This Week in Space (Audio)

It has been said that the Moon is a harsh mistress, and nowhere is this more apparent than at the lunar south pole. That is, however, where the Artemis program is headed, and we need to figure out how to best explore the region. Dr. David Kring of the Universities Space Research Association's Lunar and Planetary Institute joins us to explore the where, whys, and hows of the Artemis Program's lunar exploration plans, and the answers--and risks--that await us.

Headlines:

Starship Flight 12 Survives Indian Ocean Landing nd Long Sea Journey

China's Chang'e 7 Lunar Hopper Mission Targets Permanently Shadowed Terrain

US National Space Transportation Policy Aims for 1,000 Launches Per Year by 2030

Main Topic: The Science and Planning of the Artemis Lunar Program

Criteria and Studies for Selecting Artemis Landing Sites

South Pole Resource Advantages: Continuous Solar Power and Potential Volatiles

Scientific Promise of the Schrödinger Impact Basin vs. South Pole Mandate

The Value of Lunar Sample Return for Transformational Science

Unique Terrain and Operational Challenges of the Lunar South Polar Region

Training, Mobility, and the Role of Human Exploration versus Robotics

Impact Cratering's Role in Life's Origins and Earth's Early History

Considerations for Lunar Base Location and Hazards

Training Programs for Scientists and Astronauts Preparing for Artemis



Host: Rod Pyle

Co-Host: Fredrick (Rick) Jenet

Guest: Dr. David Kring

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We're headed for a space renaissance, and it will be focused on the Moon. The US, China, and international partners of both are vying to land people there and construct a permanent lunar base. Meanwhile, NASA is evolving to embrace commercial enterprise unlike any time in its past, and American lunar efforts are lagging. What are the stakes? Does it matter who returns humans there first? What does the future of lunar commerce look like? Dr. Scott Pace, the Director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, joins us.



Main Topic: The Evolving Lunar Domain and US Space Policy

• Dr. Scott Pace's space policy background and legacy

• Policy continuity from Trump to Biden and the focus on implementation

• Artemis program direction and geopolitical influences

• The importance of commercial and international partnerships

• NASA's commercial contract successes and limitations

• Need for an off-ramp from SLS as commercial heavy lift matures

• Differentiating between short-term wins and long-term infrastructure goals in lunar strategy

• Tension between NASA centers and commercial LEO station development

• Challenges and prospects for lunar landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin

• Recommendations for NASA's future focus: tough technical problems, integration, and talent

• The cultural and inspirational necessity of human presence in space despite advancing AI and robotics

Host: Rod Pyle

Co-Host: Dale Skran

Guest: Dr. Scott Pace

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We've all seen the movies... the aliens come to Earth, the aliens overcome the inferior humans, and the aliens fall prey to something dumb they overlooked, like microbes, Windows 95, or most absurdly, water. From the 1950s through yesterday, some of the best movies we've seen were about the invasion of our planet. They can be clever, scary, or even downright dumb, but they are all fun. Veteran space writer Rich Edwards joins us to give advice on how to repel the invaders!



Headlines:

Department of Defense drops new batch of UFO/UAP files

Blue Origin traces New Glenn rocket explosion to faulty oxygen valve

SpaceX's first public earnings call reveals key financials and hints at Starship's future

Total solar eclipse set to cross Europe; safety tips and gear recommendations

Main Topic: How to Invade Earth in Sci-Fi—22 Dos and Don'ts with Rich Edwards

The enduring appeal and adaptability of War of the Worlds

Why alien invaders always go for major landmarks (and why it's all for show)

Critique of aliens with impractical invasion strategies—water allergies and cocky attitudes

Pop culture's obsession with alien disguises, conspiracy plots, and gradual infiltration

Deep dive into Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Day of the Triffids, and the power of slow, stealthy takeovers

Starting small: Alien invasions in isolated towns and subtle conquests

The strategic use of time travel in alien invasion movies, with Star Trek: First Contact

Why James Cameron's Aliens remains a sci-fi invasion classic decades later

What makes a satisfying alien invasion ending—and the pitfalls of lazy resolutions

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Richard Edwards

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Rod Pyle is out this week, so Rick Jenet of the National Space Society joins Tariq Malik this week to talk about SpaceX's Starship Flight 13, which deployed new Starlink V3 satellites and stunned viewers when the ship survived reentry intact enough to float in the ocean for days afterward. They also discuss NASA's Roman Space Telescope, now just a month from launch, and an in-progress emergency effort to save the ailing Swift Space Observatory using a servicing spacecraft that is itself now experiencing technical trouble. Finally, they look into Boeing's continued Starliner delays and India's first successful private orbital launch via Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket. Tune in!



Headlines:

SpaceX Starship Flight 13 Splashdown and Recovery Efforts

Starlink V3 Satellite Deployment Updates

SpaceX Wins $1.6 Billion Space Force Contract

NASA's Roman Space Telescope Countdown and Origin Story

Urgent Swift Space Observatory Rescue Mission Faces Technical Setbacks

Boeing Starliner Faces More Delays and Uncertainty

India's First Commercial Rocket Launch Enters Global Market

Artemis II Astronaut Questions South Pole as Lunar Landing Target

Astronomers Detect Possible First-Ever Exomoon

Upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9 Impact Experiment on the Moon

Preview: August Almost Total Solar Eclipse and Night Sky Events

Host: Tariq Malik

Co-Host: Fredrick (Rick) Jenet

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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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