Talking Space

Episode 1807 : Of Dragons, Starships, and Starliners 09.10.2026 1h 48m

Buckle Up! This jam-packed, time-extended episode is loaded with exclusive insights you won't hear anywhere else. First up, we share follow-up information on the X-59 Aircraft and its progress. This revolutionary plane is designed to muffle sonic booms and, if it's successful, will open new possibilities for air travel . We update you on NASA's Psyche mission is on route to the metal-rich asteroid of the same name. Then quickly mention the flyby of Earth performed by ESA's JUICE mission. NASA's Crew-13 mission has officially launched to the International Space Station. Our own Mark Ratterman was on the ground at Kennedy Space Center to witness Falcon 9 send the Crew Dragon Grace into orbit with four souls aboard: NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. Mark takes us behind the scenes at the launch site, while Heather Smith breaks down the critical crew and mission details the mainstream media completely missed. We even discuss the tribute to the Apollo 13 mission the crew baked into their own crew insignia and of course their special zero-g indicator. Next, we dive into SpaceX's 14th Starship prototype launch, aiming for its historic first insertion into Earth orbit. With a primary mission to deploy 26 next-generation Starlink Version 3 satellites, the team discusses the flight's outcome and what it means for NASA’s Artemis Human Landing System. We also break down the latest news from NASA and Boeing: the troubled Starliner capsule could return to space as early as December 2026. The uncrewed Starliner-1 mission will serve as a rigorous test for its re-engineered thrusters—the exact hardware at the center of 2024's high-stakes Crewed Test Flight drama. Plus, NASA has officially named a commander for the crewed Starliner-2 mission targeted for mid-2028. We then debate the big picture. With SpaceX planning to phase out Falcon 9 and Dragon by 2030 as the ISS program winds down, could Boeing emerge as the sole crew provider for the next generation of commercial space stations? If so, does that defeat the entire original purpose of the Commercial Crew program? The team clashes over the implications. Want to rekindle some of that "Moon-Joy" from Artemis II but don't know how to do it? Mark Ratterman gives is just what you're looking for courtesy of NASA's "Houston ,We Have a Podcast. This Week's Team: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, Heather Smith.

Episode 1806: Roman’s March to L-2 13.09.2026 57m

It’s all hands on deck for the Talking Space Team as we examine the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope which began its three month journey to its permanent station-keeping point at Lagrange Point 2. Once there and fully commissioned, Roman will begin it’s initial 5 year mission, surveying billions galaxies to track how galactic structures change over time, hunting super novae to measure how the universe is expanding, and measuring weak gravitational lensing which tracks how the gravity of invisible dark matter warps the light of distant galaxies. Roman is expected to locate up to 100,000 new exoplanets or more by monitoring millons of stars, using a process called gravitational microlensing which enables Roman to find even the smallest of planets around an observable star and will watch for any star tranists or dimming of stars which occurs when a planet blocks a fraction of light a star emits. And as with all NASA missions, there is a tech demo planned. A new instrument, the Chronograph will act as a deep space “umbrella” of sorts, blocking the light of a star so that a planet that might be on orbit can be observed and recorded. Our Kennedy Space Center chief correspondent Mark Ratterman was on site to document the launch day minus one activity and launch day itself that brought us the sound of five million pounds of thrust from the 27 Merlin engines of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch vehicle. Mark also interviewed Jeff Hanke, President of Space Systems and Mission Systems and Wendy Minotti, Program Manager, Exquisite Imaging, Space and Imaging Systems at L3-Harris, a critical member of the Roman Telescope team about their role in preparing the telescope’s mirror. Roman carries the names of 1,350,144 people on a commemorative placard on board the spacecraft. If you missed your opportunity to get your name on the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope, you still have an opportunity to put your mark on the mission by adopting a pixel on Roman’s “First Light” image. Click here to go to the NASA page to reserve your pixel. Use the following links to learn more about the Roman Telescope, Nancy Grace Roman the mother of the Hubble Space telescope and her legacy or current Roman Mission status. Links to other resources and recorded events: ROMAN L-1 Science Briefing (Video) https://images.nasa.gov/details/KSC-20260829-VP-FMX01-0001-Roman_Space_Telescope_Science_Briefing-1080p-M26244 ROMAN L-1 Prelaunch News Conference (Video) https://images.nasa.gov/details/KSC-20260829-VP-FMX02-0001-Roman_Space_Telescope_Prelaunch_News_Conference-1080p-M26243 Roman Postlaunch News Conference (Video) https://images.nasa.gov/details/KSC-20260830-VP-FMX02-0001-Roman_Space_Telescope_Postlaunch_News_Conference_4K-M26245 NASA's ROMAN Blog https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/roman/ NASA ROMAN Instrument Details https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/roman-observatory/ Adopt a Pixel on the Roman First Light Image https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/adopt-a-pixel/ About Nancy Grace Roman ( Via American Association of University Women ) https://www.aauw.org/resources/faces-of-aauw/nancy-grace-roman-the-life-and-legacy-of-a-nasa-star/ Team Members This Week: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, Dr. Kat Robison, Heather Smith.

