Talking Space

On this special episode, we interview the Associate Program Scientist for the International Space Station, Dr. Tara Ruttley. Tara was the Lead Hardware Engineer for the Health Maintenance System on the station until about two years ago when she acquired her current title. Dr. Ruttley discusses with us a couple of the experiments being performed onboard the ISS and some of the intricacies, concerns...

On this episode of Talking Space, we have a lengthy discussion regarding the final landing of the space shuttle Endeavour, ending a career spanning 25 missions since 1992 ending with STS-134. Mark was at the Kennedy Space Center for landing and we have his updates and interviews. We then discuss with him his experience with the rollout of STS-135, the final flight of Atlantis and the space shuttle...

On this special episode of Talking Space, we welcome back co-host of the Science Channel original show "Meteorite Men" and now author, Geoff Notkin. We discuss some moments together at the Challenger Centers for Space Science Education and other personal topics. On top of that, we discuss his new book, available online only, Meteorite Hunting: How To Find Treasure From Space. We include talks abou...

On this clip-filled episode of Talking Space, we begin with the conclusion of the STS-134 mission, recapping the final spacewalks and the outline for the end of Endeavour's operational career. We then briefly discuss STS-135 before delving deeper into it through a special interview which Mark obtained with Space.com writer Denise Chow. We then move on to talk about the rebirth of Orion as the Mult...

On this episode of Talking Space, we countdown 3, 2, 1, as we did on May 16th live on Astronomy. FM reporting on the final launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. We go into a deep discussion on the subject of STS-134's timeline and payloads, including the spectacular Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, or AMS. We then move on to talk about a US Senate hearing on human spaceflight and national security. L...

In this special episode of Talking Space, Gene Mikulka recounts his experiences during NASA's Kennedy Space Center's "Once and Future Tour" conducted for members of the media before the first launch attempt of Shuttle Endeavour on Shuttle Mission STS 134 on April 27, 2011. The first stop on the tour is a demonstration of a new LIDAR designed by a partnership between Lockheed Martin and Ball Areosp...

On this episode of Talking Space, Mark Ratterman interviews 3 NASA Astronauts + 1 NASA JSC Scientist. Interviews were on  April 27th and 29th, 2011 prior to the launch attempt for STS-134 on April 29th. Interviews were at the NASA KSC Press Site. Gene Mikulka contributed most of the questions Mark asked the Astronauts, Mark also ad-libbed a few during the recorded conversations. Thank you Gene, gr...

On this episode of Talking Space, we start with the update on STS-134, the final flight of Endeavour, and its new launch date. By the way, don't miss our live launch coverage beginning on May 16th at 8:30am EDT on http://astronomy.fm! We then discuss the 50h successful Atlas V launch. We move on to SpaceX's possibility of combining two of their preparatory flights, COTS-2 and COTS-3, possibly lead...

On this episode of Talking Space, we devote the entire show to the days leading up to the scrub of the launch of the shuttle Endeavour on Friday, April 29, 2011. Mark and Gene participated in press events at the Kennedy Space Center, and we discuss tours of launch pads, astronaut interviews, and more! Listen in for some spectacular stories you can ONLY hear here! Also, stay tuned for a STS-134 cli...

On this episode, we begin with STS-134 and the Flight Readiness Review setting the launch date and time as April 29th at 3:47pm EDT. Endeavour will be launching on her final mission carrying the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) and a special payload which survived the Columbia disaster in 2003. We then move on to NASA's CCDev, or the Commercial Crew Development Agreement, and who will be getti...

On this episode, we talk about AMS-02. We discuss the history, cost, some basics of the instrument, how it is installed and activated. We include audio from several NASA Briefings on AMS-02 from the following: Prof Samuel Ting, AMS Principal Investigator from MIT Trent Martin, NASA AMS Program Manager from JSC Mark Kelly, Commander of STS-134 Our own Talking Space - Mark Ratterman brings first han...

On this episode, we invite back Elizabeth Howell as we talk about last week's decision to place shuttles in Cape Canaveral, Florida; Los Angeles, California; Chantilly, Virginia/Washington DC; and New York City, New York. We talk about a press conference with Assistant Administrator of the Office of Strategic Infrastructure, Houston being upset about not getting a shuttle, and out opinion on their...

