Today In Space

🚀 In this full-length episode of Today In Space, Chuck Dorn — former NASA official and COO of SolaMed Solutions — takes us deep into the world of space medicine. We discuss:

• What it takes to keep astronauts alive during long-duration missions
• The challenges of medical care in microgravity
• Ethical questions like "Who should fly to space?"
• How telemedicine and remote care will shape commercial space travel
• The role of standards and safety protocols for future space exploration

If you're curious about the human side of spaceflight, this is a must-watch episode.

📌 Join the conversatio...

This week, we talk with the Director of Global Affairs at SolaMed Solutions - Dr. Michelle Hailey. We learn about her origin story of entering the space industry, meeting Dr. Saralyn Mark, and diving into this space industry of ours on Earth. We learn about space culture, international partnership, and another non-traditional pathway to entering the Space Workforce. So buckle up - and get ready for another episode of Today In Space and a People of Space segment with Dr. Michelle Hailey.

Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas - let's dive in!

Timestamps:

In this episode, Alex uses a scientific approach to combat the emotional rollercoaster this past week has been since Mr. Musk has confirmed SpaceX is going Public! The Space Conundrum strikes again - and it's leaving many to wonder: Why Now? Listen to this episode if you'd like to learn more and explore:

...

Jared Isaacman, previously chosen as the President's pick for NASA Administrator in March 2025, faced the Senate committee hearing AGAIN to discuss his qualifications and potential conflicts of interest before leading the American Space Program. The past year of delay was due to political nonsense, leaving NASA without leadership that whole time.

Mr. Isaacman is an entrepreneur, 2 mission astronaut commander, philanthropist, and father who has a unique leadership style. He returned to the Senate Committee sharper than ever! We listen in on the live Senate Committee meeting for some Q&A and talk about the state of NASA...

We went live for the NASA broadcast of the release of images of the Interplanetary "comet" 3I-Atlas, which was delayed due to the government shutdown. As the cultural curiosity surrounding 3I-ATLAS went viral during the poorly timed government shutdown, it was a unique opportunity for NASA to do what it does best. Share data and spend a little more time with the actual experts to explore that curiosity and dig deeper into what we found. 

Unfortunately, it feels as though the government shutdown and funding cuts proposed by the current President's cabinet was more of an influence o...

We were LIVE hanging out for the 2nd launch of Blue Origin's New Glenn - this episode is a compilation of the best moments from launch, including the audio and sounds of launch, landing, and pure success from Team Blue.

Make sure to follow us online and hang out in the chat in the future! Come hang, Ask questions, and let's all learn more and have a blast watching the Next Space Culture Moment LIVE

Are you a big New Glenn or Blue Origin Fan? Check out our Blue Origin New Glenn-inspired Rocket Pen (3DPrinted) h...

We are joined by experts from Xometry, a company that many engineer's have grabbed instant quotes & custom parts on demand with CNC machining, 3D printing, and more. This week, we are joined by Mike Cavalieri and Greg Paulsen - both leaders at Xometry. Our guests are experts in rapid prototyping to full production and have helped big Space Companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, NASA, and more when they need a reliable machine shop to make parts for space applications. 

We discuss their origin stories, how 3D Printing can be helpful in Space applications, and what kinds of p...

Catch the latest on SpaceX's Starship Development with Flight 11! This video is a compilation of the launch and reentry of both the Super Heavy Booster and Starship S38. If you are looking for a fun launch hangout for Starship Flight 11 - here's the best of from our live stream during the launch.

We'd like to thank our sponsors: AG3D Printing (go to ag3d-printing.com to learn more & start 3D printing today!)

Today In Space Merch:

James Webb Space Telescope Model (3DPrinted) https://ag3dprinting.etsy.com/listing/1839142903

SpaceX Starship-Inspired R...

Trevor Smith, Founder and CEO of Atomic-6, shares his origin story and journey from a commercial real estate broker to leading a company specializing in near-theoretical high-performance composites.

Some of Atomic-6's innovations include: 
- A composite debris shield for the International Space Station, which outperformed traditional aluminum shields in tests.
- Development on a redeployable solar array system, Light Wing, which offers significantly improved space power efficiency.
- Composite Radomes that provide a great balance of functionality and light-weighting
- And so much more - with video examples!!

Trevor also s...

On this episode of Today In Space, we are honored to have the creators of "The Complete Book of Spacecraft" 2nd Edition on the podcast to discuss deeply about space, storytelling, and humanity in the 3rd Age of Spaceflight! 

We begin learning about each creator's origin story, Michael H. Gorn, Giuseppe De Chiara, Davide Sivolella - all who are active within the space industry in their own way. We then dive into storytelling, the 3 Ages of Space, Human Spaceflight, and their thoughts on the Space Conundrum. If you are massive space fan this book & the podcast episode a...

SpaceX Starship Flight 10 was AMAZING to watch live, and challenging, since it took three attempts! But SpaceX delivered. Big Time, with Flight 10.

We went through, cleaned up the audio, and got the live launch hangout from liftoff to landings! Relive Flight 10 with us! And make sure to subscribe so you don't miss the next live launch hangout!

Apologies for the very random posting. Catching up on content after some work over at AG3D Labs (lots more to come). Lots of good stuff, just a lot of work getting done!

Here's to building...

I can't believe August is almost over! It's been a wild month, and I'm catching you up on all of it. From lay-offs, to new opportunities, and the lessons learned from the last "era" of my career, we're diving in! The Space Conundrum is in full effect - and like many I am feeling the times as I enter unemployment. I chat about my last 8 years in the 3D printing industry, some stories from the early days, and all of the lessons I am taking away from that awesome time with talented people.

