Season Two of Aspiring Martians begins with a month-long Everyday Mars series exploring religion on Mars — and what happens to faith, meaning, and spiritual life when humans leave Earth.
This first episode focuses on Buddhism, a tradition practiced by hundreds of millions of people worldwide and rooted in teachings on suffering, impermanence, mindfulness, and compassion. Joe is joined by Bhikkhu Vasu Bandhu, a contemplative teacher working within a modern Buddhist-inspired tradition and a longtime leader in the global interfaith movement.
Vasu Bandhu serves as Interfaith Manager for the Arizona Faith Network, is a member of the International Youth Committee of Religions for Peace, a Global Council Trustee for the United Religions Initiative, and Chair of the North American Interfaith Network. Since the age of 18, he has dedicated his life to interfaith service, eventually joining the Dhammapada Sangha after years of work across diverse religious traditions.
In this conversation, Joe and Vasu Bandhu explore how Buddhist ideas like mindfulness, ethical responsibility, compassion, and acceptance of impermanence could shape spiritual life for future Martians — particularly in environments defined by isolation, confinement, and constant change.
This episode sets the tone for a four-part series that continues next week with Hinduism on Mars, followed by Islam on January 20, and Christianity on January 27.
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A huge thank you to Vasu Bandhu for joining me on today’s episode and sharing his perspective, to Nick Thorburn for the incredible theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the ever playful graphics, to Jero Squartini for the animations, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for being cool with there being another whole year of talking about Mars all the freakin time.
This week, Joe closes the season with an Everyday Mars conversation focused on something every future Martian — and every remote worker — will face: workplace anxiety and occupational health.
To tackle this subject, we're joined by Dr. Craig Jackson, a leading occupational health psychologist whose research examines how work affects human psychological wellbeing, particularly in extreme, remote, and high-stress environments. Their conversation spans decades of research and real-world case studies, including incidents at Antarctic research bases, fatigue and burnout, psychological screening for astronauts and remote workers, and what happens when isolation and pressure compound over time.
They also explore the overview effect, delayed communication, long working hours, and the psychological realities of confined, high-responsibility workplaces — drawing clear parallels between Earth-based analogs and future Mars missions.
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode briefly touches on the subject of suicide from 21:00 to 27:20. Please feel free to skip this section if you prefer.
The episode also serves as a moment of reflection and gratitude. It’s a grounded, thoughtful close to a season dedicated to the human stories behind the dream of living on Mars. We are deeply grateful for your engagement and support this past year as we have dived into the lives of aspiring Martians the covered topics that future Mars settlers will be most interested in. We're profoundly excited to show you what's next in Season 2!
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A huge thank you to Dr. Craig Jackson for joining me todayand sharing his expertise and time, to Nick Thorburn for the absolute banger ofa theme song, to Ceci Giglio for the incredible graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka,and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for supporting thisproject — even when Mars becomes a full-time dinner conversation.
Research:
Workplace Anxiety,Isolation, Polar & Extreme Environments
Palinkas, L. A., & Suedfeld, P. (2008)
The Lancet
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17655924/
Palinkas, L. A. (2003)
American Psychologist
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12784972/
Antarctic Harassment& Safety Climate
U.S. National Science Foundation – Office of Polar Programs(July 2024)
https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2024/nsf24586/nsf24586.pdf
Suicide Risk, SleepDisruption & Remote Work
Bernert, R. A., et al. (2007)
Sleep Medicine Reviews
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17368981/
Pigeon, W. R., et al. (2020)
Scientific Reports
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-70866-6
Fatigue, CircadianMisalignment & Extreme Work
Parkes, K. R. (2017)
Safety Science
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753517300957
Arendt, J., et al. (2022)
Nature and Science of Sleep
https://www.dovepress.com/the-role-of-circadian-phase-in-sleep-and-performance-during-antarctic–peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-NSS
DelayedCommunication, Autonomy & Mars Missions
NASA Ames Research Center (2025)
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20250003885/downloads/NASA%20TM20250003885.pdf
Kanas, N., et al. (2015)
Acta Astronautica
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576514003996
O’Leary, M. B., Wilson, J. M., & Metiu, A. (2014)
Organization Science
https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/orsc.2013.0876
Gibbs, J. L., et al. (2021)
Annual Review of Organizational Psychology andOrganizational Behavior
https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-012420-060248
Mars &Spaceflight Analog Missions
Basner, M., et al. (2014)
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1403716111
NASA Human Research Program
https://humanresearchroadmap.nasa.gov/evidence/
Trauma, IntrusiveMemories & Tetris Studies
Holmes, E. A., et al. (2009)
PLoS ONE
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0004153
Overview Effect, Awe& Perspective Shift
Yaden, D. B., et al. (2016)
Psychology of Consciousness
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-17436-001
Hope you're prepared for a conversation that is as honest as it is powerful.
