SpaceBase Podcast

An interview with Haritina Mogosanu, Executive Director of the New Zealand Astrobiology Network and a research scientist for the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science. She is the Senior Science Communicator at Space Place at Carter Observatory and is also a founding board member of Kiwispace and New Zealand Mars Society.  Haritina was educated in Romania, in horticultural engineering and has Mast...

An interview with Dr. Sarah Kessans, a US-born New Zealand scientist and biochemist, a multi-national champion in rowing and was in the top 50 applicants—out of over 18,000—in the NASA's 2017 Astronaut Candidate Selection. She’s earned degrees in plant and molecular biologies, worked on a plant-based HIV vaccine, and is now working at the cutting edge of synthetic biology solutions to combat...

An interview with Stefan Powell, Chief Technology Officer of Dawn Aerospace.   Stefan earned degrees in aerospace, astronautical and space systems engineering at Delft University in the Netherlands.  He has worked for space companies like Hyperion Technologies and was on the Rocket Lab team testing the first firings of the electron rocket.  Today he works at Dawn aerospace looking to be the first...

An interview with Glen WIlloughby, Chief Digital Information Officer for Nilo Consulting and Director for ISB.  He is currently an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow (Faculty of Health) at Victoria University of Wellington and Advising Fellow (IT Digital) at NASA Jet Population Laboratory. Glen has over twenty-five years’ experience in the digital technology and management consulting field, spanning h...

An interview with Dr. Duncan Steel, space scientist, astronomer, and world reknown author.  Over the past thirty years Duncan has worked on space projects in the US, UK, Australia, Sweden, Canada and NZ. His research has focussed largely on asteroids, comets and meteors, but he has also been involved in planning missions to Mars and the search for life elsewhere. Additionally he is an expert on th...

An interview with Dr. Maria Pozza, Founder and Director of Gravity Lawyers.  Maria is New Zealand's first space lawyer specialising in international space law. She has a PhD in international law and policy in outer space, and a Masters in International Studies with distinction. In 2013 Maria secured a visiting fellowship at the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law at the University of Cam...

An interview with Peter Toth, CEO of Extraterrestrial Power. Originally from Hungary, Peter has a Masters in Computer Science from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. He has worked on embedded devices such as marine VHF, digital satellite news gathering units for Ericsson, and cupboard size computers for Endace. Later, he branched out to producing silicon solar cells in the lab, a...

An interview with Alex Fleming, Co-founder and CTO of iMetalX Group and an Edmund Hillary Fellow.  He’s worked for companies like Lockheed Martin and General Electric, was a researcher for NASA, and served as CTO for companies such as Dehlsen Associates and SkyBase here in New Zealand.  He graduated with a Bachelors of Aerospace from Georgia Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon with an MBA...

An interview with Kelly Snook, Professor of Media Arts Technology at the University of Brighton in the U.K. with a background in aerospace engineering, music production, audio engineering, and data sonification research. She holds a PhD in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University and studied at the International Space University were we both met a long time ago.  She spent two decades...

An interview with Eric Dahlstrom, Co-Founder of SpaceBase and International Space Consultants. He worked as a Lockheed Martin contractor for NASA on the design of the International Space Station and on the lessons from the Shuttle Challenger accident. He has worked, consulted and mentored numerous space startup companies around the world  including TGV, Space Adventures, Moon Express, Made in Spac...

An interview with Michael Sims, Founder of Ceres Robotics based in Mt. View California.   He has worked for NASA JPL for over 20+ years on AI and robotics for planetary rover missions including the Mars Parthfinder and Exploration Rovers to the red planet.  MIchael talks about his career path from NASA specialits to space entrepreneur and working to provide robotic services for the next generation...

An interview with Shawna Pandya, Physician, Speaker, Citizen-Scientist Astronaut and Aquanaut, Martial Artist.  Shawna talks about her experience as a student at the International Space University, her work at Project Possum, and inspriing insights on life balance, hard work, and  how she stays focus on her passion to one day becoming an astronaut. For more info on Shawna: shawnapandya.com/ Hostd...

An interview with Ken Davidian, Director of Research for the US Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation. He is also the Program Manager for FAA’s Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation.  Ken talks about his career from rocket engineer at NASA to the state of the global space market today and how you can build a career beyond rockets and launche...

An interview with Andrew Hoppin, space investor and entrepreneur, and currently CEO of CoverUs.  Andrew talks about his experience, background and insights on the emerging new space industry, and what anyone in New Zealand can do to participate. For more info on Andrew: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahoppin/ Hostd by: Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom, Co-Founder, SpaceBase Music: reCreation by airtone (c) cop...