Episode 1805: Space Flight is Not Simple 05.09.2026 1h 18m

ISS crew transitions, wildfire threats to NASA’s Deep Space Network, growing criticisms of the Artemis program architecture, and a 1960s navigation satellite still transmitting signals today and more covered on Talking Space Episode 1805

Episode 1804: On A Quesst 19.06.2026 1h 12m

When the Russian crew on board the ISS decided to perform an unusual procedure on the station’s Zvezda module, it caused quite an agreeable break in the routine of the day on board the orbiting laboratory. The crew on the US segment entered an emergency evacuation posture aboard their Crew Dragon, but all returned to normal after a few hours. The team discusses what happened and why. The astronauts for the Artemis III mission were introduced to the world at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX, with much fanfare and some controversy: No female astronauts were named to the crew. Was this just a normal crew rotation, or was politics at play? The panel looks at the points of contention and weighs in on the Artemis III mission itself. NASA’s X59 Quesst aircraft, built by Lockheed Martin, is an incredible experiment aimed at reducing a sonic boom to a barely audible thump. If successful, the project has far-reaching implications for the future of civil aviation. Our Mark Ratterman reports on this unique aircraft's first flight tests and its implications. SpaceX launched something its CEO, Elon Musk, said he would never do: turn SpaceX into a public company and, in the process, turn Musk into the world’s first trillionaire. Heather Smith has been watching this story for us for a while now and delivers some insight into what happens next. On the heels of the SpaceX IPO, environmental groups in and around Cameron County, Texas, are fighting a plan by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to reallocate land inside the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge to SpaceX to support Starship Operations. Want to send your name to the stars on board NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Telescope launching no earlier than August 30th? Use this NASA link to find out how! Team Members for this Episode: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman and Heather Smith

Episode:1803 Things That Go Boom in the Night 04.06.2026 1h 6m

The Talking Space Team Discusses the May 26 NASA Press Conference on it’s Lunar Base and Artemis III progress, The SpaceX Starship 12 flight and the explosion of Blue Origin’s New Glenn

Episode 1802: Fly US To The Moon 01.05.2026 1h 27m

The full Talking Space team gathers around the microphone once more to share their thoughts and reactions to the Artemis II lunar flyby and how the 10-day mission was perceived back on Earth, especially those who seldom think about NASA. The panel examines next steps for the Artemis program, reviews highlights from NASA’s recent Ignition event, weighs whether a new space race with China is underway, and considers what the future may hold given the implications of the 2027 NASA Budget. Australia has the capabilities to be a major space sector player, but lacks a cohesive national space policy. Isobel Haddow of The Space Industry Association and our resident space-policy expert, Dr. Kat Robison, crafted a brief for the United States Studies Center outlining the situation and what practical steps Australia can take. Dr. Robison discusses the highlights of her work and the panel debates the ramifications. VIDEO: Via NASA: Artemis II Highlights VIDEO: Via NASA: Crew Welcome Home Event Via X: Post by Reid Wiseman Mark Ratterman referenced Additional Post by Dr. Kat Robison for the Australian Institute of International Affairs published 29 April, 2026 " The US is Intentional About its Space Program. We Should Be Too." Host This Week: Mark Ratterman On the panel this week: Dr. Kat Robison, Heather Smith, Gene Mikulka