On the other side...

Alex shares his experience at the National Sports Card Convention in Chicago, highlighting the amazing VeeFriends community and the diverse collectibles he found, including a $12,000 signed Princess Leia card.

He discusses his car troubles en route to Maine, and draws parallels to totalled spacecraft contingencies and what space AAA might look like.

To close the episode, Alex promotes AG3D Labs, emphasizing 3D printing and AI tools, and discusses upcoming projects and shares his thoughts on NASA's workforce cuts, the progress of SpaceX's Starship Flight 10, and invites everyone to join in our live Stargazing and...

In this episode, Alex discusses his transition from aerospace engineering to 3D printing with the next adventure being AI development. Also, we're getting Space Internet with Starlink!

Lot's of updates from Behind The Scenes at Today In Space - between a deep dive of what Space Internet is like, to AI Tool development, and stories about new adventures in life and career.

All while there is chaos about the funding at NASA and what the future holds in the second Space Conundrum. Not to mention, a new venture with Alex's friend & business partner Matt Guy...

Josh Dorfman, CEO, Co-Founder and host of Super Cool, joins us this week to share his origin story and entrepreneurial journey in climate technology, influenced by his parents' business and his international experiences. From sustainable furniture to founding Planted (a company that produces carbon-negative building materials), to now Co-Founder, CEO and Host of Super Cool, Josh is passionately working to bring the climate innovations happening around the world to business and individuals for a better planet - today. We also discuss the need for storytelling in order to promote climate tech innovations and the benefits to everyone. Great conversation!<...

On Independence Day 2025, Alex discusses the current state of the U.S. space program and the world, searching for ways to navigate the chaos. We make historical parallels with the 1970s, during the end of the first space race and the post-Apollo era tumble (i.e. the end of the 1st Space Conundrum).

Alex emphasizes the importance of mental freedom and adaptability in navigating societal chaos, and how he is practicing gratitude and using it as a tool for maintaining focus on what matters. We close out with some gratitude on the return of the last 10 years...

Welcome to Today In Space podcast - and another People of Space segment! This week we get an aerospace engineer's perspective. We learn about what it takes to develop a Human Landing System for NASA, and go head to head with the like's of Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk in the Space Industry. But more importantly, we learn about values and how they can help us overcome burnout, reconnect with what matters, and live with purpose.

I'm excited to introduce the author of the book "The Unconditionals" - Andy Crocker. Andy is an aerospace executive with three...

On this episode, we discuss the second attempt by the Japanese company iSpace to land their Hakuto-R rover on the moon. The lander was lost on descent and no communication followed. What happened? What was the root cause of the failure? Why is the moon so hard to land on?

This week we touch on the broader spectrum of space exploration, including the improbable but successful Apollo 11 mission and the challenges for the current push for lunar missions by various nations and private companies.

We'd love to know YOUR thoughts - so make sure to...

Welcome to Today In Space podcast - and another People of Space segment. This week we have an expert in space medicine & health. As we enter an age where more and more humans go into space, to the moon, mars, and beyond - and even just in zero g - a better understanding about the wide spectrum of humans in space environments is needed.

And that's why I'm excited to introduce Dr Saralyn Mark expert in space medicine, women's health, endocrinology, and geriatrics. As President and CEO of SolaMed Solutions, LLC and its space subsidiary, she advises...

This week, Alex shares his thoughts on practical uses of technology. As an engineer, it's hard not to focus on how technology could be useful. On today's episode, we're talking about AI and the good that can come from practical daily use of it. But, we're also talking about the bad and the ugly that comes with using it, and how most of Alex's perspective on the future of AI comes from playing 'Megaman: Battle Network' as a teenager.

As AI Tools enter the market more and more (and are embedded into more products) it's important to...

On this episode, we have Roman Chiporukha, the Co-Founder & CEO of SpaceVIP on the podcast to talk everything 'Space Tourism'. SpaceVIP was responsible for booking the Axiom-1 Spaceflight mission to the ISS! But that's not all that Roman & SpaceVIP are working on to play a part in building the space economy, creating cultural moments with tourist flights to the edge of space, and helping premium customers have one place to access every "Astronaut" experience possible.

SpaceVIP is making it easier for individuals with means to access everything the space industry has to offer to this kind of...

6 Women took flight on Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket to the edge of space and a powder keg of hype and celebrity blew up the internet. Something about this all-female mission triggered people from all sides, with many jumping on the trend or not even realizing this billionare space race has been underway for a while (or even what the Karman line is).

This episode lays out some basic facts about the mission and dedicates coverage of the two women with (IMO) the most powerful stories of the NS-31 crew, Aisha Bowe and Amanda Nguyen. These are...

The FRAM2 Astronauts have returned safetly after their "work-week" long mission in polar orbit. One thing about these private missions is that they can happen so fast! They don't stay up in space as long as NASA missions these days (ISS) so it's a fresh & interesting take on human spaceflight.

And that's the theme for this week: discussing our top 3 favorite experiements shared live, in-flight by the FRAM 2 Crew. It also blends perfectly with our thoughts on how these private missions differ from the classic "NASA" spaceflight mission, and the future missions to the Moon & Mars. So...

The FRAM2 Mission is ready to take flight on Monday, March 31st with a 4.5 hour launch window that starts at 9:46PM ET! We'll be going live on social media for a Launch Hangout if you want to join us and hangout. This episode is covering all the basics for the first crewed polar orbiting mission, you'll learn about the mission, the crew, the original Polar Expedition with the FRAM ship, and our thoughts on the next human spaceflight mission!

Since this is a private mission, there's so much to learn about as it's not the typical NASA...

