Marcia Smith, founder of Space Policy Online, joins the show to discuss the motivations and risks of pursuing change at NASA—and how much change can ultimately happen with Congress holding the purse strings.
Jul 29
TERP RAPTOR: A student-built mission to asteroid Apophis
On Friday, April 13, 2029, asteroid Apophis will pass closer to Earth than our geostationary satellites. While NASA, ESA, and JAXA are all sending missions, a team of students at the University of Maryland is building their own spacecraft to join the fleet. TERP RAPTOR is a CubeS ... Show More
1h 1m
Nov 2023
Exploring the Challenges of Building Settlements in Space
Kelly Weinersmith, Professor at Rice University, discusses her book A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?
Hosts: Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec. Producer: Paul Brennan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat ... Show More
9m 20s
Nov 2018
Extended Classic – Let’s Make America Smart Again: The Future of NASA
<p>Re-visit our Let’s Make America Smart Again series as Neil deGrasse Tyson, comic co-host Chuck Nice, and Ellen Stofan look at the past, present, and future of NASA. Now extended with Neil and Chuck chatting with former HI-SEAS IV crew member Dr. Sheyna Gifford on interstellar ... Show More
1h 10m
Jun 2022
Cosmic Queries – NASA v. Billionaires with Lori Garver
<p>Mining on the moon? Owning an asteroid? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice answer questions about the private space industry, the role of NASA, and the future of space law with former Deputy Administrator of NASA, Lori Garver. </p><p>NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can w ... Show More
47m 39s
Oct 2023
Space Projects: Managing Innovation, Risk and Change
<p>Space projects push boundaries, aiming to give teams a better understanding of our own planet and to explore what’s beyond. But these efforts are full of complexity, with evolving risks, new innovations, long timelines and fluctuations in funding. We discuss this with: </p><p ... Show More
25m 19s
Dec 2024
Challenger Disaster | Acceptable Risk | 2
As NASA struggles to keep its ambitious launch schedule on track, engineers at contractor Morton Thiokol raise concerns about a key component of the space shuttle’s rocket boosters: O-Rings, which are designed to prevent fuel leaks. Amid this tension, the Teacher in Space program ... Show More
36m 37s