Episode 1801: Artemis II: Moonbound 04.04.2026 59m

Just days before the first human mission to the Moon in 53 years, Talking Space returns to discuss preflight activities and the changes within NASA’s Artemis lunar program.

Episode 1703: Stopping the Space Shuttle Rustlers 25.07.2025 23m

In 2012, following the end of the Space Transportation System program, NASA faced the monumental task of finding permanent homes for the three remaining Space Shuttle Orbiters—so that their incredible stories could be preserved and shared with the public. After a lengthy and sometimes contentious selection process, the three operational orbiters—Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour—along with the prototype Enterprise, were officially retired and transported to their new homes amid much celebration. These irreplaceable artifacts of American space history now serve as centerpieces in four major museums across the country, inspiring millions of visitors each year. One notable omission from the final list was Houston, Texas—home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center. While the city did not receive one of the orbiters, it was awarded a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and a full-scale model orbiter, which allows visitors to explore a replica of the Shuttle's interior. That should have been the end of the story—but it wasn’t. In a surprising twist, Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz inserted a provision into the recently passed Reconciliation Act, also known as “The Big Beautiful Bill Act" that calls for relocating Space Shuttle Discovery from its current home at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, to Houston. Is this bold attempt at “Shuttle Rustling” even viable? To find out, we spoke with Joe Stief, the founder of Keep the Shuttle, a grassroots campaign working to prevent Discovery’s relocation. We discuss his efforts, what’s at stake, and the broader implications this move could have for the future of artifacts held by national museums. Host: Gene Mikulka Guest: Joe Stief, KeepTheShuttle.org

Episode 1702: OSIRIS-APEX and the 2026 NASA Budget: A Discussion with Dr. Dani DellaGiustina 02.07.2025 54m

The OSIRIS-APEX mission, an extension of the wildly successful OSIRIS-REx mission, is set to rendezvous with Asteroid 99942 Apophis in April 2029. This mission takes full advantage of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which still has plenty of fuel and is totally healthy after delivering samples from Asteroid Bennu to Earth on 24 September, 2023. OSIRIS-APEX will closely observe Apophis as the asteroid makes a remarkably close flyby of Earth, coming within 32,000 kilometers (20,000 miles) – closer than some Earth-orbiting satellites. The mission's primary objectives are to study how Earth's gravitational pull affects the orbit of Apophis, its spin, and surface features. However, the mission is in peril. The proposed Presidential Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2026 budget calls for the cancellation of OSIRIS-APEX, despite its low cost and the scientific value it offers as an extended mission using an already existing and proven spacecraft. On this episode of Talking Space, we're joined by Dr. Dani Mendoza DellaGiustina, Principal Investigator for the OSIRIS-APEX mission and Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. We'll delve into the mission's goals, the reasons given behind its potential cancellation in the 2026 NASA Budget, and the options available should the 2026 budget be approved by Congress, a budget that cancels this ambitious mission. Guest: Dr. Dani Mendoza DellaGiustina, Assistant Professor, University of Arizona - Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. Host: Gene Mikulka Additional information on the 2026 NASA Budget via NASA Advocacy Resources from the Planetary Society