On this episode, we discuss the postponement of the STS-134 launch which we briefly mentioned last week. We also talk about some debris which avoided the ISS, sending its crew to safety onboard their Soyuz. We continue with our correct speculations last week about the SpaceX announcement of the Falcon Heavy. Following that, we move onto some big anniversaries, including the 30th anniversary of STS...

On this episode of Talking Space, Sawyer returns from his two week absence. We start with Mark's adventures covering the upcoming STS-134 Space Shuttle mission at the Kennedy Space Center and learn more about the crew, the payload, and the preparaitons for this mission. Next we move on to discuss the first images returned from a spacecraft orbiting Mercury. We talk about what we believed would be...

This week we share the microphone with Frank Morring Jr., Senior Editor at AVIATION WEEK, and a journalist for 35 years, specializing in aerospace for the over 20 years. Frank joined AVIATION WEEK in 1989 as a defense/space reporter and senior space technology editor. In 2007 he was named deputy managing editor/space, responsible for coordinating space coverage across all bureaus and publications....

Elizabeth Howell from the Ottawa Business Journal and the award winning Pars3c Spaceflight blog joins Mark Ratterman and Gene Mikulka in this weeks Talking Space Installment. Don't worry, Sawyer Rosenstein and Gina Herlihy will be returning! Grist for this week's mill includes Coverage of STS 134 preparations at the Kennedy space Center along with two unfortunate events; the first fatal accident a...

On this episode of Talking Space, we continue our look at the STS-133 mission including the 2nd spacwalk, Obama's call to the shuttle and station crew, and her last days in space. Then, we hear from Gina on her STS-133 launch adventure reporting for us including her interview with the first Pilot of Discovery on STS-41-D. Then, we discuss the progress of Endeavour on STS-134. Following that, we sa...

On this special STS-133 edition of Talking Space, we discuss the successful launch of Discovery on her final flight, STS-133. We discuss the mission as well as hear some interviews from @CraftLass from her time at the STS-133 NASA Tweetup 1.0 in November and discuss them. Then, we hear from Gina Herlihy who was down at the Kennedy Space Center. Expect more from Gina on next week's STS-133 mission-...

On this episode of Talking Space, we begin by preparing for the launch of STS-133 on Thursday, February 24th at 4:50pm EST and discuss its mission and payload. We then spend some time on the ISS talking about spacwalks, Japanese commanders, and humanoid robots to aid in crew morale...we kid you not. We then mention the reallocation of $287 million dollars from NASA's budget creating an intense con...

On this Valentines episode of Talking Space, we lovingly start with, once again, STS-133 and how for once it has not been delayed but an official date is set for February 24th...for now. We then discuss the Stardust-NExT mission, formerly Deep Impact, as it passed close by to Tempel 1, the same comet in which it crashed into in 2005. We then discuss keeping Endeavour flight ready through 2017 as w...

On this episode, we bring on special guest Amy Teitel. Amy is an aspiring author and the creator of her blog, Vintage Space, where she discusses her views as well as little known facts about some of the classic as well as current space missions. We ask her about some of those opinions as well as bringing up shuttle, landing systems, and even the infamous one-way trip to mars. To visit Amy's blog,...

On this episode, we have special guest Elizabeth Howell, author of the website "Pars3c", join the team. We begin with more STS-133 news, followed by the official announcement of STS-135. Following that, we move out to the ISS where the Russians performed their 27th spacewalk. Following that, we get into heavy business, discussing the launch of the Delta 4 Heavy as well as JAXA's HTV-II. Lastly, we...

On this episode, we talk a lot of rockets! We start by discussing the stringer issue on STS-133. After discussing its launch date, we move on to another way it can be delayed. Lead spacewalker and STS-133 astronaut Tim Kopra was injured while riding his bicycle. We then talk about Mark Kelly asking for a backup while he tends to his injured wife, Representative Gabrielle Giffords. Following that,...

On this episode, we finally have the entire team back at the same time to make this episode. We begin with more delays of STS-133, which was no surprise to any of us. We then become surprised by the findings of an earth-like core on the moon as well as organics, the basic building blocks of life, found on Mars back in the 1970s by the Viking landers. We then offer our condolences and well wishes t...

On the first episode of season 3 and of 2011, the team, through the magic of editing, has come together once again to discuss a year in review, hilighting the major stories in space of 2010, as well as our own personal favorites. Plus, we throw in a few of our own predictions for the new year. Be prepared for great things to come this season. We have some fun things planned for you, the listener,...