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Liftoff — Education
Liftoff

Liftoff was a podcast about space, the universe, and everything. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to understand the major developments as explained by enthusiastic space fans Stephen Hackett and Jason Snell. Hosted by Jason Snell and Stephen Hackett.

Copyright: Copyright © 2019 Relay FM

Latest Episodes:

131: Windex for Rockets Aug 25, 2020

Show notes

It's a busy week on Florida's Space Coast, and supernovas are in the news. Thankfully the two won't cross paths. Neither will Earth and an asteroid the day before Election Day in the United States.

This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:

ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
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Links and Show Notes:

Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership

Relay FM for St. Jude

Relay FM - Twitch

August set to end with string of launches from Cape Canaveral – Spaceflight Now

Launch Schedule – Spaceflight Now

ULA to launch Delta 4 Heavy for its 12th mission, four more to go before rocket is retired - SpaceNews

SpaceX flies the same, sooty booster for the sixth time [Updated] | Ars Technica

Sorry but NASA says this small asteroid doesn’t pose a threat to Earth before Election Day - The Verge

News | Tiny Asteroid Buzzes by Earth - the Closest Flyby on Record

Engineers troubleshooting small space station air leak – Spaceflight Now

Unveiling Rogue Planets With NASA’s Roman Space Telescope | NASA

Predictions of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Galactic Exoplanet Survey. II. Free-floating Planet Detection Rates - IOPscience

Warped Space-time to Help WFIRST Find Exoplanets | NASA

Richard Pogge's Home Page

Researchers propose a supernova triggered the Late Devonian mass extinction | Ars Technica

This Star Looked Like It Would Explode. Maybe It Just Sneezed - The New York Times

130: A Salted Almond in Space Aug 11, 2020

Show notes

Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have splashed down after their historic mission to the ISS, and SpaceX's finally gotten a Starship test article to hop in Texas and the OSIRIS-REx team is gearing up for their sample return flight. Also: Ceres' bright spots, government contracts and an update on the SLS.

This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:

Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code LIFTOFF at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
Tuparev Technologies: Introducing StarBrush: Modern astronomical imaging tool for everyone.

Links and Show Notes:

Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership

NASA Astronauts Safely Back from First Commercial Crew Trip to Station | NASA

Soyuz 23 - Wikipedia

An early version of Starship takes its first tentative steps off Earth | Ars Technica

Starship SN5 150m Hop - YouTube

Martian Night Sky Pulses in Ultraviolet Light

OSIRIS-REx is One Rehearsal Away from Touching Asteroid Bennu | NASA

Air Force to end agreements with Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman, prepares for launch contract protests - SpaceNews

Dwarf planet Ceres is 'ocean world' with salty water deep underground - Reuters

News | Mystery Solved: Bright Areas on Ceres Come From Salty Water Below

NASA’s Pegasus Heads to Kennedy With Artemis I Rocket Hardware | NASA

Key Connection for Artemis I Arrives at Kennedy | NASA

SLS Green Run test-firing to verify Core Stage design, analysis before first launch - NASASpaceFlight.com

NASA Motor Test Helps Evaluate New SLS Materials – Artemis

129: Dirt in a Soccer Ball Jul 28, 2020

Show notes

Mars 2020 is set to launch in just a few days, and should be followed by the splashdown of the Commercial Crew Demo-2 mission. Elsewhere, Virgin Galactic has shown off the interior of its space tourism craft, and we remember Rene Carpenter.

Links and Show Notes:

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U.S. Space & Rocket Center

Save Space Camp | Created by U S SPACE & ROCKET CENTER FOUNDATION

NASA Delays James Webb Telescope Launch Date, Again - The New York Times

Virgin Galactic unveils the interior cabin of its tourist spaceplane - The Verge

Rene Carpenter, Astronaut’s Wife Who Broke NASA Mold, Dies at 92 - The New York Times

Top 10 Things to Know for NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 Return | NASA

NASA Announces Astronauts to Fly on SpaceX Crew-2 Mission | NASA

Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover - NASA Mars

Bringing Mars Rocks to Earth: Our Greatest Interplanetary Circus Act - The New York Times

Too Much Mars? Let’s Discuss Other Worlds - The New York Times

128: Summer of Mars Jul 14, 2020

Show notes

There are three missions bound for Mars launching this month, and Jason walks through them each. Then, Stephen gives a NASA budget update and the two get into some space law ... and guidelines.