Episode 1701: A Fleet for Lunar Science 24.03.2025 59m

Episode 1701: Talking Space returns after a hiatus to discuss the landing attempts by the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. First a successful soft landing of the Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost 1 mission on the plans of Mare Crisium. Then a much more perilous landing attempt for the Intuitive Machines "Athena" lander, trying to land its suite of science and technology demonstrations closer to the Lunar South Pole than any other mission to date, with some mixed results. We also mention that Japan's ispace is set to try a lunar landing on 6 June. We then focused on the Expedition 72 / 73 handover at the International Space Station and took one more look at the Crew-9 Mission's saga in the mainstream press with a reminder: Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were never "stuck" or "stranded" on the ISS, and never needed to be "rescued." Our Mark Ratterman also reminds all that the NASA Spinoff catalog for 2025 is available for download. If at first, you don't succeed... try, try again out at Boca Chica Texas for the SpaceX Starship with Integrated Flight Test 8. Alas, the same result as Mission 7 with debris scattering over the skies of Caribbean Islands and air traffic having to be diverted out of the area, quickly. We discuss the incident and the possible future of the program. We end the program with a plea, especially for our friends in the United States. Due to current goings-on within the US government, both NASA's personnel and budget are poised to be cut drastically. A 50 % cut in the NASA science budget is not outside the realm of possibility. The impact would be catastrophic, causing long-established science investigations to shut down, and crippling the start of new missions. Very rarely do we go into activist mode, but this is one of those times where it is required. If you care for your space program, tell your elected representatives. Don't know how to contact them? Here's a guide via Congress.gov Participants this Week: Dr. Kat Robison, Mark Ratterman, Gene Mikulka

Episode 1614: Talking Space Retrospective, Part 2 09.11.2024 37m

This time, our entire on-air team (as it existed on Sept. 19, 2023) again reminisces about audience feedback, launch anomalies, podcast burnout, and more in Part 2 of the Talking Space retrospective!

Episode 1613: Talking Space Retrospective, Part 1 13.10.2024 1h 12m

This time, our entire on-air team (as it existed on the Sept. 19, 2023 recording date) reminisces about how Talking Space got started back in the earliest days of podcasting. Plus, much more!

Episode 1612: EPA, TCEQ Cite SpaceX for Starbase Clean Water Act Violations 18.08.2024 1h 50m

Environmental regulators are beginning to clamp down on Starbase. The big question is: Do these enforcement actions have enough significance to force the FAA to delay launch activities at Boca Chica? Some troubling headlines appeared on CNBC.com on Monday, August 12, 2024 concerning SpaceX’s alleged issues regarding compliance with environmental regulations that govern their activities at the Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The story by Lora Kolodny alleges that “Elon Musk’s SpaceX violated environmental regulations by repeatedly releasing pollutants into or near bodies of water in Texas, a state agency said in a notice of violation focused on the company’s water deluge system at its Starbase launch facility. “The notice from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) last week came five months after the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 office, which covers Texas and surrounding states, had also informed SpaceX that it violated the Clean Water Act with the same type of activity.” SpaceX finally submitted an application for an Industrial Wastewater Individual Permit on July 1, 2024. It was later revised, and the revised application was submitted August 14, 2024. Beginning at 45:20 of this episode we discuss the following: SpaceX posted a response on X in the afternoon of August 12. It dubbed the CNBC story “factually inaccurate,” and revealed additional interesting information that was previously unknown to us. So Many Questions… We’re devoting this looonng episode (sorry!) to an analysis of these developments, and Eric Roesch is back with us to help give it all the once-over. And you know that wherever Eric is, a controversial, SpaceX-related environmental issue can’t be far behind. Among the topics we’ll discuss: What exactly happened here? The classic question: What did SpaceX know, and when did they know it? Do these enforcement actions have enough significance to force the FAA to delay launch activities at Boca Chica? How much worse can SpaceX make it by continuing to use the water deluge system before a permit is issued? What are the potential consequences for these violations? Could anyone actually go to jail? In SpaceX’s response post on X, why don’t some of SpaceX’s assertions make sense? Why did the FAA on Monday (the same day the CNBC story broke) cancel previously scheduled public hearings on the new draft Environmental Assessment for Boca Chica which requests a higher launch cadence and use of a bigger, more powerful and louder version of Starship than is currently in use? Please be sure to let us know your thoughts on the topics we discuss. You can always reach us at [email protected]. You now have a way to easily send us a voice recording that we may use on the show: just click on the blue microphone icon at the bottom right of any page at TalkingSpaceOnline.com. Show recorded 08-13-2024. Host: Larry Herrin Panelist(s): Heather Smith and Eric Roesch (Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, Dr. Kat Robison and Sawyer Rosenstein will return) Podcast Editor: Larry Herrin TalkingSpaceOnline.com episode page photo credits: Boca Chica OLM water deluge system test on July 27, 2023: SpaceX/X

