This Week in Space (Audio)

This week, we cover how Starship Flight 13 finally prepares to launch amid a legal battle over SpaceX's proposed land swap at Starbase, plus a Chinese Long March 3B rocket gets struck by lightning during liftoff, yet still delivers its satellite safely. Then, guests Dr. Pascal Lee and astrobiologist Dr. Penny Boston join the show to mark the 50th anniversary of Viking 1's landing on Mars and revisit the mission's groundbreaking life-detection experiments and the decades-long controversy over what they actually found. The conversation traces Mars exploration from the earliest Mariner flybys through Viking's ambiguous, still-debated results—later explained by perchlorates in the Martian soil—and the fierce scientific rivalry the findings sparked. Join us!



Headlines:

SpaceX Starship Flight 13 faces engine and weather delays ahead of launch

SpaceX land swap proposal sparks conservation group lawsuit over Rio Grande Valley wildlife preserve

Chinese Long March rocket survives dramatic lightning strike during launch

Main Topic: 50th Anniversary of Viking Mars Landers—Search for Life on Mars

The evolution of Mars exploration from telescopes to Viking lander

Early Mars missions: Mariner flybys, Soviet attempts, and breakthroughs in orbital imaging

Viking 1 and 2: Ambitious design, life-detection experiments, and landing impact

Mixed public and scientific reactions to Viking's first iconic Mars surface images

Technical overview of the Viking biology experiments and their controversial results

The unresolved debate: Did Viking detect life or chemical reactions on Mars?

Personal accounts of key scientists, scientific disputes, and the "Wolf Trap" experiment that never flew

Lessons from Viking: Limitations of technology, extremophile discoveries, and shifting strategies for detecting life

The scientific case for seeking life in Martian caves and subsurface environments

Critique of current and future Mars missions: Perseverance rover findings and value of Mars Sample Return

Exploring planetary protection, contamination risks, and the challenges of certifying Martian samples=

Key takeaways for future missions—bold searches, new technologies, and the ongoing quest for answers

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guests: Pascal Lee and Dr. Penelope Boston

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This week we're jumping into the space headlines for the past few weeks. It's been busy, and some exciting things are happening! A couple of companies are moving into the space solar power arena--something we've long advocated--and that's welcome progress. Starship is set to fly Starship test number 13, and a lot is riding on this--the system is overdue for some proof of concept to keep up with NASA's HLS contract. An exoplanet spotted a decade ago has shown signs of a potentially habitable atmosphere; there are landslides--big ones--on Pluto, and evidence of "space candy" sugars in an interstellar cloud are in the news. Finally, SpaceX is doubling down on their big defense contracts with a well-funded US Space Force. Join us for all the latest!



Headlines:

SpaceX Starship Flight 13 Launch Aborted Due to Engine Issue

Meteorite Crashes Into New Jersey, Preserved Sample Fuels Origins of Life Research

Discovery of Atmosphere Around Habitable-Zone Exoplanet LHS 1140 b

NASA Moon Tree Planted After Artemis 1 Mission

Reflect Orbital to Launch Mirrors in Space, Sparking Astronomer Backlash

Landslides Found on Pluto Could Bury Entire Cities

Rare Sugar Found in Interstellar Cloud Hints at Building Blocks of Life

SpaceX's Growing Military Launch Contracts and Pentagon Ties

Space Development Agency's Expanding Satellite Constellation for Space Force

Starship's Dual Focus: NASA Moon Landings vs. Mars and Satellite Deployment

Artemis 3 Updates: New Renderings, Docking Plans, and Starlink HD Laser Payloads

Defense Innovation Unit's Push for Space-Based Power Beaming Technology

Pulse Space and Laser-Based Satellite Power and Communication

New Satellite Concept to Detect Nuclear Devices in Orbit Amid Global Security Concerns

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

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We've been hearing a lot about NASA's new moonbase plans, and they are ambitious. Starting with Artemis V (so far), the US plans to begin preparations for a permanent base situated in the south polar regions of the moon. Details are somewhat fluid, but one thing stands out: the poles are likely to be the most challenging places to set up shop in an already hostile environment. Planetary scientist Dr. Pascal Lee joins us to discuss moonbase siting options and why the poles may not be the best choice at first.



