Mission: Interplanetary

Thus far, the only humans to walk on the Moon have been US astronauts. But the coming decade may see many more people there—people from several countries and even private corporations. How can we ensure peaceful cooperation between players with different interests? Cady & Andrew talk with NASA’s Chief Economist Alex MacDonald about the future of lunar governance. Also, the Artemis 1 launch, Cady obsesses over donuts, Andrew discovers some weird science, and a gorgeous new Sounds of Space...

In a year of so many amazing achievements in space exploration, there may be nothing as inspiring and scientifically significant as the deployment of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The most powerful telescope ever built is allowing scientists to peer into the distant past—billions of years—to help fill gaps in our understanding of the universe and its history. What exactly are we learning from the JWST? NASA’s Amber Straughn, Deputy Project Scientist for the JWST, talks with Cady &...

The first astronauts squeezed their meals out of a tube. But space food has come a long way since then. What might be on future lunar menus? How do we grow food in microgravity? Short answer: We science the heck out of it. Matt Damon has nothing on this week’s guest. NASA’s Bryan Onate talks with Cady & Andrew about how scientists are developing the future of space food. Also, Cady’s working on a book, Andrew contemplates the future of humanity, and both of them learn a new word from this...

Space exploration imagines itself as a secular endeavor with its foundations in science and engineering? But how accurate is this self-image? Religious Studies scholar Mary-Jane Rubenstein talks with guest hosts Tanya Harrison and Joe O’Rourke about the surprising affinities between religion and space exploration. Check out her forthcoming book on the subject! Also, Joe delights in revenge for the dinosaurs, Tanya speculates on a planet of cephalopods, and a tear-jerking new Sounds of Space...

You’ve probably worked on teams, collaborating with groups of people to achieve shared goals. And it can be really difficult. Now imagine working with an immense team to do something as difficult as building a successful space mission. Tracy Drain has done it. Repeatedly. She’s the Lead Flight Systems Engineer for NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission, and she talks with Cady and Andrew about what she’s learned about running successful collaborations. Also, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Donnie Darko, and...

It was 1972 the last time humans walked on the Moon. Now, with the Artemis program and other efforts, we’re returning to the lunar surface this decade. But why are we going? And what will we do once we get there? Cady & Andrew talk with former astronaut and best-selling author Chris Hadfield of the Open Lunar Foundation about the near-future of humans on the Moon. Also, Artemis I delays, Andrew worries about robots, and an impactful new Sounds of Space. Questions? Comments? Suggestions?...

There are tens of thousands of pieces of space junk hurtling around our planet at terrifying speeds. This debris—dead satellites, bits of old spacecraft, etc.—pose a real danger to humans who travel to space and to the technologies we use every day here on Earth. Privateer co-founder Moriba Jah talks to Cady & Andrew about addressing this urgent challenge. SPOILER: Empathy is part of the solution. Also, NASA’s DART mission boops an asteroid, Andrew is migrating south, and a new Sounds of...

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There may be no question more profound than, “Are we alone in the universe?” Certainly, recent years have seen a lot of energy around looking for signs of primitive life on other worlds—Mars, Europa, Enceladus, even Venus. But microbes, even Martian ones, seem like poor company. What of the search for intelligent life? Are we done with that? Was that just an 80s thing, like shoulder pads? Cady and Andrew talk with legendary pioneer in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, Jill...

As sites for research and potential gateways to the solar system, space stations play a critical role in building positive space futures. But so far, all of these—like Skylab, Mir, the International Space Station (ISS)—were owned and operated by governments. That is changing. In 2021, Blue Origin announced plans to build a private space station: Orbital Reef. What will people do there? How will it be different than previous space stations? Cady and Andrew talk with Blue Origin’s Erika Wagner...

The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act changed the lives of millions of people, helping to make public spaces accessible to those with disabilities. But thirty years after this law, space exploration is still a disabling endeavor that excludes too many people. How can we change this? How can we make space inclusive of everyone? In this episode, part 2 of a series, Cady and Andrew talk with Sina Bahram of Prime Access Consulting about his experience aboard AstroAccess’s zero-gravity flight....

In the early years of human space exploration, only those with the narrowly-defined and exclusionary “Right Stuff” could be astronauts. Though we’ve come a long way in expanding our ideas of who can go to space, we’re still leaving out so many people because of disabling design decisions. In this episode, Cady and Andrew talk with Ann Kapusta of AstroAccess about how we can make space more accessible for disabled people. Spoiler: the technological barriers are far less challenging than the...

Mars and Venus are our two nearest planetary neighbors, named after the god of war and the goddess of love, respectively. We have rovers on Mars and new missions planned for Venus. But where should we focus most of our attention? In this episode, we’re out to settle this question once and for all. It’s a Planetary Smackdown. Professional Martian Tanya Harrison of Planet Labs is in the ring for Mars, and Joe O’Roarke, planetary scientist and 2nd rock from the sun advocate, is championing...

On Mission: Interplanetary, we talk about space exploration as one of humanity’s greatest collective challenges. Another of those challenges is fighting climate change. How do these two overlap? Cady and Andrew talk with Dava Newman, Director of MIT’s Media Lab, whose non-profit Earth DNA uses satellite data to make the reality of our climate emergency legible to people on Earth. It’s a kind of dashboard for our planet! Also, Andrew solves a Rubik’s cube in record time, staying caffeinated,...

The next 10 or 20 years may see the first humans on Mars. Sure, Matt Damon suffered catastrophic potato crop failure in The Martian, but what dangers will that first real crew on the Red Planet actually face? And how do we keep them safe? NASA Chief Scientist and Manger for Science & Technology Utilization Julie Robinson talks with Cady and Andrew about the five hazards of human space travel, and what we’re doing to guard against them. Also, death by crawler, acronyms, Andrew’s game show...

You’ve probably heard about space mining from science fiction. But in the absence of “spice” (Dune shout-out!), what will we actually mine in space? And where? And how? Cady and Andrew talk with space engineer Chris Lewicki about the future of off-Earth mining. Also, the problem with vinyl, novel uses of space flooring, and Sounds of Space. This week’s Sounds of Space comes from the great folks at SYSTEM Sounds. Hosts Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard Twitter Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU...

Cady and Andrew are back for Season 2, asking the Big Questions about space exploration with a lineup of brilliant guests! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Space begins some sixty-two miles above the surface of the Earth, but for most people it feels far more distant. Cady and Andrew talk with Ellen Stofan, Under Secretary for Science and Research at the Smithsonian, about bringing space closer to people. Also, space debris in the news, the problem with rotating space stations, and a new Sounds of Space. This week’s Sounds of Space from the great folks at System Sounds. Hosts Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard Twitter Interplanetary Initiative:...

More than half a million bits of deadly space junk are racing around our planet. What do we do about that? Cady and Andrew talk to NASA astronaut Mark Brown about the problem of orbital debris. Also, the passing of legendary astronaut Michael Collins, daffodils, the sci-fi of Toby Weston, and a new Sounds of Space. Check out this week’s Sounds of Space here. Hosts Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard Twitter Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady Andrew Maynard: @2020science...

What happens if you murder someone in space? Cady and Andrew talk to space lawyer Timiebi Aganaba-Jeanty about the laws that govern us when we leave Earth. Also, Ingenuity flies on Mars, Star Cops, Battlestar Galactica, and a new Sounds of Space. This week’s Sounds of Space comes from the great folks at System Sounds. Hosts Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard Twitter Timiebi Aganaba-Jeanty: @Timiebi89 Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady Andrew Maynard: @2020science Learn...