Episode 1611: Dissimilar Redundancy 12.07.2024 1h 36m

NASA has tried to get Extra Vehicular Activity Number Ninety underway since June 13th. The first attempt was thwarted by a space suit comfort issue, the second by a water leak that created a blizzard of ice inside the Quest airlock. Are the Shuttle-Era Extra Vehicular Mobility Units (EMU) or space suits finally showing their age? Also, what about Collins Aerospace and their recent withdrawal from their NASA contract to build the next generation of space suits for the ISS and the Artemis Lunar Program when they indicated back in February that all was going well? We discuss. On June 17th, the FAA held a virtual public hearing to receive comments concerning SpaceX’s plans to use Launch Complex 39-A and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to support Starship Super Heavy Launches. We discuss what occurred during the session and the fallout from statements put into the record by both Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance. Talking Space continues our Boeing Space CST-100 Starliner Crewed Flight Test coverage. The team continues to examine the “Starliner is Stuck at the ISS” misconceptions and asks what NASA & Boeing Space could have done to alleviate such headlines. We also look at a detailed explanation posted on Twitter from Jim May, a Boeing Engineer who was part of the NASA-TV coverage, of why “Calypso” remains on the ISS. The basis of his discussion comes from the actual NASA flight certification plan. Heather Smith mentions the observations of a NASA flight director and his assessment of how Starliner performed during its first actual safe-haven exercise. All this and more in this edition of Talking Space! (Recorded July 5th, 2024) Host: Larry Herrin Panel Members: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, Heather Smith

Episode 1610: How GOES-U? 08.07.2024 1h 14m

The Geosynchronous Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-U, launched at 5:26 PM EDT on 25 June 2024 from Launch Complex 39 A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. A SpaceX Falcon Heavy took the 6000-pound satellite to its geostationary orbit in the Western Hemisphere. After a commissioning process, GOES –U will be renamed GOES 19 and take over the GOES EAST duties, standing sentinel, watching for severe storms, hurricanes, and wildfires. A unique option on this spacecraft: it can keep an eye on Coronal Mass Ejections or CMEs from the Sun. This episode is an all-you-can-eat GOES fest, complete with GOES-U Falcon Heavy launch audio at the beginning and a related special audio treat at the end of the episode. Mark Ratterman was at the Kennedy Space Center press site representing Talking Space during launch activities and was able to talk to several key players of the GOES-U team. In this episode you'll hear from: John Gagosian - Director, NASA Joint Agency Satellite Division Krizia Negron - Language Program Lead, National Weather Service Office of Science and Technology Integration, NOAA Chris Reith - Program Manager, Advanced Baseline Imager, L3-Harris Technologies Mr. Reith is also working on NOAA's follow-up to the GOES series: The GeoXO program Ken Graham – Director, National Weather Service If you wish to take a look at what the GOES satellites have seen and how their images have evolved over the years, NOAA has on their website a "Cool Image Retrospective" page, have a look here. Please be sure to let us know your thoughts on the topics we discuss. You can always reach us at [email protected]. You now also have a way to easily send us a voice recording that we may use on the show: just click on the blue microphone icon at the bottom right of any of our web pages at TalkingSpaceOnline.com. Show recorded 07-03-2024. Host: Larry Herrin Segment Producer: Mark Ratterman Panelists: Gene Mikulka, Heather D. Smith Podcast Editor: Gene Mikulka GOES-U Falcon Heavy – website photo credit: NASA

