Casual Space

On Sept 15, 2021, our friend and colleague Dr. Sian Proctor achieved her life-long dream of launching into space and becoming an astronaut on the Crew Dragon as part of the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission! My fellow analog astronauts Dr. Brandy Nunez and Makiah Eustice share our impressions and insights of this historic flight in an intimate conversation together- 24 hours after witnessing the launch...

Jesse Forte was NOT originally scheduled to be on the M4 Lunares X team. A crew member that could not attend the mission left an opening for a new, "first-time" analog astronaut to come and participate in our lunar simulation this July. Enter Jesse Forte , who said YES to this opportunity, and joined the crew with all the positive energy one could ever ask for- as he often does. On today's episode...

My conversation with author and philosopher of the Overview Effect Frank White continues - including the announcement of the Overview Effect Film Festival - on this episode of Casual Space.    What is the Overview Effect?   From Frank's book, The Overview Effect , page 2, edition 3 (I've ordered my NEW addition, and so should you):  The Overview Effect is a cognitive shift in awareness reported by...

Frank White returns to Casual Space: Author, space philosopher and consultant joins Beth to share a lot of news!  A new edition of the Overview Effect is out- and Frank announces a new project coming to you in November!  We discuss non-professional space explorers (astronauts?), the need to migrate off Earth, and examine the many interpretations of the Overview Effect .    What is the Overview Eff...

That famous photo - the one we're all familiar with- an astronaut in a bright white suit flying untethered – floating, really, above the Earth with the dark contrast of space in the background… that photo has an incredible backstory… and it's been captured perfectly in an awesome new book by author Bruce McCandless III.     Astronaut Bruce McCandless III is perhaps best remembered as the subject o...

Awesome!  Join the growing community of scientists, researchers, innovators, writers, artists and explorers working to enhance space exploration efforts.  Now that Beth is back from her latest analog, Chad's got some questions. On this episode, learn the who, what, where, when and why analogs are helping humans to better explore the universe!     NASA's official definition of an analog, with addit...

Did you know that the people and environment around you that you interact with can impact and even change the inside of your gut flora?   Dr. JJ Hastings has found that in many of the past analog astronaut studies, there's been a convergence- an evolution- between crew members and their environment, one that's been seen on the International Space Station as well.  These studies have shown how the...

Sorry, folks. You won't find Paul Bakken on social media. You will find him running around the LunAres habitat repairing, improving and applying his years of analog astronaut experience to our mission in the LunAres Research Station!  We've been beyond grateful that Paul's been selected as one of our crew mates- in addition to his extensive background in law, community service, and analog missions...

In the first MUND ON the MOON series, meet Paul Tomko. He is our crew's Executive Officer- applying his expertise of Aeronautical & Astronautical engineering with his passion for space exploration and optimal health & performance.     "I'm always looking to improve myself. I don't want to go through life just existing…become healthier, explore new things, if I have a passion or a dream that I want...

THIS WEEK, in the news from Space.com: Nuclear-powered spaceships for fast trips to  Mars  may now be one step closer to reality. "NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have teamed up to fund three design concepts for reactors that could become part of a  nuclear thermal propulsion system , a next-generation technology that could make the exploration of deep space faster and more efficient....

This is the story of one amazing woman who is taking her expertise of space systems and implementing changes that will benefit us all- like making life support technologies easily accessible and affordable for terrestrial humanity. Clean and accessible water. Better air quality.  And leaving the world a better place than when you found it.   Brittany Zimmerman is the CEO and Chief of Innovation at...

Today on the podcast…. Beth welcomes back Chris Carberry to help introduce Space Drinks Association , a new organization comprised of diverse and unique collection of brewers, distillers, space exploration professionals, farmers, medical professionals, inventors, hospitality professionals, enthusiasts and futurists who are actively advancing the production and consumption of alcohol in space!    L...

There are *billions* of dollars' worth of invaluable imagery, information, and data available, for free from NASA, NOAA, ESA, and more but unfortunately, sometimes it can be hard to get to… and hard to use. The folks at Element 84, a software development firm specializing in large scale geospatial data systems and remote sensing believe that the more they can help make that data accessible and usa...