In this week's episode, Joe sits down with Lina Borozdina where she shares what brought her to space aboard Virgin Galactic, but this discussion goes far beyond the mechanics of spaceflight. Together, they explore the emotional reality of chasing a space dream in public and the resilience required to keep going in the face of dismissive, hurtful, and often cruel commentary from those who would rather see that dream disappear.
The conversation also touches on Lina’s deep commitment to inspiring the next generation of kids, the responsibility that comes with visibility, and the quiet strength demonstrated by women who refuse to make themselves smaller, even when the world asks them to.It’s a vulnerable, moving conversation about courage, representation, and choosing to dream anyway.
This episode marks the final personal story of Season One of Aspiring Martians — a season dedicated to exploring the deeply human stories behind people with a very real dream of living on Mars someday. Stay tuned for next week's final episode of Season 1 with an all new Everyday Mars episode you won't want to miss!
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A huge thank you to Lina for joining me today and sharing her story, to Nick Thorburn for the amazing theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the incredible graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for letting me talk about Mars far more often than is probably reasonable.
This week on Aspiring Martians, Joe sits down with Dr. Kshitij Mall, an assistant professor at the University of South Alabama and director of the BRAHMAND Lab whose work sits at the cutting edge of propulsion, plasma-assisted flows, and extreme-environment engineering.
Kshitij is one of the minds behind Mission ShakthiSAT, a low-cost lunar transfer and micro-lander and program dedicated to empowering thousands of girls around the globe to develop their interest in space. His work asks a big question: what if space exploration didn’t require billion-dollar budgets to matter?
Joe and Kshitij talk about what it means to be an aspiring Martian while still firmly rooted on Earth, his inspiration along the way, and why education and inclusion are just as important as rockets when it comes to building our future off-world.
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A huge thank you to Kshitij for joining me today and sharing his incredible story and ambition, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for always supporting this journey—even when my curiosity drifts toward doomed moons.
This week on Aspiring Martians, Joe sits down with Dr. Adriana Marais: theoretical physicist, astrobiologist, disruptor, explorer, and one of the most compelling voices shaping the future of human settlement beyond Earth.
Adriana’s scientific background spans quantum effects in biology, the origins of life’s building blocks in space, and award-winning work in quantum biology. She’s a Director at the Foundation for Space Development Africa and the Head of Science for Africa2Moon, Africa’s first lunar mission — a first-of-its-kind radio telescope headed for the south pole aboard China’s Chang’e-8 mission.
She’s also the founder of Proudly Human, leading the ambitious Off-World Project, which tests autonomous, resilient living systems in the harshest environments on Earth — deserts, icefields, remote regions — as analogs for future off-world communities. Her work has been featured in CNN’s Africa’s Space Race, AOL’s Citizen Mars, Before Mars, and hundreds of talks across all seven continents. She was recently honored as “Most Disruptive” at the Women in Tech Global Awards in Paris.
Joe and Adriana dive into quantum biology, off-world economics, resilience, the philosophy of exploration, Africa’s growing influence in space, and why extreme Earth environments may hold the key to not just surviving, but thriving on Mars.
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A huge thank you to Adriana for joining me today and sharing her unique perspective, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for always supporting this mission!