On this week's episode we discuss the return of Crew 9 to Earth after! All four humans on board spent at least half a year, while the "stranded" Starliner Astronauts returned home after 9.5 months in space. We breakdown the whole thing, starting by introducing the crew, reviewing the Starliner Saga, and discussing why this mission was so important, and engaging. We also discuss the importance of international cooperation, the challenges faced, and the significance of NASA's backup plan, and the resilience of the SpaceX teams that made it all happen.

So buckle up, and let's dive in! Thanks...

On this episode of the podcast we're breaking down what happened with Starship Flight 8 and what the future holds for the SpaceX teams. Not only that, we'll be talking about how progress is more of an adventure than a straight line. We'll close out with how we can relate to a bumpy road of progress with our own 3D Printing of the James Webb Space Telescope in the AG3D Lab. So buckle up - and let's dive into this week's episode. Thanks for joining us!

Keywords: 
Starship flight eight, SpaceX, super heavy booster, max Q, h...

Firefly Aerospace successfully landed its Blue Ghost 1 mission on the moon on March 2, 2025, as part of NASA's CLIPS program. They became the 1st Commercial Company to touchdown safely and land on the moon! 

The mission, which cost 1/10th of a NASA-led mission, carried 10 NASA instruments onboard (among some other payloads as well). The mission's instruments will study lunar dust, solar wind interactions, and other scientific phenomena. Future missions, including Intuitive Machines' IAM-2, are expected to build on the Lunar Momentum, with significant scientific data expected in the coming weeks before the bitter cold of lunar darkness.

On today's episode, we're diving into what's going on with Near-Earth Asteroid 2024 YR4. You may have heard online that this asteroid is on a trajectory to impact Earth on December 22nd, 2032. It's captured the zeitgeist and everyone's talking about it.

But what can we do in the meantime? We say - Let's learn! We need to science the $%#t out of this one! We're going to explore the idea of planetary defense, the level of impact if it does hit Earth in 2032, and how lucky we are to have successful missions like DART and HERA to lean...

On this week's episode, Alex dives into Japan's Lignosat mission from JAXA!

We also recognize the major job changes in the space industry since the start of the year and invite space professionals to network here on Today In Space! Email u...

Welcome back to Today In Space! It's the end of January, and we couldn't start off the year without a recap of one of my favorite space theories—the Space Conundrum. As space progress accelerates, so does the chaos in society. But why does this happen? Why are they correlated? And more importantly, where is this all heading?"

We're going to explain what the space conundrum is, how it led to a world changing event the first time and why these times, as crazy & wild as they are, are actually a cycle we've seen before. So in fa...

This week, on Today In Space...our first 'Tech Talk' about AI & Business (with some aspirational takes on the role of AI in Humanity's future on Earth and in Space). Our guest David Hirschfeld, CEO of Tekyz, shares the knowledge of his 35-year career in software, including his origin story founding a vending machine software company that grew to 800 customers in 22 countries! We discuss business and AI; including Tekyz's take on the importance of product-market fit and early customer engagement given that "95-98%" of startups fail. David introduced "Launch First," a strategy for pre-launch sales to validate market demand...

On this episode, in the wake of Blue Origin's maiden launch of New Glenn and SpaceX's fascinating Starship Flight 7 it's time to take a step back and tell the tale of Two Heavy Lift Rockets. After a decade of space progress from both companies, they each took different engineering approaches to building a rocket. Depending on when you look at their progress, it might feel like one approach is better than the other. 

But is there a real answer to the "right approach" to building a rocket? Or is success only measured by how well that rocket f...

In 2025, we're predicting a BIG year for human space progress! In this episode we're breaking down what we're looking forward to, and adding some of our own predictions as well.

It's going to be a wild year with so much to follow, like SpaceX, Starship, NASA Artemis, the New pick for NASA Administrator, Crew Dragon, Boeing Starliner, Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, space stations and more! Not to mention our thoughts on other Global space programs, including Russia, India, and China.

This year will be one for the record books, we can feel it. Let's enjoy...

On this Christmas Eve episode, we are honored to be joined by Emily Carney and Bruce McCandless III, authors of "Starbound: A Beginner's Guide to the American Space Program". Emily Carney is a space historian, podcaster with Space & Things, and the creator of the 'Space Hipsters' Facebook group. She shares her early fascination with space, sparked by the STS-2 launch in 1983. Bruce McCandless III, whose father was Astronaut Bruce McCandless II, shares his journey of becoming a writer and what it was like being the son of an Astronaut.

We discuss all things space, including a friendly...

This week we have a triple header of space topics! We start by highlighting a potential end of year maiden launch of Blue Origin's New Glenn heavy-lift rocket, and our thoughts on the selection of Jared Isaacman as the pick as the next NASA Administrator. We share some NASA history, discuss Jared's background in commercial spaceflight, and his potential influence on NASA's future direction. We also share an AG3Dprinting Lab update for our recently successful JWST Model - 3D printed in three colors, and is now available in our Etsy Shop at ag3dprinting.etsy.com!

...

Who is Elon Musk? What role does he play in the Space Industry of tomorrow and how has all of this Space Progress happened recently? Is SpaceX the true cause? Elon Musk alone? Well, if it were that easy to explain this podcast wouldn't be 365 episodes long and Brad Bergan would not have written two wonderfully detailed books about the Space Race 2.0 and the history and people behind it! We hope you enjoy this in depth and deep conversation with Brad Bergan, the author of "SpaceX: Elon Musk and the Final Frontier".

It's conversations like these, with...

