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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:

111: Escape of the Mole Nov 05, 2019

Show notes

Commercial Crew continues to grind forward, while InSight struggles to dig on Mars. Then, some SLS upper stage news, reflections on the Galileo probe and a spoiler-free review of "For All Mankind."

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

Links and Show Notes:

Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership

Mars InSight's Mole Has Partially Backed Out of Its Hole – NASA’s Mars Exploration Program

At NASA’s request, Boeing will livestream key Starliner test | Ars Technica

Boeing statement regarding CST-100 Starliner pad abort test

Boeing’s Starliner Completes Pad Abort Test for Commercial Crew | NASA

Voyager 2 Illuminates Boundary of Interstellar Space | NASA

Second RS-25 Engine Attached to NASA Moon Rocket | NASA

NASA rejects Blue Origin’s offer of a cheaper upper stage for the SLS rocket | Ars Technica

Galileo Orbiter Details

For All Mankind (TV Series 2019– ) - IMDb

Upgrade #270: The Toughest Compare - Relay FM

Which Planet is the Closest? - CGP Grey on YouTube

110: A Consensual Hallucination Oct 22, 2019

Show notes

Insight is back up and running, and the ISS has hosted the first all-female spacewalk. Back here on Earth, NASA is making purchases for Artemis, even as Congress threatens the agency's 2024 plans.

This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:

ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package.
Moo: Custom business printing and design. Save 15%.

Links and Show Notes:

Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership

Mars InSight's 'Mole' Is Moving Again – NASA’s Mars Exploration Program

Koch, Meir conclude first all-female spacewalk – Spaceflight Now

Why it took so long for NASA to do the first all-female spacewalk - The Verge

NASA and the Exquisite Boredom of Spacewalking - The Atlantic

Trump just got fact-checked from space, again - The Verge

NASA considering purchase of additional Soyuz seats - SpaceNews.com

NASA names Douglas Loverro new director of human spaceflight operations - CBS News

National Reconnaissance Office - Wikipedia

Trump's Iran Tweet Included Image From Specific Spy Satellite, Amateurs Find : NPR

NASA Commits to Future Artemis Missions With More SLS Rocket Stages | NASA

NASA will award Boeing a cost-plus contract for up to 10 SLS rockets | Ars Technica

A House budget committee has likely killed the 2024 Moon landing | Ars Technica

NASA’s Lucy Mission Clears Critical Milestone | NASA

Lucy: The First Mission to Jupiter’s Trojans | NASA

NASA unveils future Moon spacesuits that should be ready by 2024 - The Verge

Blue Origin teams up with Lockheed Martin and more for human lunar lander design - The Verge

109: An SLS in the Garage Oct 08, 2019

Show notes

This fortnight: NASA works to get its InSight lander digging again, while the SLS program moves forward with training using a replica core stage and some have suggested Planet 9 may not be a planet at all. Oh, and Elon Musk and Jim Bridenstine have been feisty on Twitter.

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

NASA's Push to Save the Mars InSight Lander's Heat Probe – NASA's InSight Mars Lander

Raw Images | Multimedia – NASA's InSight Mars Lander

Elon Musk, NASA, and the Effort to Return to Orbit - The Atlantic

Jim Bridenstine on Twitter: "My statement on @SpaceX's announcement tomorrow: https://t.co/C67MhSeNsa" / Twitter

Elon Musk on Twitter: "@SciGuySpace For what it’s worth, the SpaceX schedule, which I’ve just reviewed in depth, shows Falcon & Dragon at the Cape & all testing done in ~10 weeks" / Twitter

Elon Musk aims to put SpaceX’s Starship in orbit in six months - The Verge

It looks like SpaceX is now prioritizing Crew Dragon—which is great for NASA | Ars Technica

Hardware arrives in Florida for Crew Dragon in-flight abort test – Spaceflight Now

