Many of us have visited the various displays of space shuttles around the US, and it's always a spectacular sight. The shuttle orbiter was huge, and seeing in any configuration is inspirational. Notably, the California Science Center is completing a display of the Endeavor in a launch configuration, which is unique among shuttle installations. But the very first shuttle mockup ever constructed will soon go on public display in its birthplace in Southern California, the city of Downey. This is where North American Rockwell, the builder of all the shuttles, was located until they were absorbed by Boeing decades ago. It was in the Rockwell facility that the first wood-and-aluminum mockup of the shuttle was built, and it's been stored until this day under the control of the Columbia Memorial Space Center. Of special interest: besides its uses as a technical simulator, this mockup was what closed the deal between NASA and Rockwell to build the shuttles and inspired many in Congress to support the program. The museum's Executive Director and President, Ben Dickow, joins us to talk about this magnificent, full-sized shuttle mockup, its history, and future plans.

Headlines:
• SpaceX's Crew-8 mission returned to Earth after a record-breaking 235 days in space, but one crew member remains in the hospital for additional medical checks
• Boeing's Intelsat satellite broke up in geosynchronous orbit, creating around 5,000 pieces of space debris, posing potential long-term threats to other satellites
• India announced plans for Chandrayaan-4, a lunar sample return mission targeting the Moon's south pole in 2027-2028
• Chinese company Deep Blue Aerospace aims to start offering space tourist flights by 2027 on a suborbital rocket and capsule that resembles a hybrid of SpaceX's Dragon and Blue Origin's New Shepard

Main Topic - Interview with Ben Dickow:
• The Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey, California houses Inspiration, a full-scale wooden mock-up of the space shuttle built by Rockwell International in 1972
• Inspiration was used as an engineering tool and to help secure the shuttle contract for Rockwell, impressing both NASA and Congressional leaders who visited
• The mock-up features highly detailed interiors, including a crew cabin, flight deck, and cargo bay
• After being mothballed for years, Inspiration was recently moved to the Columbia Memorial Space Center for display in a new building
• Southern California will soon have the first and last space shuttles on display, with Inspiration in Downey and Endeavour in Los Angeles
• Ben emphasizes the importance of preserving the shuttle's history and using it as an educational tool to inspire future generations of engineers and scientists
• The emotional power of seeing a space shuttle up close and the human stories behind its creation are key to the exhibit's impact

Hosts:Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest:Ben Dickow

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This week, we're taking a broad look at the progress of America's Artemis lunar landing program, space science in general, and the challenges to Western space plans posed by a fast-rising Chinese space program. Joining us is the uniquely qualified Dr. Greg Autry--the Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy at the University of Central Florida, visiting Professor at Imperial College London, former NASA transition team member, and author of "Red Moon Rising." We'll also highlight the recent launch of SpaceX's Starship and the amazing catch of the booster by the Mechazilla Launch tower, Michael Bloomberg's recent article condemning the slow progress of the Artemis program, and this weekend's Orionids meteor shower!

Headlines:
- SpaceX's successful Starship flight test 5, featuring the Super Heavy booster's impressive catch by the "Mechazilla" tower
- Michael Bloomberg's critical op-ed on the SLS rocket and the Artemis program, highlighting delays and overspending
- The upcoming Orionids meteor shower, peaking on October 21st, 2024, and the Hunter's Moon, the biggest supermoon of the year

Main Topic - The State of the US Space Program with Greg Autry:
- Greg's lifelong passion for space was ignited by watching Apollo missions as a child; he later got involved in the commercial space industry and served on the NASA transition team in 2016
- US human spaceflight is in both the best and worst of times - there is bipartisan support for Artemis and returning to the Moon, but the program is behind schedule and over budget on almost every element
- Lack of top-level political leadership and sense of urgency compared to the Apollo era is hurting Artemis' progress; the US needs a leader willing to provide direction and funding, and hold people accountable
- Competition with China could help spur the US, but the public may not be as motivated as during the Cold War; still, it's important for the US to get back to the Moon first to initiate fair use of resources
- Artificial intelligence will play a critical role in future space operations, especially on Mars and the Moon; AI can enable more flexible and capable spacecraft
- The US needs to rebuild its aerospace manufacturing and production workforce to execute ambitious space goals; STEM education and hands-on skills are lacking
- In 10 years, Autry hopes to see a diverse on-orbit ecosystem with compatible, specialized vehicles; regular Moon missions laying the groundwork for resource extraction; and an influential space tourism industry
- He believes that a dual-track lunar architecture with both Starship and a more conventional system for redundancy would be wise; Starship is great but very complex with many potential failure points, especially in a lunar mission that requires multiple refueling flights and a crewed SLS launch in close timing
- Greg is the Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy at the University of Central Florida and is standing up new academic programs to train the next generation of commercial space workforce
- His book "Red Moon Rising" examines the history of the space industry, China's space ambitions, and the current state of play - an engaging read for anyone interested in space