Starship performs their 6th Test Flight a month after their 5th - and it was.....BANANAS! That's right we are breaking down IFT6, with our (almost) LIVE reaction to the launch! We started recording during Starship's Reentry, so you catch our reaction live to that. It was a great day for data! The Starship team's have pulled off the practically impossible and soft landed both the Super Heavy Booster & Starship. We're not quite sure what survived, but that's space development! The world's most powerful rocket took another big step forward - expect more of these launches soon!

...

Welcome back for another episode of Today In Space! This week we're exploring the next phase of AG3D, our 3D printing lab where we bring ideas into reality. Enter - the Part Detective, where you can book us on the case of your next 3D printed part mystery! What if the crew of Apollo 13 were able to 3D print the square filter adapter for the round hole of the spacecraft's CO2 Filtration system? There's so much that 3D printing can do in our near Space Future, and we've been training to be a part of that team! In...

Welcome to another episode of the podcast! On this episode, I'm sharing my thoughts on AI. Specifically, the tools I actually use with some practical-use metrics to show how it's helping me (the individual) do more and spend more time in my creative zone and less time doing things I dont like.

I also share my thoughts on AI, and some fundamental beliefs I use to guide my adoption of it. The idea of this episode to give you some real world examples of how AI benefits me, in the hopes it helps you look at AI...

This week, we welcome Ethan Siegel on the podcast! Our guest, author of "Infinite Cosmos," discusses his STEM origin story from a curious child with a telescope to a renowned astrophysicist and science communicator. He recounts his educational path, including his PhD from the University of Florida and postdoctoral work at the University of Arizona.

Siegel emphasizes the importance of curiosity and overcoming crises in career choices. He highlights the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) as a revolutionary tool for understanding the universe's early stages. Siegel's book, "Infinite Cosmos: Visions from the James Webb Space Telescope," explores...

Hey there Space Fam we're back for another episode of Today In Space! We need to review SpaceX's historic success of Starship's Flight Test 5, which happened just this past Sunday on October 13th, 2024. They made the impossible possible and gave us a glimpse of what our future looks like going back to the Moon, on to Mars in 2026, and beyond in the future of human space travel. Let's dive right in!

This week we review some of the top facts from the mission in a lightning round, and then share a launch and landing breakdown! We close...

We're back to start October for a Space Update! 

This week on Episode 359: 

On this week's episode we are joined by John Conafay, the CEO & Co-Founder of Integrate to share his STEM Origin story and chat with us about the company. Integrate is touted as the only program management tool built specifically for multi-team hardware development. Another way of saying it could be that Integrate is bringing all of the various hardware teams involved in launching a rocket to space under one platform.

The overlapping timelines of each piece of hardware on that rocket is a daunting task, especially when more than one thing goes wrong. Going to space is...

On this episode, we're breaking down the Polaris Dawn Mission after the Crew of 4 has returned safely from their 5-Day mission & 1st Commercial Spacewalk! If you wanted a quick catch up of everything Polaris Dawn - we got you covered. We'll start with a mission overview, and discuss the Human Spaceflight records broken, the scientific research done, the details of the spacewalk, reentry & splashdown recovery, and what we think are the significance and impact of the mission!

A great episode to get caught up! Let us know what you think in the comments or email us at...

On this week's episode Matthew Onassis and Luca De Caneva, co-founders of NAVXCOM, join us to discuss their company's mission to develop a Lunar Positioning System (LPS) for autonomous navigation and communication on the moon.

Matt & Luca share their STEM origin story which includes meeting at NASA identifying a gap in lunar infrastructure. NAVXCOM won a contract with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center to establish the first proof of concept by the end of the year.

The NAVXCOM team aims to support autonomous lunar operations, including rover deployment and habitat preparation. Leaning into AI & collaboration...

We're back for another Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test update! NASA has finally made the decision to return the Starliner uncrewed, leaving the Crew 9 mission with two empty seats so that SpaceX can bring Astronauts Suni Williams & Butch Wilmore back to Earth in February 2025. It's been a summer full of human spacflight and enough chaos to go with it! We share the top 3 press questions from the conference that truly encapsulates the whole situation.

But this was a truly special day in Human Spaceflight History that I think will be given more appreciation in the future when...

On this episode we are breaking down the next exciting human spaceflight mission: Polaris Dawn! The mission will be the 1st Commercial Spacewalk at 700km/435 miles above the Earth. Aside from breaking human spaceflight records, there will be an incredible amount of research, science, and technology demonstrations as well! The new SpaceX EVA (Spacewalk) suit, Crew Dragon spacecraft, and Falcon 9 rocket are ready - and so is the crew! Preparations for launch NET April 27th 03:38AM ET are underway!

We dive into the original of the Polaris Program, Inspiration 4 - which was the 1st Commercial Orbital Mission...

We're back for the next update of Boeing's Starliner's Crew Flight Test (CFT) and the subsequent delays in the flight readiness review meeting. Coupled with reported internal NASA concerns related to the Starliner's Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters - it's clear there isn't 100% confidence & more options needs to be considered. That means engineering is involved!

So let's dive into the world of an Engineer: Using a nuanced approach to understanding all of the physics involved that ultimately guides your decision-making for managing risk in bringing these adventurous human beings home. Human Spaceflight is as real as it...

In this week's episode Alex breaks down his thoughts on the connections between Space & Sea Travel! It's amazing what being on an adventure in a beautiful place like Scotland can do for your imagination and deep thinking. All the island (isle) hopping we did, along with hiking the highlands and the lowlands, made me see just how similar sea travel is with space travel! The same small crews of professionals taking us to from island to isle in Scotland will be taking humans to low Earth Orbit, the Moon, and eventually Mars! 