Blue Origin performs high-altitude test of crew escape motor – Spaceflight Now

SLS Core Stage Pathfinder Exercise | NASA

First Pegasus Barge Arrival of NASA’s Artemis Program | NASA

SLS Rocket Pathfinders Prepare Teams for One-of-a-Kind Hardware | NASA

Space Shuttle Pathfinder - Wikipedia

Dressing for the Job: Spacesuits Prepped for Upcoming Spacewalks | NASA

First of Five Power Upgrade Spacewalks This Month Wraps Up – Space Station

NASA is getting ready for the first all-female spacewalk — again - The Verge

Mary Robinette Kowal on Twitter: "Can we take a moment to talk about optimizing and gender? / Twitter

‘Planet Nine’ may actually be a black hole | Science | AAAS

Is Planet Nine Actually a Primordial Black Hole? | HowStuffWorks

108: Hungry for Artemis Details Sep 24, 2019

Show notes

This week, Stephen and Jason discuss a recent exoplanet discovery, NASA's ordering of additional Orion capsules and what Jim Bridenstine can do to ensure ARTEMIS is a success, even beyond his tenure.

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

Links and Show Notes:

Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership

Relay FM Podcastathon for St. Jude (2019) - YouTube

Relay FM for St. Jude

Astronomers Find Water on an Exoplanet Twice the Size of Earth - Scientific American

No, the Exoplanet K2-18b Is Not Habitable - Scientific American Blog Network

First measurements of 'interstellar comet' - BBC News

Astronomers Chase a Very Eccentric Interstellar Object - The Atlantic

Interstellar comet has a brand-new name - The Verge

NASA is trying to land on the moon. The biggest challenge might be Congress. - The Washington Post

Eric Berger on Twitter: "Got to love the Senate budgeting $300 million for the EUS upper stage NASA says it doesn't need yet..." - Twitter

Senate bill offers $22.75 billion for NASA in 2020 - SpaceNews.com

NASA Joins Last of Five Sections for Space Launch System Rocket Stage | NASA

NASA Commits to Long-term Artemis Missions with Orion Production | NASA

NASA taps Lockheed Martin to build six more Orion crew capsules – Spaceflight Now

After 15 years of development, Lockheed wins new cost-plus contract for Orion | Ars Technica

NASA cubesat to test lunar Gateway orbit - SpaceNews.com

Some NASA contractors appear to be trying to kill the Lunar Gateway | Ars Technica

Getting back to the moon requires speed and simplicity | TheHill

Upgrade - Relay FM

107: Build a Lunar Zipline Sep 09, 2019

Show notes

The Chandrayaan-2 lander seems to have met its end on the lunar surface as SpaceX inches forward with its Raptor testing program. Then, NASA's plans for commercial lunar landers and how the agency prepares Kennedy for hurricanes.

This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:

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

Support St. Jude

Membership - Relay FM

India's Vikram Spacecraft Apparently Crash-Lands on Moon | The Planetary Society

Communications Lost with Chandrayaan-2 Just Before Landing on Moon – UPDATED – SpacePolicyOnline.com

India Says It Has Located Chandrayaan-2 Lander on Moon’s Surface - The New York Times

SpaceX’s Starhopper completes test flight - SpaceNews.com

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future: Ashlee Vance

NASA Experiments Flying to Moon on Commercial Landers | NASA

NASA Selects Experiments for Possible Lunar Flights in 2019 | NASA

NASA refines plans for Artemis lunar lander - SpaceNews.com

How NASA’s busiest Florida spaceport is preparing for Hurricane Dorian - The Verge

Spaceport survey finds little damage from Hurricane Dorian – Spaceflight Now

NASA - Hurricane Andrew: 15 Years Ago

Kennedy Space Center Hurricane Plan (PDF)

Vehicle Assembly Building - Wikipedia

106: One Robot Closet Aug 27, 2019

Show notes

The first SLS is taking shape, as are Starhopper and Europa Clipper. Stephen struggles with a name and then Jason introduces a new segment.