Headlines:

China Demonstrates Impressive Rocket Landing and Catch Mechanism

New Horizons Probe Awakens to Transmit Deep Space Data

Wally Funk, Last of the "Mercury 13," Passes Away

West Coast Rocket Launch Alert: SpaceX Falcon 9 Visual Spectacle

Main Topic: Moon Base Strategy and Location Debate

History and Evolution of U.S. Moon Base Plans

NASA's New Multi-Phase Moon Base Timeline and Missions

Strategic and Logistical Challenges of South Pole Moon Bases

Arguments for a Centralized, Benign Location for Moon Infrastructure

Commercial and International Partnership Models for Lunar Operations

Role of Robotics and AI in Moon Exploration and Prospecting

Lessons from Antarctic Base Logistics Applied to the Moon

Potential for Tourism and Commercial Development on the Lunar Surface

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Pascal Lee

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Since 1958, the United States has been part of the spaceflight adventure, and since the mid-1960s has led in just about any category that counts. In this episode, we discuss the progression of American space efforts, review which flights launched or landed on July 4, and relive some of our very favorite US space missions of all time!

"Headlines:

• NASA's Swift Boost Mission Aims to Rescue Swift Space Telescope

• Astronomer Avi Loeb Tapped to Chair White House UAP Panel

• Celebrating 30 Years of the Film Independence Day

Main Topic: 250 Years of America in Space

• American Flags Across the Solar System

• Origins of the Space Age: Operation Paperclip and the V2 Legacy

• Explorer 1 and Early U.S. Satellite Achievements

• Mariner and Viking Missions: Mars Exploration Milestones

• Key American Firsts in Human Spaceflight

• Apollo Landings and Moonwalk Milestones

• Skylab and Its Legacy as America's First Space Station

• The Rise of Reusable Rockets: Space Shuttle, Blue Origin, and SpaceX

• Private Spaceflight and Tourism: From Dennis Tito to Jared Isaacman

• Curiosity, Pathfinder, and Other Mars Rovers as Iconic U.S. Achievements

• Reflections on Favorite Missions and the Future of U.S. Space Leadership"

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.

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We've had endless conversations about aliens and first contact--but what if a conversation with other intelligences is beyond our scope? Dr. Daniel Whiteson, particle physicist at CERN's Large Hadron Collider and professor at UC Irvine, joins us to explore less conventional thoughts on first contact. We look at the challenges of communicating with extraterrestrial intelligences, potential difficulties of communicating via non-terrestrial mathematics and physics, and the possibility that extraterrestrials might actually be terrestrial... but existing as denizens of the dark energy universe. One might be sitting in your lap right now! Join us for the far-ranging discussion.

Headlines:

Boeing's Troubled Starliner Spacecraft Faces Further Setbacks and Delays

NASA Perseverance Rover Finds Promising Clues of Ancient Life on Mars

NASA Space Telescope Faces Fiery Descent, Mission Planned to Save It

Main Topic: Dark Matter, Particle Physics, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

UC Irvine's Dr. Daniel Whiteson Discusses Path into Space Science and Particle Physics

Exploring Nontraditional Signals for Alien Communication Beyond Radio Waves

The Mystery of Ultra-High Energy Particles and Speculation on Artificial Cosmic Rays

Challenges of Detecting, Interpreting, and Interacting with Alien Intelligence

Implications of Dark Matter for Hidden Civilizations and Parallel Existence

Complexities in Communicating with Truly Alien Life and Human-Centric Scientific Assumptions

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Daniel Whiteson

Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.

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