This week on Aspiring Martians, Joe sits down with Keisha Schahaff, a trailblazer whose journey has inspired millions across the Caribbean and beyond. Keisha made history as the first Caribbean woman in space, flying aboard Virgin Galactic’s Galactic 02 mission, where she and her daughter became the first mother-daughter duo to reach space together.
Keisha talks about what her flight gave her: the shift in perspective, the overwhelming emotion of seeing Earth from above, and the sense of possibility that stayed with her long after she touched down. She shares how the experience strengthened her connection to her home in Antigua and Barbuda, and why that moment of weightlessness ignited something even bigger: a dream of living on Mars someday.
Joe and Keisha discuss identity, courage, community, and what it means to carve a path for people who have never seen themselves represented in space. It’s a conversation full of warmth, joy, and that rare kind of hope that makes you believe new worlds aren’t just reachable — they’re inevitable.
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A huge thank you to Keisha for joining me today and sharing her incredible and powerful story, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the Facebook group, and to my family for always supporting this mission — even when I start cheering for dust devils.
This November — the month of elections here in the USA — we’re taking the spirit of civic engagement off-world.
In this Everyday Mars special, Joe talks with Dr. Kelly Weinersmith, an author, researcher, and one of the sharpest, funniest minds thinking about the future of space settlement. Kelly and her husband Zach wrote A City on Mars, a book that takes a wildly entertaining, deeply researched look at the realities of living off-planet. It covers everything from lunar land claims to cosmic law enforcement to the political structures that might keep a Mars colony from descending into either chaos or paperwork.
And yes — there is an entire section on governing on Mars.
Together, Joe and Kelly dig into the government models that might emerge on the Red Planet, which ones might fall apart instantly, what history already warns us about, and why the earliest decisions could shape Martian society for generations. It’s thoughtful, funny, and surprisingly grounding. Exactly the kind of episode that reminds you that space is not just about rockets, but about people.
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A huge thank you to Kelly for joining me today and sharing their hilarious and thought-provoking insights. And if you haven’t already, grab a copy of their book A City on Mars: https://www.acityonmars.com/
Thanks as always to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for always supporting this mission — even when dinner talk drifts into real estate opportunities on a far away moon."
Frontier Culture: The Roots and Persistence of “Rugged Individualism” in the United States: https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w23997/w23997.pdf
Frontier Settlement and the Spatial Variation of Civic Institutions: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/items/76f8393b-7f33-4433-a7e0-de204bec7ab5
Off-Earth by Erika Nesvold: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262047548/off-earth/
This week on Aspiring Martians, Joe sits down with Dr. Shawna Pandya, the first named female commercial Canadian astronaut — and one of the most fascinating humans you’ll ever hear from.
She’s an emergency and aeromedical transport physician, an aquanaut, a blackbelt, and the Director of the IIAS Space Medicine Group, where she leads research into how humans adapt to the most extreme environments imaginable — underwater, in microgravity, and someday, on Mars. She’s preparing to fly to space aboard Virgin Galactic’s Delta class spacecraft as early as 2026, and her work is permanently exhibited at the Ontario Science Centre beside Dr. Roberta Bondar.
Joe and Dr. Pandya dive into what it means to push human boundaries, the delicate balancing act of avoiding burnout, and how curiosity, compassion, and courage continue to guide her every step — or giant leap.
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A huge thank you to Dr. Shawna Pandya for joining me today and sharing her inspiring perspective, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for always supporting this mission — even when I start researching real estate on uninhabited Arctic islands.
This week on Aspiring Martians, Joe talks with Sahda Haroon — a space advocate, STEM communicator, and unstoppable force for representation and empowerment in science.
Sahda’s story is one of courage, curiosity, and contagious passion. She’s been part of the Mars Generation, a leader in the STEAM Squad, and a voice reminding us that diversity in space exploration isn’t just nice to have — it’s essential. Her journey is proof that when one person dares to stand out, it creates space for others to step forward too.
In this conversation, Joe and Sahda talk about the power of representation, convincing your family to believe in your space dreams, and what it means to be a rebel who does what others won’t. They dive into breaking cultural traditions, giving your daughter wings to fly, and how a single speech can ripple across continents. Plus: exploding habitats, the Mars Generation, and why surrounding yourself with people who remind you of your “why” might be the most powerful decision you ever make.
