Today In Space

Wishing you nothing but improvement and the best for you in 2022! Closing out 2021, we wanted to enter 2022 by recapping the story of James Webb Space Telescope as a beacon of hope that even with struggle, difficulty, and decades of doubt - humans can still perform great acts and complete the goals set out before them. After the successful Christmas day launch, the assembly process on the way to 1 million miles away from earth continues to be successful. Some of the most difficult moments are behind with more to come... The journey to getting this astronomical marvel off planet and into space was a saga in its own right. It really resonated with me about what life is like as a human being on this planet called Earth. This week we discuss how similar the challenges that JWST faced is to what we face in today's world. There are so many lessons to take away that we can use to understand the struggle we go through in a post-pandemic world. Struggle may exist, but performing at the moment you need to is critical,

In this episode we cover the latest in all-things space since our last episode on Dec 9th. - Blue Origin launched the 'Original Six' to the edge of space and back landing safely in West Texas.  - The Parker Solar Probe 'touched' the sun and it's corona for the first time, and some recent research linking solar wind and asteroid regolith with creating water which may explain the Earth's water 'budget'. One thing's for sure, our Sun is a main reason we have life as stable as we have it on Earth. To think it may also be 'wetting' the solar systems airless bodies is WILD - Jame Webb Space Telescope launches on Christmas Eve, December 24th at 7:20AM EST. We discuss what JWST will do to expand our understanding of the universe and our existence. Where we come from.  Solar wind research: https://www-cbc-ca.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6271594 Solar Wind Research paper abstract: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-021-01487-w https://hub.jhu.edu/2021/12/15/parker-solar-probe-touches-the-sun/ https://e

This week we're talking about the balance as SpaceX is on red alert! Starship & the Raptor engine are at risk to bankrupt SpaceX if they don't figure it out soon. Elon's email to SpaceX employees was leaked and reveals what we have seen so many times from Musk - logical, almost Vulcan-like honesty.  All of this was revealed as SpaceX continues to battle their competition like Blue Origin (just chosen for a contract to develop Orbital Reef to replace the ISS) and Rocket Lab (who revealed their design for their Neutron Rocket, which will compete with Falcon9!). While these companies duke it out for a share of the space economy, its a great time for space development as this type of healthy competition pushes us further towards sending the first woman and next man to the surface of the moon. And that's just the beginning of what's to come!  Thank you for joining us 00:00 - Introduction/SpaceX on Red Alert! 03:35 - Blue Origin win's Space Station contract 07:00 - Rocket Lab's newest rocket - Neutron 14:00 - E

This week we are joined by Jordan Noone for an episode of People of Science. Jordan is currently the Co-Founder, CTO/Partner of Embedded Ventures, dubbed the "skunkworks of deep tech venture capitol" is investing in companies and technologies for space "beyond launch". There's so much focus on the rockets, but the whole reason we have rockets is to send payloads into space. If we solve the cost problem of going to space with reusability, then what comes next? How good is the stuff we are sending to space? Are we even ready for it? This is what Embedded Ventures is focused on solving for the space industry. Jordan was previously a Co-Founder, CTO of Relativity Space, who are revolutionizing the additive manufacturing and aerospace world by combining 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and autonomous robotics to create a rocket from raw material in 60 days with 100X less parts. We learn about Jordan's STEM Origin story, which has ultimately led him to a unique perspective as a 28-year old multi-business entre

A Happy Thanksgiving to all of you in the US - and happy holidays to everyone around our planet Earth! We have a great travel podcast for you - perfect for the driving, shopping, traveling you'll likely be doing this week. Between Anti-Satellite tests, Orbital debris, and the 5 year anniversary of our 3D printing lab AG3D - there's a lot to cover!  Thanks for joining us Have a great Thanksgiving!

