and buckle in- because Laura and Beth have a LOT to discuss together in this episode, including space camp, working for NASA, writing books, getting women to the Moon, hiring talented people for jobs in the space industry, *whew* (let’s pause for a baby snuggle) work-life balance and ...
Apr 08, 2022•50 min•Ep. 158
Last March, family and friends learned of Dr. Sian Proctor’s selection for the SpaceX Inspiration 4 mission and were able to join her along many parts of her incredible journey to space. On this episode, Chris and Brian join Beth to reminisce-and share wonderful moments from this recent adventure- from hearing the exciting news to watching the launch and landing. Here are the personal stories and sincere impressions from Sian’s support team! About Chris : Chris Proctor and his wife Pattie and li...
Apr 03, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 157
The folks at Kepler are on a mission to build the Internet in space. Diane Burchett always loved math and science and was curious about how things worked. From taking apart the family vacuum to materials engineering, and watching sci-fi shows featuring bioengineering, they’ve all be a part of her journey towards working in the space industry- along with a Summer Session Program at International Space University in 2003, and her qualification and application of additive manufacturing in space. To...
Mar 25, 2022•47 min•Ep. 156
UPDATE! Since this posting, the New York Times has reported that Pete Davidson may NOT be going to space, after all: Pete Davidson, the “Saturday Night Live” comedian and actor, will no longer travel to the edge of space on the next Blue Origin spaceflight, the company said late Thursday. The company had announced this week that its New Shepard rocket would launch on Wednesday, March 23, with Mr. Davidson and five other passengers . But the launch, the company’s fourth with human passengers, has...
Mar 20, 2022•49 min•Ep. 155
As more and more people head into the great frontier of space, it’s going to take a community of passionate people finding new approaches to look at problems and discovering solutions to fuel the growing space economy. Working in space will need EVERYONE. That’s where Spacely comes in- and today, CEO Tom Cooke joins Beth to explain how Spacely helps match talent and companies with projects within the aerospace industry, all in the pursuit of “Getting Space Work. Done.” About Tom Cooke Tom was a ...
Mar 13, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 154
Normal people can and should be able to fly to space. Deborah Sass and Thomas Reemer have set out to prove this in a very unique and entertaining way. Today on the Casual Space Podcast, Beth talks with Deborah and Thomas from Space Hero; the world‘s first-ever global competition series where contestants compete for a $55-million, 10-day trip to Space; the biggest prize ever awarded on TV. The competition for this once-in-a-lifetime journey will open to anyone over 18 who speaks English. This is ...
Mar 03, 2022•43 min•Ep. 153