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A huge thank you to Sahda for joining me today and sharing her incredible passion and work, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for always supporting this journey — even when my vacation plans start sounding suspiciously like Mars training.
This week on Aspiring Martians, Joe sits down with Ilia-Daniel Gashinbaki — a 17-year-old Nigerian space visionary and the Executive Director and Founder of the Africa Space Foundation.
Daniel’s story started when he was just 11 years old, chosen by Nigeria’s National Space Research and Development Agency as one of the nation’s Space Ambassadors. That experience sparked a lifelong mission: to bring space science and education to communities across Africa and ensure that the continent plays an active role in humanity’s future beyond Earth.
Now, as the head of the Africa Space Foundation, Daniel is leading programs that connect young people with science and technology, host hack-a-thons, and promote collaboration within and beyond Africa. His work is a reminder that leadership isn’t about age — it’s about vision.
In this episode, Joe and Daniel talk about what to do with the privilege you have, the power of cooperation over competition, and how African innovation can help shape Mars exploration. They also dive into solar rovers, budget realities, community pride, and why Daniel sees bringing space to Africans not as a dream — but as a responsibility.
A huge thank you to Daniel for joining me today and sharing his energy and perspective, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for always supporting this mission — even when I start calling parts of Africa ‘mini Mars.’
Food keeps us alive — but it also keeps us human.
In this Everyday Mars episode, Joe talks with Dr. Flávia Fayet-Moore, or Dr. Flav, a scientist, entrepreneur, and space nutritionist who’s making the future of food exciting again — on Earth and beyond it.
Dr. Flav is the founder and CEO of FOODiQ Global, co-founder of Food is Cool, and an alum of the International Space University’s Space Studies Program. Her work blends nutritional science, genomics, sustainability, and a serious passion for making food fun.
Together, Joe and Dr. Flav dig into what astronauts are eating right now (spoiler: lots of pouches), why nutrition gets weird in microgravity, and how long-duration Mars missions will push us to rethink how we grow, store, and enjoy food. They also explore how what we learn for Mars could make eating better and living healthier easier for everyone here on Earth.
So whether you’re a future Martian farmer or just someone trying to keep your plants alive — this one’s for you.
A huge thank you to Dr. Flav for joining me today and sharing her insights on nutrition in space, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the Fcebook group, and to my family for always supporting this mission — even when the kitchen experiments start looking a little too astronaut-ready.
For our episode on Pets on Mars: https://www.aspiringmartians.com/episodes/everyday-mars-pets-on-mars
Check out some more weird sheep facts in our Clothing on Mars episode: https://www.aspiringmartians.com/episodes/everyday-mars-fashion
Dr. Flav's paper "A food "lifeboat": food and nutrition considerations in the event of a pandemic or other catastrophe": https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18072916/
This week on Aspiring Martians, we’re doing something special.
Just before the government shutdown, NASA worked with us to make sure we could sit down with members of the CHAPEA 2 crew — and two days after the hatch sealed, those interviews are now here.
The CHAPEA 2 mission officially began on October 19, 2025, when four volunteers — Ross Elder, Ellen Ellis, Matthew Montgomery, and James Spicer — entered NASA’s Mars Dune Alpha habitat at Johnson Space Center in Houston. For the next 378 days, they’ll live and work as though they’re on Mars, facing communication delays, isolation, limited resources, and simulated spacewalks — all to help NASA understand how humans might live and thrive on the Red Planet.
In this exclusive double episode, Joe speaks first with Matthew Montgomery, CHAPEA 2’s Science Officer — a hardware engineer from Los Angeles whose work spans robotics, lighting systems, and controlled environment agriculture. Then, in part two, Joe talks with James Spicer, the mission’s Flight Engineer — a technical director with deep experience in spacecraft systems, satellite communications, and aerospace design.
Together, they discuss how their love of science and exploration began, what it’s like to commit to a full year of isolation, how they see the future of Mars exploration, and what keeps them motivated when the sky overhead is simulated and Earth is just a signal delay away.
