This week, we're joined by AJ Gemer of Lunar Outpost, a fast-moving company innovating in cislunar technology. This includes mini-rovers, crewed lunar rovers, and all kinds of instrumentation that will enable lunar exploration, development, and in-situ resource development. AJ talked about the company, their many projects, their relationship with NASA, and the future of lunar exploration and the role of commercial companies moving ahead. Join us! Headlines: Space Burial Goes Awry - A prototype c...
Jun 27, 2025•51 min•Ep. 167
Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik broadcast live from the National Space Society's International Space Development Conference in Orlando, discussing the latest Starship explosion, missing universe matter discoveries, and answering listener questions about space camp experiences, astronaut communications, and the future of space exploration. Headlines Starship Explosion Investigation - SpaceX's 10th Starship prototype exploded during a static fire test, likely due to a composite overwrapped pressure vesse...
Jun 20, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 166
Space is rapidly becoming a critical domain for so much of 21st-century living. Banking, transport across the sea and land, agriculture, and dozens of other things we take for granted all depend on satellites, and tracking them to avoid collisions. Nick Hague is a NASA astronaut and the first U.S. Space Force Guardian to launch to the International Space Station in that role, and we invited him to talk to us about the Space Force, living on the ISS, his frightening abort on a Soyuz rocket in 201...
Jun 13, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 165
What a wild week it's been for NASA. With drastic budget cuts looming—pending any action by Congress—then comes the sudden and unexpected pulling of Jared Isaacman for the role of NASA Administrator, with no replacement named. Then came the very public split between President Trump and Elon Musk, and a flurry of furious Twitter/X and Truth Social postings, aimed at each other with razor-sharp edges. And finally, the proposed and drastic cuts to NASA outreach and education budgets, slimming them ...
Jun 06, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 164
This week we speak with Dr. Mike Wall, ace space reporter from Space.com, about Starship's recent test flight. What went right, what went wrong, and what are the prospects for Elon's mammoth rocket meeting NASA's goals for a moon landing in 2027? Also, Musk's recent video outlining future plans for Starship and a Martian metropolis, Chinese company Sepoch's recent (and very Starship-like) vertical launch and landing test, Japan's robotic lander, Resilience, about to attempt a lunar touchdown, an...
May 30, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 163
If you're lucky enough to have witnessed the landing of Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969, you know what a momentous occasion that was. If you're younger than a Boomer, you've read and heard about that amazing day, but it might not have the impact it did for those who witnessed it. Bob Slater, M.D., is out to change that with his campaign to make July 20 a national holiday called "Lunar Landing Day," and we think it's a fine idea--and so do the moonwalkers, Mission Control folks, and lots of others. It...
May 23, 2025•52 min•Ep. 162
It's time for Rod and Tariq to catch up on headlines... and space dad jokes! We're going to update you on the ever-slimming NASA budget, the latest news on the Voyager spacecraft, what's up with the SLS, Orion capsule, and Artemis programs? SpaceX's 9th Starship test flight, AliBaba in orbit, and the end of the universe. And more space jokes than ever for you to choke on. Gilmore Space Launch Attempt: Gilmore Space's Ares rocket experienced a payload fairing separation on the pad before launch. ...
May 16, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 161
Dr. Robert Goddard is known as the "Father of Rocketry," but his legacy has been largely overlooked--until now. Charles Slatkin grew up during the Space Age and has become a Goddard evangelist, going so far as to purchase the historic Goddard home to convert into a museum. But his efforts don't stop there. Slatkin has started a nonprofit to not only further Goddard's legacy, but also to inspire young people, who he calls "today's Goddards," to reach for the stars. Hear this inspiring story on th...
May 09, 2025•58 min•Ep. 160
Seems we can't go through an hour without hearing news about artificial intelligence these days. There are a lot of exciting developments, and some of the most exciting when thinking about space are coming from the USRA's Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science (RIACS), which is on the cutting edge of the cutting edge. In this episode, we're speaking with the institute's director, Dr. David Bell, who will walk us through the differences between current AI, agentic AI, and--are you ready...
May 02, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 159
The Hubble Space Telescope has been one of NASA's most successful flagship missions, recently celebrating 35 years in space. Often referred to as "the gift that keeps giving," the HST has provided not just magnificent science—shared worldwide—but also some of our universe's most significant and stunning images, inspiring wonder and driving countless young people into the sciences and STEM fields in general. And for the general public, Hubble continues to provide a profound sense of the wonders o...
Apr 25, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 158
We've all heard of it, and some of us have seen the Netflix comedy series, but what exactly is the U.S. Space Force, and what do they do? We invited Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John Bentivegna to the podcast to discuss the founding of Space Force, what they are charged with overseeing, their role in continuously monitoring U.S. orbital assets and possible threats to them, and their future role in guarding the space lanes. We also look at the controversy surrounding the recent Blue O...
Apr 18, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 157
In this episode of This Week in Space , hosts Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik welcome Dr. Phil Metzger from the University of Central Florida to discuss the dangerous realities of rocket plumes when landing spacecraft on the Moon and Mars. Before diving into the main topic, the hosts talk about Jared Isaacman's NASA administrator confirmation hearing, Katy Perry's upcoming Blue Origin spaceflight, and a newly discovered comet. Headlines: Jared Isaacman's NASA Administrator Confirmation Hearing - The bi...
Apr 11, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 156