This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:

ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package.
eero: Get your WiFi fixed as soon as tomorrow! Free overnight shipping.

Links and Show Notes:

Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership

India's Chandrayaan-2 Spacecraft Scouts the Moon in New Lunar Photos | Space

Europa Clipper's Mission to Jupiter’s Icy Moon Confirmed | NASA

NASA Has Committed to a Rocket for the Europa Mission--and It Won't Be Ready on Time - Scientific American

After a botched docking attempt, Russia delivers a humanoid robot to the space station - The Verge

Russian and U.S. Spaceship Activities Keep Crew Busy – Space Station

Russian Soyuz Spacecraft Carrying Humanoid Robot Aborts Docking at Space Station | Space

РОСКОСМОС on Twitter: Skybot F850

Eris (dwarf planet) - Wikipedia

NASA Administrator Says Pluto Is Still a Planet, And Things Are Getting Heated

SpaceX scrubs Starhopper test flight on Monday evening [Updated] | Ars Technica

Boeing completes first NASA SLS engine section, getting ready for final Core Stage mate - NASASpaceFlight.com

All Booster Segments for NASA’s Artemis 2 Mission Completely Cast | NASA

NASA Marshall to Lead Artemis Program’s Human Lunar Lander Development | NASA

NASA chief alienates Senators needed to fund the Moon program | Ars Technica

Will NASA’s Artemis Moon Mission Have An All-Female Crew?

Actually, NASA is looking at all options for the Moon—including prizes | Ars Technica

One could fly to Mars in this spacious habitat and not go crazy | Ars Technica

Hole That Caused Leak in Russian Spacecraft Possibly Traced to Assembly or Testing: Report | Space

NASA Astronaut Anne McClain Refutes Space Crime Claim by Spouse as Divorce Details Emerge | Space

The first alleged crime committed in space raises questions about jurisdiction in orbit - The Verge

Space Station's Data Rate Increase Supports Future Exploration | NASA

SpaceIL’s Crashed Spacecraft Spilled Tardigrades on the Moon | WIRED

Chris Johnson on Twitter

Tardigrade - Wikipedia

105: Hallowed Ground Aug 13, 2019

Show notes

Stephen and Jason report in after their field trip to Space Center Houston and Johnson Space Center, which included seeing several spacecraft and visiting the restored Apollo Mission Control room.

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.
Circle: Parental Control & Internet Filtering App. Get $30 off a Circle Home Plus.

Links and Show Notes:

Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership

Space Center Houston | Science and Space Exploration Learning Center

A Trip to Johnson Space Center – 512 Pixels

Where does NASA keep the Moon Rocks? - Smarter Every Day 220 - YouTube

Liftoff on Twitter: "TFW Stephen sees the rocket he’s ...questioned... on the podcast..."

Space Vehicle Mockup Facility

R5 | NASA

International Cooperation | NASA

NASA’s restored Apollo Mission Control is a slice of ’60s life, frozen in amber | Ars Technica

Restoring Apollo Mission Control Center

104: A Beautiful Rocket Butterfly Jul 31, 2019

Show notes

As 2024 gets closer and closer, NASA is hard at work on SLS and Orion, but is also partnering with several companies to move several projects forward in parallel. Stephen and Jason then mark the passing of NASA's first Flight Director, Chris Kraft.

This episode of Liftoff is sponsored by:

ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package.
Circle: Parental Control & Internet Filtering App. Get $30 off a Circle Home Plus.