Special Episode 1609A: Boeing's Starliner is NOT in Peril. 28.06.2024 50m

“Starliner Stuck In Space!!!”, “Starliner Stranded at the ISS!!”, “Space-X To Rescue Starliner Crew!!!” These were the various outrageous headlines being thrown around by various space media outlets this week, concerning the Boeing Starliner Mission and its progress. None of these sensational headlines are true, the ship and crew are in good condition but the media claims that the Starliner mission is in a grave situation, remain. In this special edition of Talking Space, Gene Mikulka and Heather Smith take the time to sort through the chaff that is out there about the mission and offer insight into what is going on. We explore why it is not just the usual social media suspects perpetuating the myth about a broken spacecraft and a “crew in peril” but mainstream media has been jumping on the same bandwagon. There have been some exceptions to the rule the social media rule: the YouTube channel Overlook Horizon released a fairly good video explaining some of the mission details that we also touch on, in this installment. The video does speculate what a Dragon rescue might look like, however, our show does not examine that possibility. Given the information that NASA and Boeing have presented in thier joint press conferences, such speculation on our part was not needed or required. As of this writing, Starliner remains docked to the ISS, in a good, healthy state, ready to support crew return. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams continue to support the balance of the Expedition 71 crew in their ISS science and maintenance duties. Our usual format picks up next time with an upcoming deep dive into the GOES-U launch and more! Host Gene Mikulka Panel Member: Heather Smith

Special Report: Starliner Status as of June 23, 2024 23.06.2024 4m

A quick special report on the status of the joint NASA/Boeing Starliner Mission based on a Blog Post prepared by NASA and Boeing for our listeners.

Episode 1609: Double Stars Rising 17.06.2024 1h 20m

After years of development, testing, disappointment, and perseverance, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Willams took Boeing's CST 100 Starliner to the International Space Station for its first flight with a human crew. The team discusses all facets of the launch, rendezvous, docking (not without its moments of drama), and public reaction to the mission thus far. Also this week, the fourth test flight of the SpaceX Starship Super-Heavy booster and a re-entry test of the Starship vehicle itself. The super-heavy vehicle is critical for NASA's Artemis lunar landing program, and a derivative of Starship was selected by NASA to be the human lunar lander used on Artemis III. The team puts the fourth Starship test into perspective. Starship development was also critical for the SpaceX/ Yusaku Maezawa dearMoon program, which was to take Maezawa and eight invitees into orbit around the Moon. However, Maezawa announced that since a 2023 launch had become "unfeasible" and lacked a "clear schedule," he was canceling the program. The announcement drew some ire in the space community, and we examine the fallout. One of The Hubble Space Telescope's three gyroscopes used to point the telescope to distant objects has failed. We look at a Media Telecon where NASA's astrophysics leader, Dr. Mark Clampen, indicated the agency will continue to utilize Hubble in a "one gyro mode" so the iconic telescope can still deliver good science with only a 20% loss of capability. The orbiting telescope is in overall good health and should continue to operate until 2035. At the same teleconference, Dr. Clampen announced that NASA has no intention of launching a Hubble servicing or re-boost mission in the foreseeable future. This news ends the SpaceX/Polaris plan to launch a possible servicing mission to the telescope. A May 2024 NPR article by Nell GreenfeldBoyce also reported NASA's concerns about the unsolicited proposal. Sadly, the past few episodes have ended in obituaries, and that trend continues. The team takes a few moments to remember NASA Apollo 8 Astronaut William Anders, who died in a plane crash this past weekend. All this and more in this edition of Talking Space! UPDATE ONE: During the show, we reported that the new undock date for Starliner was on 22 June. After we published, NASA and Boeing decided to do some more analysis on the thruster issues experienced during last week's docking to the ISS. To understand the Starliner Service Module more, ( the service module does not return ) NASA and Boeing have now indicated that Starliner will undock from the ISS at 10:10 PM EDT on Tuesday, June 25th with a landing planned at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 4:51 AM EDT on June 26th. UPDATE TWO: In A Blog Post Today (21 June 2024) NASA and Boeing Space announced that they are waiving the return date of 26 June for Starliner, with a new date to be announced at a later time. To quote the NASA blog post: " The move off Wednesday, June 26, deconflicts Starliner’s undocking and landing from a series of planned International Space Station spacewalks while allowing mission teams time to review propulsion system data." Steve Stitich, NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager said “We are strategically using the extra time to clear a path for some critical station activities while completing readiness for Butch and Suni’s return on Starliner and gaining valuable insight into the system upgrades we will want to make for post-certification missions.” NASA Reports that Starliner remains healthy and that CFT Crew Members Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams continue to support the Expedition 71 Crew with their activities on the International Space Station. Talking Space will continue to follow the story as it develops. Host: Gene Mikulka Panel Members: Mark Ratterman, Heather Smith