This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:

Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code LIFTOFF at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package.

Links and Show Notes:

Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership

How to catch a glimpse of the comet NEOWISE dazzling the skies right now - The Verge

Thierry Legault on Twitter: "Neowise Sunday evening over the Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy..."

Rocket Lab experiences first Electron mission failure since original flight test in 2017 - Space Explored

NASA Updates Planetary Protection Policies for Moon to Mars Missions | NASA

NASA implements changes to planetary protection policies for moon and Mars missions - SpaceNews

NASA and Boeing Complete Orbital Flight Test Reviews | NASA

Scrutinizing SpaceX, NASA Overlooked Some Boeing Software Problems - The New York Times

Eric Berger on Twitter: "Sounds like there are a lot of "ifs" in Boeing flying its OFT-2 mission this year..."

The UAE’s first interplanetary mission to Mars set for launch - The Verge

Home | Emirates Mars Mission

Your Guide to Tianwen-1 | The Planetary Society

Mars rover mated with Atlas 5 launcher after teams deal with coronavirus cases – Spaceflight Now

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter: Attempting the First Powered Flight on Mars - YouTube

NASA's Dragonfly Mission to Titan Will Look for Origins, Signs of Life | NASA

No 12 Percent Increase for NASA As House Appropriators Keep Agency At Current Funding Level – SpacePolicyOnline.com

House CJS Subcommittee Approves FY2021 Bill, But Not Without Dissent – SpacePolicyOnline.com

Congress may allow NASA to launch Europa Clipper on a Falcon Heavy | Ars Technica

127: Wormy Space Coin Jun 30, 2020

Show notes

This week: black holes doing weird black hole things, a progress report on the SLS and a discussion of how some of NASA's facilities should be renamed.

This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:

Tuparev Technologies: Introducing StarBrush: Modern astronomical imaging tool for everyone.

Links and Show Notes:

Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership

Building the next Canadarm - Canada.ca

NASA developing plans to fly astronauts on suborbital rockets – Spaceflight Now

American Innovations $1 | News Image Library | U.S. Mint

Annie Jump Cannon | American astronomer | Britannica

NASA Names Headquarters After ‘Hidden Figure’ Mary W. Jackson | NASA

Modern Figures | NASA

Campaign to Rename Stennis Space Center Kicks Off – SpacePolicyOnline.com

NASA Completes Artemis Space Launch System Structural Testing Campaign | NASA

NASA Plans for More SLS Rocket Boosters to Launch Artemis Missions | NASA

Astronomers see first light flare from two distant black holes colliding - The Verge

A Black Hole’s Lunch Provides a Treat for Astronomers - The New York Times

126: Astronauts are Really Good at Moving Jun 15, 2020

Show notes

The crew of Demo-2 are likely working on orbit until August, while here on the ground, COVID-19 is taking its toll on NASA schedules. Also: a conversation about CLPS and Gateway, as well as NASA's new Director of Human Spaceflight, Kathy Lueders.

This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:

Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code LIFTOFF at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes:

Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership

Crew Dragon likely to support extended space station stay - SpaceNews.com

SpaceX's 1st Crew Dragon astronauts settle into life at the space station | Space

James Webb Space Telescope will “absolutely” not launch in March | Ars Technica

Mars 2020 launch slips three days - SpaceNews.com

NASA Selects Astrobotic to Fly Water-Hunting Rover to the Moon | NASA

NASA Picks Astrobotic to Carry VIPER Ice-Hunting Moon Rover - The New York Times

Saturn's largest moon is drifting off into space 100 times faster than researchers previously thought - CBS News

Space Force (TV series) - Wikipedia

Somehow I Manage - a podcast from The Incomparable

NASA Awards Northrop Grumman Artemis Contract for Gateway Crew Cabin | NASA

Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) | NASA

Kathy Lueders Selected to Lead NASA’s Human Spaceflight Office | NASA

NASA’s new chief of human spaceflight has a commercial background | Ars Technica

125: A Sparkly Dinosaur Jun 02, 2020

Show notes

The age of Commercial Crew has arrived, with Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken arriving at the International Space Station safely after riding a Falcon 9 there this weekend. Also: tiny CubeSats can do big things and Tom Cruise may be taking a trip.