The first days (years) of r...

We got an update from the NASA & Boeing teams about Starliner CFT on July 10th, 2024. We wanted to share the TOP 4 Press & Media Questions and the NASA/Boeing team answers for us to all gain more INSIGHT into this Crew Test Flight for Boeing. I think we learned a lot about the problem and how the Boeing & NASA teams think about this.

As most revealing things, it brings up more questions. So buckle up - and let's dive into the top 4 questions & answers from the July 10th Update with a short breakdown from me with my thoughts...

There was A LOT of space news happening the last 2 weeks while we were adventuring in Scotland! (more on that soon) Our first episode back is dedicated to the Boeing Starliner news and reports of the astronauts being "stranded" on the ISS. We break down why that click-bait headline isn't true but also how NASA is dealing a double standard with Boeing's test flight status. 

We review the latest from what's been shared by NASA/Boeing leadership, the tests underway, and what to expect for a timeline for when Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore could return h...

On this episode we dive into the Human Factor where we talk about what it means to be human, and how ALL of our traits & skills matter (good and bad). This week we're discussing what it means to be DEDICATED and why 'the Mission' is so important to a person like myself, especially after 10 years of podcasting about all-things space!

We want to thank ‪@veefriends‬ for making these AWESOME Character Caps, and while I wasn't 100% sure which Cap I was going to relate to at first the DEDICATED Dragonfly hit home. Great time to reflect on the hard...

The first week of June went HARD for Space - and for Human Spaceflight it was fully loaded! So many launches, including the success of Boeing's CFT Starliner that brought Astronauts Sunita Williams & Butch Wilmore! We break down what happened, why it was a success, and our thoughts on the Crew Test Flight. We really can't stress how important having TWO human-rated spacecraft for the US to launch from our own soil - and we do our best to tell that story with this episode. For those wondering - this is a good review of my thoughts on EVERYTHING...

Last week was some of the most exciting and jam packed space events I've seen in a while. So many launches, including the success of SpaceX's Starship Test Flight 4! We break down what happened, why it was a success, and our thoughts on Flight Test 4, 5, and beyond. We really can't stress how much progress was made with IFT4 - and we do our best to tell that story with this episode. For those wondering - this is a good review of my thoughts on EVERYTHING test flight 4 - so buckle up.

Let us know what YOU thought...

On this episode we speak with NASA Astronaut Don Pettit about his Astronaut Origin Story and the 'maker mentality'. Don is preparing for Expedition 71/72 which will launch to the International Space Station aboard a Soyux (MS-26) from Baikonur Cosmodrome later this year. We were grateful for the NASA teams for helping us set up time with Don to chat all-things space. Welcome our first Astronaut to the podcast!

Don Pettit's origin story encapsulates that of a Maker - always wondering if things can be done better and making things to adjust a long the way. From his...

On this episode, we're recapping last weeks Aurora Extravoganza that the internet was a buzz about! We got pictures from folks like you that whole weekend, which was all we needed to survive a weekend of cloud-filled New England nights.

But one thing many curious folks were thinking - what are Auroras? How can we know when the next one is coming? Why do Auroras happen? What impacts do solar weather pose to planets, spacecraft, and humans in space? ALL of these answered on this week's episode. 

Thank you to everyone who reached out with q...

On this episode, we dive into the Human Factor - which is all about learning about what it is to be a human and how that can help us grow and succeed in life. Because regardless of what we do, we are all human beings - even scientists and engineers. This week, I talk about one of my earliest passions - trading cards! Pokemon, YuGiOh, Dragon Ball, Magic the Gathering - all a MASSIVE part of my childhood and where I found the passion that is behind this podcast. It's an origin story of what made me who I...

In this episode, we prepare for next week's human space launch of Boeing's Starliner, the first Crewed mission for Altas V & the CST-100 spacecraft! This is the culmination of the investment NASA & US taxpayers put into the Commercial Crew Program. Two human-rated spacecraft were given contracts to test & evenutally fly human beings to the ISS. SpaceX Crew Dragon already flies to the ISS regularly with Astronauts & supplies, and Boeing's Starliner is ready to have its first crewed mission!

It's been a long road, and much controversy over the years - even beginning at the start of Commercial...

On this episode we have some Astronomer friends on to discuss our thoughts from the Total Solar Eclipse! Matt Schricker (@Bostronomy), Andrew Abban (@aa.astro01), and Thorne Ransom (@ransomobservatory) join us to share their Astronomy Origin Stories and their experience during the Total Solar Eclipe. For some it was our first, and others were looking for redemption from 2017. But all of us were close to speechless when it happened, until we had this mega podcast for some Eclipse Talk.

Maine was one of the best places in the country to see the Total Solar Eclipse, given the...

On this episode we talk about the North American Total Solar Eclipse happening on April 8th, 2024! We break it down into three parts: (1) What to Expect, (2) What to do during the Eclipse, and (3) Our Telescopes Vespera and our newest Vaonis device - Hestia. We close out the episode with an unboxing and first demo with Hestia practicing for the Total Solar Eclipse.

There is always lots of excitement around any eclipse, but you want to be as present as possible to soak in this wild phenomena! So let this episode act as a guide to make the m...

On this episode we speak with Dr. Masha Petrova, the CEO of Nullspace, Inc. a company creating simulation software for electromagnetic applications in the Academic, Commercial, Aerospace, and Defense Industries. Masha shares with us her STEM origin story from a childhood love of Soviet Space SciFi to becoming a PhD Simulation Engineer in the US, which led to her "aha" moment of realizing she was actually an "Extroverted Engineer".

