This week we look at how the elimination of science programs, projects, datasets, and funding may be shaping into an extinction-level event for US Space-related sciences. Come cry with us.
3.15 From the beginning of the universe to the beginning of spring, it’s all science
There are certain things I check on when I prepare every episode. One of those things is the status of Vera Rubin Observatory and its upcoming Large Survey of Space and Time. The camera was delivered a while back, and first light images could come any day. Getting us...
3.14 Space is hard: IM2 Failure, Starship 8 explosion, Mars Sample Return delays, and more
This week’s episode was hard to bring into focus because every time I thought I knew the story lineup, something new came out demanding to be included. In the end, some of that stuff is just going to wait. For instance, news came out earlier today, March 20, that the...
3.13 The Book of Mars, Star Formation, and More
I’m recording this on March 5. At this point in time, there is no new NASA administrator and we continue to live in the liminal space where the massive layoff that have struck so many Federal Agencies are still somehow only touching the edges of Space Science. We seen...
3.12 Temperatures That Kill
Our episodes have been slightly more spaced out for a couple of months for different reasons. First, there were the holidays. Since then, I and some colleagues have been putting significant effort into a pair of tiny NASA grants as we try to get ahead on our work in...
3.11 Space stories of joy
This week I'm coming to you from Florida, where I have had the amazing opportunity to see the launch of Firefly Aerospace's blue ghost and iSpaces Mission 2. I didn’t see New Glenn launch in person due to a conflict with PodFest, but all in all, it is a week of too...
3.10 Science Here & Far: The Moon, Asteroids, Dark Comets… & Dark Energy
I’m coming to you from 1 week before Christmas 2024. I have to admit, at the moment my brain is occupied with just 3 things: Will I finish the knitting I need to finish before Christmas Day? Will Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost launch while I’m in Florida for PodFest?...
3.09 Searching for Dark Energy in Black Holes
Here in the United States, it is the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend. While I’m script writing in southern Illinois, Ally, our producer is working on her other podcast, “Big Impact Astronomy.” While I’m sure both our families would rather we took the time to relax,...
3.08 By fire and ice: mass extinctions gone wild
I’m writing and recording this on November 14. It is now 9 days after the US elections and we now know that the Republicans now control all three branches of the US government. Historically, Republican controlled administrations have been good for science and have...
Ep. 3.07 Aerospace vs Climate Change
I am currently wishing we produced a weekly show because this past week has been full of news that is surreally relevant to both Space Exploration and the elections. We’ve seen Jeff Bezos, owner of the Washington Post, Amazon, and aerospace company Blue Origin, have...
Ep. 3.06 Hera and Clipper plan on getting up close with other worlds, and Black Hole News
This episode is coming to you late because sometimes we’re guilty of just wanting to see how a story ends. 2 weeks ago, I was planning to drive to the Space Coast and try to watch Hera launch on October 7 and Clipper launch on October 10. Instead… I watched from home...