Episode 1608: Good Things Come To Those Who Wait 17.05.2024 1h 37m

May 6th was going to be the date that Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunni Williams were going to take the Boeing CST 100 Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station for the first time with astronauts on board. Starliner has undergone a rather stormy development period and is several years behind schedule as a result but NASA, Boeing, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) teams after the earlier flight readiness review were confident that the spacecraft was ready for crewed flight. The mission also marked the first time since Leroy Gordon Cooper’s Mercury-Atlas 9 on May 15th, 1963, that a human was going to ride to orbit on the “shoulders” of an Atlas launch vehicle. Even the weather for the attempt on May 6th was 95 percent “go.” Unfortunately, the May 6th date was not to be. A cranky valve on board the Second Stage (Centaur Stage) of the ULA Atlas V kept Starliner on the ground. We explore what exactly happened, put the event in context, and gauge public reaction on various social media outlets. We also take a look at a rather explosive claim from a New York-based NASA contractor, ValveTech, about the component in question and debunk the Company’s claims. If you live in North America, did you catch the aurora this past weekend? A Class 4 Geomagnetic storm was the cause, the first Class 4 solar storm warning issued by NOAA since 2005. NOAA called a press conference about potential impacts on Friday, May 10th, calling the event “potentially historic.” What were the impacts here on Earth or did it pose issues for the International Space Station? We discuss. The US Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved the FAA Reauthorization Act which extends the period where the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) would be limited from regulating the safety of commercial human spaceflight, more commonly known as the “learning period.” Also, the FAA announced public meetings to occur next month to get public comments on an Environmental Impact Study on allowing Starship Super Heavy launches from NASA's Launch Complex 39A. All comments should be submitted by one of the methods listed under "ADDRESSES" in the linked document no later than June 24, 2024. We examine both stories. Tokyo’s Astroscale announced that it had conducted the first rendezvous with a spent rocket upper stage in Earth Orbit. The idea is to understand how such an object behaves as a prelude to determining how to dispose of such an object properly. We take a brief look at their plans. All this and more in this edition of Talking Space! Please be sure to let us know your thoughts on the topics we discuss. You can always reach us at [email protected]. You now also have a way to easily send us a voice recording that we may use on the show: just click on the blue microphone icon at the bottom right of any page at TalkingSpaceOnline.com. Show recorded 05-12-2024. Host: Larry Herrin Panelist(s): Gene Mikulka, Heather Smith (Mark Ratterman, Dr. Kat Robison and Sawyer Rosenstein will return) Podcast Editor: Larry Herrin Space Debris – website photo credit: Astroscale Aurora Borealis -- website photo credit: Dr. Kat Robison NOTE: As of the recording date of the episode, the next launch attempt for Starliner was May 17th. That has since been changed. Due to a stubborn helium tank system leak, the latest date: NET May 25th at 3:09 PM EDT (1909 UTC). This new date is tentative as of this writing, and is subject to change.

Episode 1607: Staying Healthy in Space: Unpacking the GEARS Experiment 06.05.2024 44m

In this episode: Two GEARS scientists discuss the GEARS experiment, space hygiene, and coping with the health challenges of long-duration missions.