A LOT has happened in the matter of a week in space...NASA & SpaceX continue work on HLS after months long delays, Blue Origin loses protest but strikes back with Orbital Reef for the next stage of Artemis. We learn about the diverse group of technologies, capabilities, and companies that make up Orbital Reef - Blue Origin, Sierra Space, RedWire, Boeing, Genesis Engineering, and Arizona State University (ASU). We explain WHY the HLS contract was so important to progress in space, and WHY Space Stations are a necessary technological development for us to truly have access to space for all. HLS Contract Timeline: April 2021 https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/option-a-source-selection-statement-final.pdf November 4th, 2021 https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.uscfc.44185/gov.uscourts.uscfc.44185.74.0_1.pdf Blue Origin loses protest for HLS Contract with NASA https://thehill.com/changing-america/enrichment/580161-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-loses-months-long-legal-battle-with-nas

This weeks episode we are talking about some important launches coming up this year if all goes well. Both missions are long awaited missions years in the making! Space Launch System is stacked inside the Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida for the first time. James Webb Space Telescope FINALLY (hopefully) gets ready for launch onboard an Ariane 5 rocket on 12/18/21. Both missions have been a long time coming and it begs the question - what have we learned from these long delayed missions? What could we do better to have a rugged space program that isn’t susceptible to political whims and a waining public interest? How did we make our 3dprinted Halloween costume of a SpaceX helmet like the one the Inspiration4 wore on their mission? All this and more! We’ve got lot to chat about! We’d love to know what YOU think James Webb telescope gets ready for launch - what to look out for: https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-deployments-video https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/10/nasa-wants-to-buy-sls-ro

So much to catch up on from this month! Blue Origin sends Captain Kirk (William Shatner) to #space, LUCY launches to the Trojan Asteroids, and OrbitFab is launching the first satellite fueling station on a SpaceX Falcon9! & SO MUCH MORE For anyone waiting for a new episode this month - thanks for your patience! Life got the best of me, and sorry you had to wait. But thanks to everyone who reached out. All is good, just busy working on my future!  NASA launches the Crew3 mission on Halloween morning 2:21AM ET from Cape Canaveral, FL! We'll do a show covering the launch so we'll see you next week for another episode LUCY heading to the Trojan Asteroids https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/lucy/in-depth/ https://www.space.com/amp/lucy-asteroid-spacecraft-solar-array-issue-continues Blue Origin Drama: https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1445377244860407816?s=21 https://spacexmania.com/archives/553?fbclid=IwAR37Wg7ZRWRziPcLHgOrJJyySR44yV_MKAuHfeI5djt_8Nfz6WyBgtyUg-A Orbit Fab Launch: https://spacenews.

This week we are closing out the exciting month of September and sharing more thoughts about the Inspiration4 mission. This first all-civilian mission has had a PROFOUND affect on me. Still processing just how much but it's really got me focusing on my own body & mind and wanting to make progress in a more healthier & fit me. NOT what I was expecting as my takeaway from this mission, but this really broke down my perception of astronauts as being required to be professionals. We are good enough to train basically anyone to become an astronaut now apparently.  I want to hear YOUR thoughts on what you've loved about Inspiration4 as well - so please reach out to us on social media @todayinspacepod on Twitter & Instagram, @todayinspace on TikTok, and /TodayInSpacePodcast on Facebook. Or email us at todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com  As always, the podcast is brought to you by AG3D Printing, our 3D printing lab where we bring people's ideas into reality! We sell fun gifts and things for around the home on

This week's episode begins with a recap of the successful Inspiration4 mission that successfully raised over it's $200 million fundraising and returned the crew of four back home to their families.  I am still searching for the right words to describe all that I am processing after this three day mission in space, that went farther than any current mission in orbit with the worlds largest window ever flown. We follow up with the audio from our 40 minute live hangout on our Facebook page/Todayinspacepodcast with my brother Niko Orphanos on his Twitch channel and discord  Watch the full broadcast from SpaceX that we had on in the background: https://youtu.be/dpFKNNl47AM Follow Nik on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/ngorphii Subscribe & Listen to the Weebs & Weights podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/519N565fUiPsaQS9cN23L7?si=LY0YlnyITcCx0e2EETRDAA&dl_branch=1  