Dr. Petrova is an experienced executive with a passion for leading multi-disciplinary global teams toward successful results by focusing on operations and creating a unified vision.

...

In episode 339, we are talking all about Starship's 3rd Test Flight after a VERY exciting launch on March 14th, 2024 a.k.a. Pi Day. The massive Starship made lightspeed progress from the last two tests but the question is: Was IFT3 a success? Did SpaceX have a successful test flight?

Don't worry - if you are new to Starship and need a quick review we got you covered! This is a great episode for anyone who was too busy to watch the flight live on Pi Day, or you want to dive a little bit deeper into...

In this week's episode, Alex shares some of his Florida vacation and the 'magic' of branding and storytelling at both Disney and Universal Studio Themeparks. Alex also shares his rotten luck with catching Rocket launches while in Florida...and its not for a lack of launches either! It's also been over a year with our Vespera Telescope so it's time for a recap on what we've learned and what's stuck out so far.

This week's Thought from an Engineer is: Why do Nebulas in my telescope appear SO BIG while the galaxies appears SO SMALL? 

H...

This episode was recorded live while watching the Intuitive Machines-1 (IM-1) moon landing on February 22, 2024 around 6PM. Alex shares his live reaction and thoughts while the NOVA Command team in Houston, TX intiates landing sequence and then troubleshoots the signal after the landing attempt.

Is the lander ok? Will the signal get better? That's for the future. Right now, we were just excited to be able to watch the first Lunar landing attempt by the US since 1972 for Apollo 17. It's been a while, but one thing is for sure - it's the new Moon Era and the...

On this episode, Alex shares his thoughts on the latest Lunar Lander attempt by NASA with the IM-1 Mission. Intuitive Machine's is providing the NOVA C lunar lander as part of the CLPS program, where NASA funded commercial contracts to build out the Artemis Infrastructure around the Moon. There's no internet on the moon yet...not even running water. So there's alot to do, and this IM-1 mission aims to help NASA and multiple commercial payloads.

But first, we need a successful SpaceX Falcon 9 launch to Lunar Orbit and then a soft landing. Alex shares thoughts about...

On this episode, Alex opens the podcast with a quick run through (~4 min) of some of the Space Launches to look out for in February (SpaceX, Japan, India, NASA, Rocket Lab). We deep dive on NASA's PACE Mission, flying onboard a SpaceX Falcon9 rocket NET 1:33AM ET 2/8/24 (only a few hours after this podcast is released). We discuss what the mission is, what the payloads are, and why that science will be critical for understanding the water cycle on Earth and the climate changes that come from it.

Alex closes the episode out with another 'Human Factor...

On this episode, we remember the 3 year journey of the Ingenuity Helicopter on Mars, which now has a broken rotor and is unable to fly safely anymore. We discuss how influential the Martian Helicopter was by obliterating it's original 30-day life span and providing miles of coverage inside of Jezero Crater. We discuss some facts on the first powered flight on another world, and close up with a discussion around the Wright Brothers and how influential their R&D efforts were to a young, eager to learn Engineer (me!). 

Come for the Ingenuity drone talk, and stay f...

On this episode we speak with Madison C. Feehan, the founder of Space Copy and Moon Trades. She has a background in lunar instrument development, global open science programs, and is a member of Women in Aerospace Canada. She's also been an External Peer Reviewer and Executive Panelist for NASA since she was in high school.

Topics from the episode:

space, ai, industry, entrepreneurship, nasa, printing, artemis, science, lunar, moon, 3dprinting, working, process, integrate, create

Madison share's her wealth of knowledge for space and entrepeneurship and its great to meet people in the...

In the second episode of 2024, we went hard and produced a list of the 24 things to look out for in Space this year. Is my voice sore from this recording? Yes. Am I still excited for what's to come? OF COURSE!

There are 8 groups of what to expect in 2024: Lunar, Space Station, Orbital Human Spaceflight, Deep Space, Payloads/Sats, Space Flyers, Astronomy, and Rocket Technology.

We even added updates to this list as we were editing, since NASA released their new Artemis plan and the Vulcan took flight with CERT-1 and the Peregrine Lander saga...

For the first episode of 2024 (Happy New Year!) we're diving into the Human Factor to talk about Confidence vs. Ego. A perfect topic as we all look to make improvments in our lives with "new year new you" vibes. What keeps you honest and on goal when things get tough? What keeps you from continuing your goals for the 'new you'? It's Confidence! (or is it Ego?).

We share our advice on how to navigate that by "checking your Confidence LVLs". To us, confidence can't be a "yes or no" thing, otherwise you end up using Ego...

On Part TWO of our two-parter episode with Matt Schricker of @Bostronomy - we dig deeper into Astronomy, Astrophotography, and Telescopes. Matt shares his Astronomy on Instagram and TikTok but also has a creative style that we enjoy very much in his content. We also chat about the human experience of stargazing and how even your position on the planet can change your whole outlook on constellations!

If you ever wondered about Astronomy and whether you could get into it OR if you ever thought it was too complicated - LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE! Some very down...

On this FIRST of a TWO PART episode, we have Matt Schricker of @Bostronomy on the show for a 'very Boston podcast' where we chat about Astronomy, Music, and Matt's STEM origin story. Matt shares his Astronomy on Instagram and TikTok but also has a creative style that we enjoy very much in his content. We dive into his origin story, being a Dad, his love of music (his band "Fever Dream" plays in Boston regularly), and the more human side of space and science. 

If you ever wondered about Astronomy and whether you could get into i...

