Jared Isaacman, the billionaire entrepreneur, philanthropist, and private astronaut, took on Capitol Hill this week in his second confirmation hearing as President Trump's pick for NASA's next leader. Here's what it could mean, plus: A Russian cosmonaut got kicked off a SpaceX flight for allegedly trying to steal spacecraft secrets, China's 1st reusable rocket Zhuque-3 reached orbit, but crashed and burned (and exploded) during landing, and Russia accidentally wrecked the only launch pad it has for astronauts with Thanksgiving's new ISS crew launch.
Headlines:
Main Topic: Jared Isaacman's Bid to Become NASA Administrator
Host: Tariq Malik
Guest: Mike Wall
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Were you inspired by "Star Trek" (or one of its innumerable spinoffs) as a young person? We know we were, so it was a pleasure to invite Glen Swanson, author of the new Star Trek history book "Inspired Enterprise" onto the show. We've all heard lore about the original series, but Swanson, who was previously the Chief Historian at the Johnson Space Center, used his prodigious skills to perform a deep dive into the topic. From Gene Roddenberry's original inspiration to working with Caltech, the RAND Corporation, and NASA; and on to the design of the good ship Enterprise itself (and the very popular AMT models that followed), this book provides everything you need to know to be a certified Trekker.
Headlines:
Main Topic: The Real Inspirations Behind Star Trek
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Glen Swanson
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Snow on the moon? Yes, though not recently... but maybe billions of years ago. Recent discoveries indicate that the early moon, orbiting just 20,000 miles above our planet at the time, may have shared a dynamic magnetic field with that of the Earth, resulting in the moon having an early atmosphere about twice as dense as the Martian atmosphere is today! This has wide implications for planetary science, but perhaps our favorite is that it may have snowed both carbon dioxide and water ice on the moon back in the day. We're also talking about the amazing launch and recovery of New Glenn, the plight of the Chinese taikonauts aboard the Tiangong space station, and a recent SpaceX memo about—no surprises here—a delay to their lunar landing program for Artemis III. Join us!
Headlines:
Main Topic: Moon Volatiles and Lunar Science
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Dr. Jim Green
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As you may or may not know, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is in the administration's crosshairs. With cuts to their budget and staffing beginning under Elon Musk's DOGE, it has taken a different form with the government shutdown. Employees furloughed or retired from critical programs, laboratories shuttered, and entire facilities gutted--all without the approval of Congress. By the time the shutdown is over, NASA's primary research center--and the one most responsible for what many are now calling "the C-word," climate science--will be a shell of its former self. Josh Dinner, who recently completed a months-long investigative report, joins us. Also: Jared Isaacman is back in the running as NASA chief, the 25th anniversary of the ISS, and China now working with the US on orbital dangers.
Headlines:
Main Topic: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Crisis
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Josh Dinner
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This week we look at why space can be scary with a survey of some of the best (and some of the most laughable) movies about critters from outer space! Witness the terror of men in floppy rubber suits! Cringe as the century plant-like triffids take over people's brains! Scream along with us as rock spiders on the moon devour astroanuts' faces! It's a true popuourri of space-borne horrors as we discuss some of the best (okay, and worst) space sci-fi movies of all time!
Headlines:
• NASA Science Centers Face Shutdown and Controversy During Budget Crisis
• SpaceX Promises to Simplify Artemis 3 Moon Landing, Details Remain Vague
• Night Sky Halloween Highlights: Two Can't-Miss Comets
• Tribute to Buzz Aldrin's Late Wife, Anka Ferrer
Main Topic: Scary Space Movies—A Halloween Special
• Classic 1950s Sci-Fi: The Thing from Another World, Terror from Beyond Space
• Martian Invasions: War of the Worlds Films and HBO/BBC Adaptations
• Alien Franchise: From Horror to Action Blockbusters
• Unique Entries: Day of the Triffids, Quatermass, Event Horizon, Apollo 18
• Modern Space Horror: Life, Pandorum, Sunshine, and Sputnik
• Real-Life Space Terror: Apollo 13's Harrowing True Story
• Honorable Mentions and B-movie Picks: Green Slime, The Blob, Leprechaun 4, Jason X
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
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Lander, lander, who's got the lander? Last week, acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy announced that the agency would be re-opening the contract for the Artemis III lunar lander, which had previously been let to SpaceX to be fulfilled by their Starship Human Landing System. Unfortunately, that effort is well behind schedule, and the Trump administration has made landing astronauts on the moon, before China does, a national priority. With multiple refuelings and landing tests required, there is concern that SpaceX may not be able to fulfil their commitment before China's announced landing date of 2030. Elon Musk responded to the announcement with characteristic tack, with phrasing like "Sean Dummy" and him having a two-digit IQ. Mike Wall of Space.com joins us to dive into this rapidly evolving story.
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Mike Wall
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If you ever saw the IMAX spectacular, "The Dream is Alive," you've seen astronaut Terry Hart in action, capturing the Solar Max satellite with the shuttle's robotic arm. But even if you missed that film, Terry has had a fascinating career as an Air Force pilot, NASA astronaut, senior leadership at Bell Labs (more than once!), and as an academic and creator of a new aerospace engineering program at Lehigh University. Join us for an enjoyable hour with one of our favorite guys. Also, is Jared Isaacman back as the new NASA Administrator? Will the Orion capsule soon be used for non-NASA missions? And what's going on with the layoffs at the Jet Propulsion Lab? All this and more on This Week in Space.
Headlines:
Main Topic: Astronaut Terry Hart's Career, Space Shuttle Missions, and NASA's Evolution
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Terry Hart
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World Space Week is a global celebration of all things space, bringing together thousands of participants from all over the planet to celebrate our future in space. Chartered by the United Nations in 1999, this year's theme is "Living in Space." The many associated events from across the world are a reminder to all of the importance of space in our lives and our future, and a clarion call to international youth of the value of their future involvement. We spoke with the WSW Association's executive director, Alma Okpalefe, who explained their origins, activities, and plans for the future. It's one of the premier space-related events of the year, and when you're done with the episode, you'll want to know more!
Headlines:
Main Topic: World Space Week 2025
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Alma Okpalefe
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This week we cover the headlines, from the shutdown of NASA, to the risky dismantling of the space shuttle Discovery (because Texas insists), to a rogue exoplanet's weird weather, and much more. Should we be worried about China investing in SpaceX? How about those close-up shots of the interstellar visitor 3I/Atlas? And are asteroids hiding out near Venus a threat to Earth? All this and more on episode 180 of This Week in Space.
Headlines:
• NASA Suffers Major Disruption Amid Government Shutdown
• Shuttle Discovery Faces Potential Forced Dismantling for Texas Move
• China Might be Eying Perseverance Mars Samples in Race to Retrieve Martian Rocks
• Near-Venus Asteroids Pose Hidden Threats to Earth
• Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Gets Close-Up for Mars Orbiters
• Concerns Over Chinese Investments in SpaceX
• China Fast-Tracks Lunar Landing Systems and Rocket Tests
• James Webb Telescope Delivers First Rogue Exoplanet Weather Report
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
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It's almost time for Artemis II to fly to the moon! We got together with Space.com writer Josh Dinner, who joined our own Tariq to attend the "astro unveiling" of NASA's newest class of astronauts and a major press event surrounding the crew of Artemis II. The mission is currently scheduled to loop the moon in early 2026. Join us for the newest details!
Headlines:
Main Topic: Artemis II Updates and NASA's Next Generation Astronauts
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Josh Dinner
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