On September 15th, 2021 the first all-civilian crew of Inspiration4 launched aboard a Falcon9 rocket to take a Crew Dragon spacecraft in orbit around the earth for three days at an altitude of roughly 575km (which after Day 1 has already reached as high as 590km!) A truly historic day and a true first that could open the ability for anyone to go to space. The mission is also a fundraiser for St. Jude's Research with the goal of raising $200 million dollars.  This recording was taken from our Facebook LIVE event as we watched the stream of the launch via SpaceX's website. As I am trained as an engineer and not a sound technician, I do apologize for the overlaying of audio feeds at times. We are working on our setup for the next broadcast so if you have any constructive feedback to help us get better please reach out! todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com @todayinspacepod on Instagram/Twitter @todayinspace on TikTok /TodayInSpacePodcast on Facebook

We're back after an episode-light August and ALOT of 3D printing with AG3D to talk about the double-edged sword of work-stacking. A technique I learned from a toolmaker in my days working in injection molding and by researching how a certain South African human is able to do so much with their companies in rockets, electric cars, AI, satellite internet, tunneling, neural interfaces and more... It's a powerful tool but WOW can you overload yourself. So we'll be talking about that a little more in depth, as well as covering the latest with Astra, Firefly, Starship and of course the upcoming Inspiration 4 mission. Thanks for joining us - LLAP Astra's 'Hover' Launch https://www.space.com/astra-launch-company-public-nasdaq https://twitter.com/djsnm/status/1431747444258213889?s=21 (https://twitter.com/tgmetsfan98/status/1431880547924537348?s=21 https://www.linkedin.com/posts/michaeljsheetz_rocket-builder-astras-stock-is-falling-sharply-ugcPost-6838095550617833472-mHoS Firefly's mostly good test flight of Alpha: ht

After taking a week off and going North into the woods of Maine, we have returned refreshed and ready to discuss the near future of space! For Week 2 we're discussing humanity's future home on Mars, and we couldn't have asked for a better guest. This week we had the pleasure of speaking with James Burk, the Director of IT and Webmaster of the Mars Society and the lead for MarsVR. James shares his STEM origin story and how his passion for science and space began. We dive into the history of the Mars Society and how close we are to sending humans to the Red Planet really is. We discuss all things space to the max, from SpaceX & Starship to the crowdfunded success of James' project MarsVR, as well as potential uses for cryptocurrency in space - we went deep.  If you are a fan of space and wondering where all this progress is heading, this is a great podcast for you. Even more so if you are new to space and have lots of questions! Please enjoy our talk with James Burk and reach out to the Mars Society if you

Welcome to August of 2021! This month we wanted to discuss our near space future for all of us. While Billionaires and other lucky folks head to the edge of space we have to really focus on where this takes us. If going to space is regular, how do we make that a stable thing? What kind of job opportunities open up for all people? How do we secure our space assets, from top secret satellite technology to the data a crew is using to dock successfully to the space station? This week we welcome Bill Britton to the podcast to share his STEM origin story and discuss the cross-section of cyber and space. There is a need for over 650,000+ jobs right now in cybersecurity, and that isn't including the space industry that is virtually all digital and old - analog and highly susceptible to hacking. Do we need more PhD Rocket Scientists? Or just people who understand the basics of cybersecurity - digital literacy, cloud analytics, and cyber awareness? Can it be taught like any other skill but focused on the needs of the i

It has been one space-filled July! Today in Space we share our 5 major takeaways from everything human spaceflight this month...because that's a thing now!? But seriously, there's a lot to unpack here. It's not just logical and technological, but emotional and complicated. So let's talk about it We want to know what this billionaire space race means to you. Email us at todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com or on social media @todayinspacepod! To stir up the conversation, we discuss: 1. Capsules vs. Spaceships 2. Astronauts vs. Space Tourists 3. Wealth, Inequality, & open-access to space 4. Rage Against the 'Machine' of Humanity 5. The Affect of Human Spaceflight - why are these missions so emotional!!?? We also share a New Concept thanks to Jacob Hoffman for a new inclusive term 'spaceflyer' that acknowledges the magic of being a space tourist, but maintains the unique certification & skill for becoming an Astronaut or Cosmonaut. And the FAA tends to agree, and so would we. Blue Origin Test Flight Replay:

Blue Origin is set to launch their New Shepard rocket to the edge of space with four crew members on board! Jeff Bezos and his brother, Legendary Wally Funk, and 18 year old physics student Oliver Daemen get ready to launch to the edge of space and back. I did my best to cover what I know about Blue Origin in one episode while be honest and pointing out where I am biased. Because if you didn’t already know, we’re pretty big SpaceX fans here. But that can’t stop us from talking about what Blue Origin is doing right and what I wish they would do more of!  the best of luck to the crew tomorrow morning! Here’s to another first in the new space race, here’s to a safe and successful launch of New Shepard! Space Links: Blue Origin: Jeff Beezos and his brother will go to space: https://www.blueorigin.com/news/jeff-bezos-first-human-flight Auction closes at 28 million for ride with Beezos brothers to Space: https://www.blueorigin.com/news/the-very-first-seat-on-new-shepard-sells-for-28-million  https://youtu.be/Ik0

On this weeks episode we share the compact and edited version or our Launch Hangout the the Virgin Galactic Fully Crewed SubOrbital flight of Unity22. The successful mission launched Richard Branson and his crew of 6 up to the edge of space and glided safely to the runway at Spaceport America in New Mexico. A powerful human Spaceflight mission that has us thinking the future of open access to space for everyone! We open with some talk about the billionaires space race and share our thoughts about this unique way of sending humans into space commercially  - big congrats to Richard Branson and the team for 17 years of hard work to reach this day. Apologies for any sound issues, I introduced a new microphone and went live on Facebook with a new setup. I did my best to remove the echo and balance the sound.  Wally Funk joins crew for first human flight of Blue Origin: https://www.blueorigin.com/news/wally-funk-will-fly-to-space-on-new-shepard Virgin Galactic First Fully Crewed Spaceflight https://www.virgingala

This week we have the honor of having Haley Harrison on the podcast for a segment of People of Science. I met Haley at the CRS-19 NASA Social where we witnessed a Falcon 9 launch supplies to the International Space Station and toured the NASA Facilities like the VAB And Veggie Lab. Haley shares her path in STEM in pursuing her PhD in Nanoscience (which we can officially congratulate her for achieving recently! Way to go Haley!). She shares her experience finding a great team to support her through Grad school and shares advice on how to make the most of it while you are there.  We also brainstorm about how nanoscience can change the future, and specifically some applications in the space industry on how things like nanotubes (carbon or boron nitride) can help us achieve amazing things! Want some quick context on Nanoscience if you're new to the topic? Check out these links: https://www.nano.gov/timeline https://www.energy.gov/science/doe-explainsnanoscience Follow us on social: - @todayinspacepod on instragr

We're back! After some much needed time for a mental health break and an introspective view at where I'm at in my life at 31, we have returned fired up and ready to talk about the balance.  This is a great episode for anyone who is new to the podcast for some context on who I am, and a deep look at a part of my STEM origin story. No one has an easy time in a STEM career - it's a gauntlet. And I found myself doubting my own self after mentioning my goal of training to become an Astronaut. The same doubt that plagued me as a young 20-something, still full of angst and self-sabotage from a lack of confidence. I get more philosophical than scientific as the episode continues...but still a fun one that I hope helps someone going through a tough time as we transition to the next phase post-pandemic. But thanks to a commencement speech by the President and COO of SpaceX, Gwynne Shotwell - things started to align and make sense again! HIGHLY recommended listen for anyone in a STEM career or studying to become a scie

On this episode of the podcast I try to answer the question "Did I apply for the Inspiration4 or dearMoon project?" as honestly as possible. Going to space is not easy, and having physical limitations makes that harder. But not impossible. The possibility of going to space and podcast about my experience has me literally dreaming about the stars. Just like with any problem, solutions can be found even when it seems impossible. It just takes looking at things from a different perspective and then new solutions reveal themselves. I've changed my mind about wanting to be an astronaut over the course of this podcast. Recently, with all the exciting opportunities for everyday people to go to space upon us - I find myself being both brutally honest about my chances now and extremely hopeful and excited about the future possibility.  This was a really stressful episode to record and put out there. I've been thinking about this for a while, and especially now that I'm trying to be healthier and more fit. I've got a l