Universe Today Podcast

The European Space Agency just dropped an enormous amount of data onto the scientific community. The location and position of 1.7 billion stars in the Milky Way. Support Universe Today Podcast

In this week's live QA, Fraser talks to CodyDon Reeder, the host and self-taught chemist and mad scientist from the popular YouTube channel Cody's Lab. Support Universe Today Podcast

In this week's episode, Fraser talks about how you can support the creators you love, why NASA doesn't make duplicates of its spacecraft, and what binoculars he's using. Support Universe Today Podcast

In this week's live QA, Fraser welcomes futurist Isaac Arthur to talk about a range of topics, from SpaceX to Breakthrough Starshot, and what we think about the state of sci-fi on TV. Support Universe Today Podcast

In this week's questions show, Fraser gets excited about the NIAC awards, considers how NASA will deal with a fully operational BFR, and a special guest answer from Professor David Kipping from Columbia University's Cool Worlds lab. Support Universe Today Podcast

Once a week I'll be opening up the livestream on my YouTube channel and taking questions from the audience, as well as inviting special guests to join me. I didn't think about turning into this into a podcast, so I apologize. Next time I'll be more careful about making sure I read out the questions carefully for audio listeners. Support Universe Today Podcast

We’re now entering the final days for NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope. It’s running out of fuel and already crippled by the loss of its reaction wheels. In just a few months NASA will shut it down for good. That is sad, but don’t worry, NASA’s next planet hunting spacecraft, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Telescope is on the launchpad and ready to fly to space to take over where Kepler left off. Fi...

In this week's questions show, Fraser explains how space debris hunting satellites could also be used as weapons, why his green screen is always set to Endor, and ways to find nearby places for stargazing. Support Universe Today Podcast

The Moon and Mars will probably be the first places in the Solar System that humanity will try to live after leaving the safety and security of Earth. But those worlds are still incredibly harsh environments, with no protection from radiation, little to no atmosphere, and extreme temperatures. Living on those worlds is going to be hard, it’s going to be dangerous. Fortunately, there are a few pock...

In this week's QA, I wonder if we could use the speed of light to see ourselves in the past, how the Mars rovers clean their solar panels, and if aliens would infect us with their bacteria and viruses. Support Universe Today Podcast

We’re now learning that icy worlds seem to be the best places in Solar System where life could be hiding. Worlds like Europa and Enceladus, which have vast oceans of liquid water beneath a shell of water ice. Clearly we need to explore these worlds, to go deep down beneath the ice to explore the ocean depths. But how do you drill through kilometers of ice to reach it? Support Universe Today Podcas...

In this week's questions show, I wonder if the James Webb Space Telescope will be able to find satellites around other stars, what my favorite sci-fi FTL method is, and why can't we see Mars as a bright object in the sky? Support Universe Today Podcast

With modern computer graphics, it’s sometimes hard to know which is an actual photograph of space, and what’s an illustration or a 3D rendering. Some really fascinating discoveries don’t have a pretty picture to go along with them, so illustrations are created to help us understand. Support Universe Today Podcast

In this week's questions show, I explain why I never get to the point, if we'll ever reach interstellar space, and how we'd get down below the ice sheet on Europa. Support Universe Today Podcast

If we want to live and work in space for long periods of time, we’ll need to conquer the lack of gravity and its effects on the human body. We’ll want to come up with some kind of artificial gravity. Futurists imagine huge rotating space stations, but realistically there are strategies that could provide artificial gravity for the times that we need it, and allow us to survive in space forever. Su...

In this week's QA, I compared apples to apples and look at the launch capability of the Falcon Heavy versus the Space Shuttle. The answer may surprise you. We also look at extracting energy from a black hole, and if launching satellites from the Earth's poles will avoid a Kessler Syndrome. Support Universe Today Podcast

During our Iceland adventure, I had a chance to sit down with Dr. Paul Sutter and talk about the limits of science. Why a better version of the Planck Mission can't tell us anything else about the cosmic microwave background radiation. Support Universe Today Podcast

In this week's question show, I explain why I'm happy to answer questions, what first telescope people should get, and if we've ever seen a black hole ever. Also, stick around to the end, where Dr. Alan Stern, the principal investigator of New Horizons answers a question about the mission. Support Universe Today Podcast

NASA is going to decide between a comet sample return mission or a helicopter on Titan. Which mission should it be? Support Universe Today Podcast

In this week's QA, I answer the several related questions about why NASA doesn't just cancel the Space Launch System and give all their money to SpaceX. With special guest answerer Emma Osborne. Support Universe Today Podcast

NASA’s Curiosity Rover has been exploring the surface of Mars for over 5 years now. What has it turned up? Support Universe Today Podcast

In this QA from Iceland, astrophysicist Dr. Paul Sutter steps in to tackle some of the more complicated cosmology and physics based questions from the audience. Did the Big Bang create the matter of the Universe, how close are we do discovering what dark matter is, and more. Support Universe Today Podcast

There are few rockets more iconic than the RS-25, also known as the Space Shuttle main engine. Even though it’s been around in some form since the 1970s, it’s been improved and upgraded several times, making it the most efficient liquid fuel rocket engine going today. And now the RS-25 is going to see a new chapter in its history, working to carry NASA’s new Space Launch System back to deep space,...

In this week's questions show, I talk about being wrong, why I'm such a buzz kill to sci-fi, and what I'd launch on a Falcon Heavy. Support Universe Today Podcast

You might have heard of the recently solved Pioneer anomaly. But what about the flyby anomaly? The unexpected velocity change that happens during gravitational slingshots. Support Universe Today Podcast