Space Debris - a problem that continues to exponentially grow as more and more payloads are sent to Earth orbit every day. Old satellites, or ones without fuel or power, essentially become a giant piece of trash that orbits uncontrolled with the "traffic" of low earth orbit. Now, with companies beginning to be hit with government fines over leaving debris in space - what can be done to prevent or reduce the potential and real space debris?

This week, we chat with Paul Warley, CEO of Ascent Solar, a thin-film solar provider, about what makes flexible, lightweight...

On this Thanksgiving week episode, we're breaking down Starship's latest test flight - IFT2 and comparing it to the first integrated test flight (a.k.a. IFT1). We think there are four major WINS for SpaceX, NASA, and humanity after IFT2's successful test launch.

There is ALOT of work before humans can launch onboard, but IFT1 and IFT2 were only 6 months apart and they had to rebuild the pad. With a great looking launchpad post-launch, we expect LOTS of progress in 2024 for Starship! 

This episode is for folks of all levels of space nerdom, w...

You may be familiar with some recent news about far-flung interstellar locations, like the Psyche Mission, Mars InSight Mission, and the Juno Mission to Jupiter. Award-winning planetary scientist Dr. Sabine Stanley has been involved in some of these missions and is the author of the new book from Johns Hopkins Press, What's Hidden Inside Planets?

Thanks to Dr. Sabine and her team, our listeners can use promo code HPLAN for 30% off What's Hidden Inside Planets? when you order from Hopkins Press at press.jhu.edu.

Link:

On this week's episode, we replicate a pumpkin using 3D scanning and 3D printing in the AG3D lab. While the Replicator in Star Trek is still far away, todays technology has come A LONG WAY since even 10 years ago. 

We discuss what we used to bring this pumpkin-stein into life, and I also share some background on how 3D scanning and 3D printing went from an expensive set of tech, to something almost anyone can have in their homes for under $500.

Space and 3D printing are also slowly beginning to cross-the-streams, and we discuss t...

This week we introduce a new segment - THE HUMAN FACTOR! As hard as we might try to forget, scientists and engineers (and anyone) lives inside of a human body. While we might push ourselves mentally, we have a tendency to fuel and treat our bodies like crap.

But having a well operating human body will make us all better at whatever we do, even if its not science or engineering. We're taking a journey through wellness, biology, behavior, and more - and this week I'm sharing my almost 10 year wellness journey to start things out.

On this week's episode, we recap the PSYCHE mission after launch on October 13th, 2023 onboard a Falcon Heavy Rocket from Kennedy Space Center at LC-39A (side booster's recovered at LZ1 & LZ2). This is the a mission of many firsts, but primarily the 1st mission to an all-metal asteroid for NASA. 

We discuss:

On this week's episode, it's all-things Annular Solar Eclipse with the stellar event on Saturday, October 14th, 2023. The path of totality in the US and the "ring of fire" will be visible from Oregon to Texas from 9:13 a.m PDT to 12:03 p.m. CDT (and many other locations in Central & South America)

We discuss:

On this week's episode, we are diving into the latest JWST discovery of CO2 on the surface of Europa. We're answering the WHAT before the WHY in this 15 minutes deep dive into James Webb, Europa, and what this discovery means for life in the universe, and especially a potential alien pool of life in our own solar backyard.

We discuss:

On this week's episode, we review the OSIRIS-REx mission and Asteroid Bennu as the sample return is underway on September 24, 2023. This unique robotic space mission will give us data about our early Solar System and what ingredients were around an estimated to be 4.5 billions years ago. This pristine sample is not only a look at the Sol System's genesis, but Bennu is an asteroid with a potentially hazardous orbit with Earth in the next century. 

We discuss:

On this week's episode, we use three of the latest Alien/UFO/UAP events to demonstrate how our science-based approach to the unknown works. In line with what NASA shared at the latest UAP conference, it's about differentiating the extraterrestrial needle from the earth-based haystack. We know there's alot of chaos surrounding these issues but we felt more voices from a science background need to share their pro-aliens-are-possible thoughts. (HUGE kudos to Astro-Alexandra for demonstrating this early on and inspiring me to do this episode). As Carl Sagan has said in the past, Science is not just a mass...

Space is the ultimate extreme environment. The extreme temperatures, vacuum of space, and radiation variability can easily cause electronics to stop functioning and fail. In space your microchips can never fail since there's no replacing it once you're in orbit. That's why it's critical for these chips to be reliable, secure, and able to withstand the harsh environments of space.

We are honored to have Dr. Deniz Civay on the podcast, who is the Harsh Environment Battleground Owner of Aerospace and Defense at Global Foundries, a semiconductor company. Deniz shares her #STEM #originstory and we discuss her pa...

On this episode, we review THREE of the major space events in the past month! We answer WHAT each mission is, WHO is involved, and WHY its important for space & humanity's future.

On this episode we speak with Tanya of Mars herself! Dr. Tanya Harrison is our guest on "People of Science" this week to share her STEM Origin Story, time working on Mars Orbiter and Rovers, and how Space is full of great opportunities right now! So if you have a passion for STEM or just love Space and want to work in it - this episode is for you. So buckle up and let's dive in!

Dr. Tanya Harrison has worked as a scientist and mission operations specialist on multiple NASA missions to Mars, including the Opportunity...

On this week's episode, we were honored to speak with Avi Loeb for the second time. We were gratiously invited to his home to record and chat all-things space, IM1, and his latest expedition. Dr. Loeb is the Baird Professor of Science and Institute director at Harvard University and the bestselling author of "Extraterrestrial" and "Interstellar".

He explains the origins, hypothesis, and research behind searching for the debris of an interstellar object (IM1) that impacted the atmosphere of Earth over the Pacific Ocean. The speed of this object was detected and confirmed by the US Space Command...