Get "Red Moon Rising": https://amzn.to/3YxmJab

Hosts:Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest:Dr. Greg Autry

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This week, we're diving deep into some really clever and cutting-edge tech for Martian habitats... made from fungus! Dr. Lynn Rothschild of the NASA Ames Research Center has been working for years on how mushroom mycelia might be utilized as a habitat-building resource. It's quite fascinating--the organic material can be used to make bricks, to create shaped structures, and even to create an "astropharmacy" to supply certain compounds needed by the crew of a Mars excursion! And it is sufficiently enticing that NASA's NIAC innovation program has given her no less than five grants (which are not easy to get!) to study the possibilities. Join us for this really engaging and blue-sky conversation!

Headlines:
• ISS has been experiencing a slow air leak, increasing from 0.2 pounds per day to 3.7 pounds per day, causing concern for NASA's Office of the Inspector General
• Jupiter's Great Red Spot has been shrinking and "pulsing" over time, as observed by the Hubble Space Telescope, with scientists predicting it will eventually stabilize as a smaller, circular storm
• A rare G4-class solar storm triggered widespread auroras visible at much lower latitudes than usual, with NOAA issuing warnings to protect power grids and communication systems

Main Topic - Living in Martian Mushrooms:
• Dr. Rothschild explains synthetic biology as creating something new with biology, either by altering existing organisms or creating new ones from scratch
• The concept of using fungal mycelium for off-world habitats originated from a student project to create a biodegradable drone body
• Mycotecture involves growing habitats and structures using mycelium, which can bind various materials like sand, regolith simulant, and wood chips
• The properties of mycelium-based materials can be tuned by adjusting the substrate and post-processing, ranging from styrofoam-like to hardwood-like consistencies
• Dr. Rothschild's vision for a stable off-world habitat includes using cyanobacteria to process atmospheric gases and minerals, which would then feed the fungi used in construction
• Cross-contamination concerns on Mars are addressed, with the lack of liquid water on the surface making it unlikely for introduced organisms to thrive
• Additional applications of mycelium-based technology include biomining, water filtration, and even food production
• Dr. Rothschild also discusses the Astro Pharmacy project, which aims to develop an on-demand drug production system for astronauts
• While these technologies have significant potential for Earth-based applications, developing them for space allows for more freedom to explore revolutionary ideas without existing infrastructure constraints

Hosts:Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest:Dr. Lynn Rothschild

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It's a question that rivals the meaning of life itself: which is better, Star Trek or Star Wars? Of course, they are very different, and that's really the core of it--one is a sweeping fantasy adventure incorporating the "Hero's Journey," while the other is a science fantasy wrapped around a morality play. In the end, we love them both. But there is a bit of cultural (and perhaps generation) divide here, and someone has to put Tariq in his place. Join us for this civilization-shattering conversation!

Headlines:

• NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft, now 12.8 billion miles from Earth, had to shut down its plasma science instrument due to power constraints. The instrument was the last of its kind still functioning on either Voyager spacecraft.
• United Launch Alliance (ULA) successfully launched its second Vulcan Centaur rocket, despite an apparent nozzle failure on one of the solid rocket boosters. The rocket carried a mass simulator in place of the delayed Dream Chaser spaceplane.
• The Sun unleashed an X9.05 solar flare, the strongest directed at Earth since 2017. The resulting coronal mass ejection (CME) could potentially trigger intense auroras visible at lower latitudes this weekend.

Main Topic - Star Trek vs. Star Wars:

• Rod and Tariq share their personal experiences with both franchises, discussing their first encounters with Star Trek and Star Wars and how the franchises have evolved.
• They compare the intellectual aspects of both universes, with Star Trek often focusing on morality plays and Star Wars being more of a fun, fantasy-driven space opera.
• The hosts discuss the acting in both franchises, highlighting standout performances and the impact of certain characters and actors.
• They examine the iconic spaceships from each universe, noting that Star Trek ships like the Enterprise are more recognizable and have had a more significant cultural impact compared to Star Wars ships, with the exception of the Millennium Falcon.
• Rod and Tariq argue that Star Wars has had a more significant impact on popular culture, while Star Trek has been more influential in inspiring real-life space exploration and scientific careers.
• They conclude that both franchises have their merits and have played essential roles in getting people excited about space and science fiction.

Hosts:Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

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