It’s an inspiring look at the people helping pave the path to Mars — from inside a habitat built for the future.
A huge thank you to Matthew and James for joining me today and sharing their insights and imagination, to Kelsey over at NASA for coordinating all of this, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for always supporting this journey — even when the dinner table becomes a Mars landing debate.
This week on Aspiring Martians, Joe talks with Dr. Dianne McGrath — explorer, sustainability expert, and one of the final 100 Mars One astronaut candidates.
Dianne grew up in the wide open stretches of the Australian Outback, where curiosity was her first compass. That same spirit carried her from studying environmental engineering and food sustainability to applying for a one-way mission to Mars — and, just for good measure, sailing around the world in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.
In their conversation, Joe and Dianne talk about what it means to grow up surrounded by vastness, the power of curiosity to guide a life, and what Mars One taught her about humanity’s limits and hopes. They also explore the strange, beautiful parallels between being alone in the middle of the ocean and being alone in space — where your closest neighbors might be the crew of the International Space Station passing silently overhead.
A huge thank you to Dianne for joining me today and sharing her incredible journey and perspective, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for always supporting this mission—even when it involves talking about imaginary space monsters over dinner.
This week on Aspiring Martians, Joe talks with Alejandro Perez — a biomedical engineer turned space educator whose energy is strong enough to replace your morning espresso.
Alejandro’s path started in Connecticut, where he grew up obsessed with how both nature and machines worked. He’s studied tissue engineering, led human stress experiments, worked on Martian regolith and plant genetics research with NASA’s CASIS division, built agricultural robotics for Mars, and now teaches kids and visitors about space at the Kennedy Space Center.
In this conversation, Joe and Alejandro talk about inspecting diesel tanks, emotional Milky Way moments, and what it really means to be a shark. They dive into the value of good mentors, driving your dream forward even when no one’s cheering you on, harnessing the “radiation power of a black hole,” and how Mars might just help us make life better back on Earth.
A huge thank you to Alejandro for joining me today and sharing his incredible energy and curiosity, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for always supporting this journey, even when it means making me avgolemono to chase this stupid cold away.
In this Everyday Mars special, Joe explores a question that’s equal parts science and heart: which pets might one day travel with us to Mars?
Last month we looked at dogs and cats, and why they’re unlikely to be early spacefarers. This month we turn to everything else — from goldfish that bred successfully in orbit to quail chicks hatched on Mir, from cockroaches conceived in space to tortoises that circled the Moon. We trace the long history of animal spaceflight and consider what it tells us about companionship, resilience, and wellbeing for future settlers.
To make sense of it all, Joe is joined by Dr. Jamie Foster, Full Professor at the University of Florida’s Department of Microbiology and Cell Science. Dr. Foster has conducted multiple experiments on the Space Shuttle and ISS, studying how microgravity impacts microbes and their animal hosts, and how engineered microbes could help keep astronauts healthy during long missions. She also leads initiatives that connect research, startups, and commercial launch providers to bring the benefits of space biomanufacturing back to Earth.
Together, they explore why pets aren’t just cute companions, but potentially powerful tools for stress relief and mental health during the most extreme journey humanity has ever attempted.
A huge thank you to Dr. Jamie Foster for joining me today and sharing her expertise, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for always supporting this mission—even when it means hearing me get excited about sea monkeys on Mars.
This week on Aspiring Martians, Joe talks with Rachel Lyons — aerospace engineer, leadership coach, and former Executive Director of Space for Humanity. Today, she runs EarthRise Leadership, where she fuses her background in aerospace and economics with a passion for helping people step into who they want to be — on Earth and beyond.
Rachel’s work has been featured on CNN, NPR, and stages around the world, but her story goes deeper than the résumé. In our conversation, she opens up about taking the reins of leadership at a young age, the spark she found watching Cosmos, and the lessons she’s learned about team cohesion, self-care, and forging ahead even when support isn’t guaranteed. We also dig into why humility will shape our future on Mars — and how preparing to live off-world is really about becoming more than we are right now.