On this episode we are celebrating Independence Day and the reveal of the Sally Ride Monument at the Reagan Library! Here to join us for the podcast is the human who's been building monuments to the greatness of human spaceflight over the past half-decade - Steven C. Barber. He's been the project manager for the Apollo 11 Monument at the Moon Tree Garden at Kennedy Space Center, as well as the Project Manager for the Apollo 13 Monument at Houston Space Center. And now, two Sally Ride monuments (East Coast - Cradle of Aviation / West Coast - Reagan Library). A storyteller...

On this episode, we bring back an old Star Trek influenced segment of the podcast from a few years back: The Personal Log. Remember when Captain Picard (or any of your favorite Captains/Crew) would have a "Personal Log" Entry? Well, this is mine. We discuss human matters, and the mindset & thoughts behind tackling challenges in life.

For this Personal log, we dive into some fitness progress I've had and revelation about tackling "the hill" both literally and figuratively. While I challenge the literal hill in my 30's that helped me become an athelete as a kid...

On this episode, we have our Top 3 space news stories from May to mid-June - and they don't disappoint! All the other space articles we've been gathering will be available in the description here.

On this episode we have alot to cover! We're in FULL 3D printing production for our Starship Pen and we talk about the latest design changes and the "Hexatube".

While I had plans for another topic this week, NASA's new UAP task force had their first meeting live streamed - so of course we had to talk about that. We watched the 4 hour meeting and share our thoughts - AND WE WANT TO HEAR YOURS! 
So email/DM us todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com / @todayinspacepod Twitter & Instagram / @todayinspace TikTok / /TodayInSpacePodcast on Facebook and let us know your Questions a...

On this episode, we share an AG3D lab update on our 3dprinted Starship rocket pen and the latest design development - its almost ready for launch! We also chat about astronomy and capturing the M101 pinwheel galaxy Supernova with our Vespera Telescope  

We discuss how important new observations are for continuing our understanding of the universe and reality we live in...

Let us know what you think, and if you have any thoughts on our 3dprinted rocket pen or the M101 supernova! Please send us any requests for topics on future shows, or stellar o...

On this episode, we review the Axiom 2 launch and docking to the ISS after riding up on Crew Dragon 'Freedom' and a brand new Falcon 9! (A rare sight these days). Lots of great 1sts on this mission, including a great crew of four that will spend 8 total days on station before returning to Earth for splashdown.

We'll also share our thoughts on why the International Space Station really is the original 'gateway' for humanity post-cold war. And with the boom in New Space business and lower cost to access space, the Space Station will usher us into...

On this episode, we spend some time talking about Mental Health and a period when it felt like chaos was all around - graduating from college with my Aerospace Engineering Degree. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...but I learned alot! One might say this period was where I first learned I could have control over my own mind if I put the work in. A little story time about one of the lowest periods of my life, and how human connections helped me get out of a serious rut. The reason I...

On this episode we share the exciting story of 'Space Hero', a worldwide competition with grand prize of a trip into SPACE! We were honored to have Co-CEO of Space Hero Thomas Reemer on the podcast to discuss the origin of the company and competition. Thomas shares his origin story of 25 yers in media & technology, starting as a music manager and event organiser, and even being an for artists such as Prince and George Clinton.

Thomas is a wealth of knowledge about the current space industry and its capabilities to launch humans into space. His insight in the...

On this episode, we share our experience at the "Black Hole Symphony". our thoughts and review of iSpace's Lunar Landing attempt with Mission 1, and unpackage our Starman Helmet after it's 1st Yuri's Night with Space United. 

Let us know in the comments!

Big Quesions/Thoughts for this episode:

We'd love to know y...

On this episode, we review the SpaceX Starship's 1st fully integrated test flight! A highly entertaining test flight that was doomed to explode by design (or RUD, as SpaceX loves to say). This test flight took many by surprise as the joy of a successful failure was confusing to most. The iterative process has many failures before success, and that's part of the journey of progress. We review WHAT the test flight was, WHY Starship is important, and HOW this test was a successful failure for SpaceX and all of humanity. We close with Space Storytime about the only...

On this episode, we are sharing our thoughts on Infinity with the help of our new telescope Vespera! Stargazing can be a very useful tool for your mental health and a good dose of reality and humility of just how infinite the universe is. We also share our latest books we're listening to from Carl Sagan & Andy Weir, as well as the latest image from JWST, and our thoughts about the potential alien life out there.

What do YOU think?

Let us know in the comments!

Big Quesions/Thoughts for this episode:

On this episode, we share our first thoughts after the Artemis 2 crew has been selected! x3 NASA Astronauts and x1 Canadian Space Agency Astronaut. These four individuals will orbit the moon with the Orion Spacecraft and test all the human rated systems and prepare for Artemis 3 where the first person of color and first woman will step foot on the Moon. We also breakdown what the Artemis Program is and what kinds of technology are needed to bring us to the Moon, and eventually to Mars (so a great episode if you are just catching up on what NASA...

On this episode, Alex reviews some of the most interesting Space from March in this final episode of the month! We have a busy April in Space, but let's not forget all the amazing things that happened in this 3rd month of 2023:

On this episode, Alex discusses Relativity Space and their 3D printed rocket Terran 1 which took to the pad twice, went through both 3 hour windows for launch, and scrubbed both times. BUT still have a rocket to try and launch again on March 22 10PM EDT. While scrubs hurt us emotionally, they are part of having a safe rocket industry - and we were very impressed with what we say out of Relativity Space and Terran 1. We discuss 3D printing and space combining and how it could help revolutionize humanities multiplanetary future (and even help us build in space).

...