"How might we prepare today's students for humanities multi-planet future?" -Mark Wagner, Casual Space Podcast  How will we go to school in space? What will we need to learn? What do the "classrooms" look like? And who will be our "teachers?" Mark and the team at ARES Learning have thought about these questions and have come up with some very inspiring solutions!    About ARES Learning   At ARES L...

People often ask me what it was like as a "NASA" insider. On this episode of Casual Space, one of the very best of the best, Michael Ciannilli joins me to share highlights and lessons learned from more than 25 years at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.  Michael "Mike" Ciannilli is NASA's manager of the Apollo, Challenger, Columbia Lessons Learned Program, where he helps innovatively and effectively sha...

"Everything in a NASA mission patch exists for a purpose. Every part is deliberate and important."  -KSCArtist Tim Gagnon, from Casual Space Podcast   Have you ever really looked at a mission patch? Every detail was designed and put in place specifically for a reason.  Artist Tim Gagnon has "had the honor and privilege" to have been selected by several NASA Flight Crews to design their mission pat...

What happens when we integrate multi-media art with space, science, and technology? Neuroscientist Jancy McPhee is the founder and executive director of SciArt Exchange, an organization providing science and art fusion programs and celebrations of creative innovations.    Jancy McPhee works as a Multidisciplinary Program Scientist in the NASA Human Research Program's Chief Scientist's Office and w...

Can an artist's work help to forecast the future? Can art in different forms (infographics, etc.) help decision makers within the industry? Is the ISS beautiful?  With more than 20+ years of work in space exploration industry, Phil Smith brings a strong sense of experience and foundation to his work as an analyst and artist.  Phil joins Beth on the podcast to explain how his unique role can bring...

What are lava tubes?  What can they tell us about the rest of the solar system? Could lava tubes harbor life deep inside them on other planets?  Ph. D. student Gavin Tolometti believes the best way to understand the surfaces of planetary bodies like the Moon, Mars, Io, and Venus is to study features like lava tubes on own planet Earth.   "I study lava flows. In particular, I want to understand how...

How is one person working to make space travel accessible to everyone?  One scholarship at a time, according to Niko Blanks.     "For me, sending pediatric cancer patients and their families to Space Camp is all about inspiring them to know that they can achieve their dreams no matter what hurdles they face."    Niko's a senior spaceflight operations student looking to accomplish a big goal. And h...

Are you intimidated by looking at the night sky? Wondering what's what in our big universe? The astronomers are here to help (it's easier than you think)!  Beth recently invited John, Samantha and Jenna to take your questions about the stars, the planets, the comets and more- all LIVE on the Casual Space Podcast Facebook page! A fun time was had by all (you can tell right away- there's a LOT of la...

Is there life out there?  It is the fundamental question we humans have been asking since the beginning of our existence. Beth and Chad attempt to answer this question, then work in The Fermi Paradox , the Drake Equation , and of course, chickens and lizards.    Learn more about the Fermi paradox here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox ,     And here's the Drake Equation   N = R *  x f p...

Have you ever been hesitant to try to learn the night sky, or wonder how you can view the cosmos with just a little help? David Dickinson has created the ultimate field guide for us backyard astronomers!   David Dickinson is the co-author of  The Universe Today Guide to Viewing the Cosmos . Whether you want to impress viewers at a star party, or learn what you can see with your new telescope, Davi...

Laurie thought middle school music students would participate more if they had music about space and rockets, but no such music existed. So she created it. You can guess what happened next.   Music educator, author, and space enthusiast, Laurie Orth, had the out-of-the-box idea that perhaps her students would participate more in music class if they had music about space and rockets. Inspired by NA...

Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space and a veteran of three shuttle missions, talks with Beth about her experience as part of the team that launched, rescued, repaired, and maintained the Hubble Space Telescope on this week's episode of the Casual Space Podcast.   The Hubble Space Telescope has revolutionized our understanding of the universe. It has, among many other ac...