This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:

ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package.

Links and Show Notes:

Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership

Early SpaceX prototype test ends in fiery explosion, unrelated to NASA astronaut mission – Space Explored

SpaceX’s Starship SN4 launch vehicle prototype explodes after static engine fire test | TechCrunch

SpaceX's Starship explosion explained by Elon Musk

Risky Business? NASA and Tom Cruise Talk Movie Shoot in Space - The New York Times

News | JPL Mission Breaks Record for Smallest Satellite to Detect an Exoplanet

JPL | CubeSat | ASTERIA

Shannon Walker joins crewed SpaceX mission, launch target later this year – Space Explored

Making history, astronauts ride commercial capsule to space station – Spaceflight Now

“The trampoline is working”—SpaceX returns human spaceflight to America | Ars Technica

SpaceX 'stowaway' revealed by crew as sons' dinosaur toy 'Tremor' | collectSPACE

Astronauts 'capture the flag' for SpaceX in race to reach space station | collectSPACE

SpaceX Crew Astronauts Get Used to Space Station – Space Station

124: Space Koozie May 19, 2020

Show notes

The Artemis Accords have been unveiled, but will their adoption be hurt by their rollout? Could Starship be more useful as a refueling station than a lander? Jason and Stephen get into these questions and more this fortnight.

This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:

Tuparev Technologies: Introducing StarBrush: Modern astronomical imaging tool for everyone.

Links and Show Notes:

Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership

Liftoff on Twitter

Large chunks of a Chinese rocket missed New York City by about 15 minutes | Ars Technica

Perseverance Rover Goes Through Trials by Fire, Ice, Light and Sound | NASA

Rover Cameras - NASA Mars

Op-ed | Toward a coherent Artemis plan - SpaceNews.com

Starlink Discussion National Academy of Sciences | SpaceX

SpaceX to test Starlink “sun visor” to reduce brightness - SpaceNews.com

NASA Artemis Accords

NASA Unveils “Artemis Accords” – SpacePolicyOnline.com

NASA announces international Artemis Accords to standardize how to explore the Moon - The Verge

Outer Space Treaty - Wikipedia

Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015 - Wikipedia

123: Lunar Camper May 05, 2020

Show notes

NASA has unveiled its plans to source a lunar lander for the Artemis program, while Hubble celebrates its 30th anniversary.

This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:

Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code LIFTOFF at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes:

Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership

NASA spent a decade and nearly $1 billion for a single launch tower | Ars Technica

NASA will pay a staggering $146 million for each SLS rocket engine | Ars Technica

NASA Names Companies to Develop Human Landers for Artemis Missions | NASA

NASA selects three companies to develop lunar landers - SpaceFlight Insider

Hubble Marks 30 Years in Space With Tapestry of Blazing Starbirth | NASA

Hubble Space Telescope | NASA

The Pillars of Creation | NASA

122: Get an Exoplanet; Lose an Exoplanet Apr 21, 2020

Show notes

May seems to be the Month of Commercial Crew! Also: NASA is working from home, an exoplanet may be no more and a look at a future Mars sample return mission.

This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:

eero: Get your WiFi fixed as soon as tomorrow! Free overnight shipping.

Links and Show Notes:

Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership

How engineers are operating space missions from their homes - The Verge

NASA's Curiosity Keeps Rolling As Team Operates Rover From Home

An Earth-Sized World Orbiting in its Star's Habitable Zone Was Found in Older Kepler Data - Universe Today

The Case of the Disappearing Exoplanet - The New York Times

Strange ingredient in interstellar Comet Borisov offers a clue to its origins | Space

Why the Big Bang Produced Something Rather Than Nothing - The New York Times

NASA DM-2

SpaceX returns to the launch pad, and there are a few things to watch for | Ars Technica

Robert L. Behnken (Colonel, USAF, PH.D.) NASA Astronaut | NASA

Douglas G. Hurley (Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps, Ret.) NASA Astronaut | NASA

This is SpaceX’s very first human crew - YouTube

NASA reveals ambitious multi-spacecraft plan to bring a piece of Mars back to Earth | TechCrunch

NASA narrows design for rocket to launch samples off of Mars – Spaceflight Now

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