Links and Show Notes:

Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership

Liftoff (@liftoffpodcast) / Twitter

SpaceX succeeds with first untethered StarHopper low altitude ‘hop’ test | TechCrunch

A “city-killing” asteroid just zipped by Earth. Why didn’t we see it coming? - Vox

Tunguska event - Wikipedia

NASA Says SLS Green Run Test is a Go – SpacePolicyOnline.com

“Green Run” Test Will Pave the Way for Successful NASA Moon Missions | NASA

Vice President Unveils NASA Spacecraft for Artemis 1 Lunar Mission | NASA

Plum Brook Station | NASA

NASA Taps Northrop Grumman to Build Lunar Gateway Habitation Module | Space

Bigelow Aerospace - Gateway

NASA Announces Industry Partnerships to Advance Moon, Mars Technology | NASA

NASA agrees to work with SpaceX on orbital refueling technology | Ars Technica

Private Company Orbit Beyond Drops Out of 2020 NASA Moon-Landing Deal | Space

Commercial Lunar Payload Services Update | NASA

Solar Sailing Success: Planetary Society Deploys LightSail 2 - Scientific American

Made in Space wins NASA contract to 3D-print satellite structures in orbit – Spaceflight Now

Christopher Columbus Kraft, NASA’s legendary flight director, has died | Ars Technica

Remembering Chris Kraft | NASA

"Flight: My Life in Mission Control" by Christopher Kraft

103: Apollo 11 Jul 16, 2019

Show notes

50 years ago, humans first set foot on the moon. The work of the crew of Apollo 11 has inspired people for five decades, and their legacy continues to shine on today. In this episode, Stephen and Jason discuss three aspects of the mission that aren’t as well known, including Neil Armstrong’s brush with death in a training exercise, the science performed by the crew during their lunar EVA, and the astronauts’ less-than-glamorous welcome back to Earth.

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:

Our Apollo Episodes:

Apollo 11 Mission Overview | NASA

Apollo 11 | NASA

Apollo 11 Moon Launch 50th Anniversary | CBS News Special Coverage, live stream - YouTube

50 Years Ago: Armstrong Survives Training Crash | NASA

LLRV Testing Contributed to Apollo 11's Success - YouTube

Neil A. Armstrong Oral History

How Apollo 11's astronauts spent their 22 hours on the moon | Popular Science

Apollo 11 Science Experiments

Apollo 50th on Twitter

Astronauts Didn't Sleep So Well on the Moon - Vintage Space : Vintage Space

Why the Apollo 11 Crew Was Quarantined Upon Return - YouTube

Apollo was NASA’s biggest win — but its legacy is holding the agency back - The Verge

102: Important Business Meetings Jul 05, 2019

Show notes

Orion and the Mobile Launch Platform are making progress, InSight's struggles continue and NASA is sending a 8-rotor drone to Saturn's moon Titan.

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.
Circle: Parental Control & Internet Filtering App. Get $30 off a Circle Home Plus.

Links and Show Notes:

Support Liftoff with a Relay FM Membership

Amazon.com: From the Earth to the Moon (DC/BD) [Blu-ray]

U.S., China plan to meet on civil space in autumn: U.S. official | The Journal Pioneer

Where Does Mars' Methane Go? New Study Provides Possible Answer, with Implications in the Search for Life. - Universe Today

With a Poof, Mars Methane Is Gone - The New York Times

Watch the total solar eclipse streak across Earth in this gorgeous satellite shot – BGR

Apollo's Muse: The Moon in the Age of Photography | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Moon Sits for Its Portrait - The New York Times

NASA's Orion Crew Capsule Aces Big Safety Test | Space

Orion Ascent Abort-2 Photos

NASA's Launch Abort Test Builds on 50 Years of Astronaut Escape Systems | Space

Common Questions about InSight's 'Mole' – NASA’s Mars Exploration Program

News | NASA's InSight Uncovers the 'Mole'

NASA will fund a revolutionary mission to fly through Titan’s atmosphere | Ars Technica

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

Dragonfly: NASA's New Mission to Explore Saturn's Moon Titan - YouTube

NASA’s restored Apollo Mission Control is a slice of ’60s life, frozen in amber | Ars Technica

NASA Reopens Apollo Mission Control Room That Once Landed Men on Moon - The New York Times

BBC World Service - 13 Minutes to the Moon

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