A huge thank you to Rachel Lyons for joining me today and sharing her incredible perspective, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining he FB group, and to my family for always supporting this journey—even when the topic at the table becomes fossilized microbial leftovers.
This week on Aspiring Martians, Joe talks with Sergii Iakymov — aerospace engineer, Mars One 100 finalist, and the Director of the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah.
Born in Germany, raised in Ukraine, and now splitting his time between Utah and California, Sergii has spent over 15 years designing, testing, and leading in aerospace and exploration. He’s managed crews in the Utah desert, joined a 45-day HERA mission in Houston, and helped shape some of the most active Mars analog projects in the world.
In our conversation, Sergii shares what it was like to be part of the Mars One 100, how his background in aviation and cosmonautics led him to analog research, and what he’s learned about human resilience from both directing missions and serving as crew. We also dive into the lessons from living in confinement, why international collaboration matters, and how Martian settlement isn’t only about surviving on another world — it’s about building better ways to live right here at home.
A huge thank you to Sergii Iakymov for joining me today and sharing his remarkable story, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for adminin the FB group and to my family for always supporting this mission—even when I pitch Utah vacations to them at the dinner table.
This week on Aspiring Martians, Joe talks with Josh Richards — a physicist, former Australian Army and UK Royal Marine commando, cave diver, writer, and one of the most visible Mars One finalists.
Josh’s background is extraordinary: growing up in a military family, serving in multiple branches of the armed forces, and even turning to comedy as a way of processing the scars of service. In our conversation, he shares candidly about his PTSD, why he walked away from the military, and how he found healing through comedy, storytelling, exploration, and a vision of humanity among the stars.
We cover everything from what it was like to grow up thinking space was out of reach for an Australian kid, to how a single song in a London flat reignited his childhood dream, to the philosophy that drives him to keep exploring — whether that’s signing up for Mars or crawling through flooded caves in South Australia.
This is a conversation about space, yes — but more than that, it’s about resilience, visibility, and what it means to keep moving forward after hardship.
A huge thank you to Josh Richards for joining me today and sharing his energy and perspective, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the Facebook Group, and to my family for always supporting this journey—even when the dinner table turns into a Mars trivia contest.
For more information on the Soggy Wombats, check out their YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@soggywombat
This week on Aspiring Martians, I talk with Olanrewaju Paul Oladunni — a pioneer in Africa’s space advocacy movement and the Founder and Regional President of Space Tourism Society Africa.
Paul’s journey started with a simple dream: bringing people closer to the stars. From founding one of Nigeria’s first space clubs in the early 2000s to representing Africa at the global level with Space Renaissance International, he’s worked tirelessly to make sure the continent isn’t just a passenger in humanity’s journey to space — but a leader.
In this conversation, Paul shares how he connects the vision of a spacefaring Africa with the fight against poverty, how grassroots movements can transform lives, and why he believes the cosmos belongs to everyone.
A huge thank you to Paul Oladunni for joining me today and sharing his incredible perspective, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for always supporting this journey—even when it turns into late-night research on Martian maps.
Dogs have been humanity’s companions for thousands of years—guardians, workers, comforters, and beloved family members. But what about Mars?
In this special Everyday Mars episode, released in honor of International Dog Day, I sat down with Dr. Clive Wynne, ethologist at Arizona State University and author of Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You. Dr. Wynne is one of the foremost experts on the behavior of dogs and their wild relatives, and together we explored the question: will humans one day share life on Mars with their canine companions?
We talked about the history of dogs in space—over 50 launched through the Soviet program, with names like Squirrel, Little Arrow, and Laika the “barker.” Then we turned to the practical and ethical questions of taking dogs to Mars: Could they adapt to the conditions? Would their companionship help future settlers thrive? And what does our bond with dogs say about the kind of society we’ll build off Earth?
This episode is part science, part philosophy, and part love letter to our best friends—and what role they might play in humanity’s Martian future.
A huge thank you to Dr. Clive Wynne for joining me today and sharing his insight into the human-canine bond, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for always supporting this journey—even when it takes a detour into Cold War dog tales.