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Mission: Interplanetary — Science
Mission: Interplanetary

Join Astronaut Cady Coleman and scientist/author Andrew Maynard as they explore the unique visions of those working to take us to new worlds.Mission: Interplanetary looks at the big questions, the challenges to overcome, and the opportunities within reach. We talk to the people imagining, designing, and building the future of humans in space. Join us for a glimpse into futures that lie far beyond the bounds of Earth.

Latest Episodes:

How will we govern the Moon? Nov 15, 2022

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 courtesy of the great folks at SYSTEM Sounds. Lastly, check out NASA’s new document: Lunar Landing and Operations Policy Analysis.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Visit our website at missioninterplanetary.com and drop us a line!

Hosts

Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard

Twitter

Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU

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What are we learning from the JWST? Nov 08, 2022

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 & Andrew about surprising new discoveries, and what’s still to come from this game-changing new telescope. Also, Cady sees a UFO, Andrew shares a favorite author, and a topical Sounds of Space courtesy of the great folks at SYSTEM Sounds.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Visit our website at missioninterplanetary.com and drop us a line!

Hosts

Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard

Twitter

Amber Straughn: @astraughnomer

Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU

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What is the future of food in space? Nov 01, 2022

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 week’s festive Sounds of Space, courtesy of the great folks at SYSTEM Sounds.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Visit our website at missioninterplanetary.com and drop us a line!

Hosts

Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard

Twitter

Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does religion have to do with space exploration? Oct 25, 2022

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 from the great folks at SYSTEM Sounds.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Visit our website at missioninterplanetary.com and drop us a line!

Hosts

Tanya Harrison & Joe O’Rourke

Twitter

Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU

Tanya Harrison: @tanyaofmars

Joe O'Rourke: @GeoJGo

Mary-Jane Rubenstein: @janeforbrains

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What can building spaceships teach us about teams? Oct 18, 2022

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 The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy references, Andrew swoons over Tears for Fears covers and mashups, and a dreamy new Sounds of Space from the great folks at SYSTEM Sounds.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Visit our website at missioninterplanetary.com and drop us a line!

Hosts

Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard

Twitter

Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU

Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What will we do on the Moon? Oct 11, 2022

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? Visit our website at missioninterplanetary.com and drop us a line!

Hosts

Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard

Twitter

Chris Hadfield: @Cmdr_Hadfield

Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU

Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

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What can we do about space debris? Oct 04, 2022

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 Space brought to you by the great folks at SYSTEM Sounds.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Visit our website at missioninterplanetary.com and drop us a line!

Hosts

Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard

Twitter

Moriba Jah: @moribajah

Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU

Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

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Season 3: Coming October 4th! Sep 19, 2022

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Are we done searching for intelligent life? May 10, 2022

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 Tarter, about the present and future of SETI. Before that, there’s talk of the new Decadal Survey, but not a word about Uranus. Also, hope, coffee, and teenagers at the edge of the universe. Lastly, a heart-y new Sounds of Space from the great folks at SYSTEM Sounds.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Visit our website at missioninterplanetary.com and drop us a line!

Hosts

Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard

Twitter

Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU

Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What will people do on a private space station? May 03, 2022

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 and Open Lunar’s Jessy Kate Schingler about the future of commercial space platforms. Also, wealthy interns, Cady plays a trick, space underwear, and a new Sounds of Space.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Visit our website at missioninterplanetary.com and drop us a line!

Hosts

Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard

Twitter

Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU

Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

Erika Wagner: @ad_astra2

Jessy Kate Schingler: @jessykate

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Making Space Accessible Pt. 2 Apr 26, 2022

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. Sina shares his insights into how to design more inclusive space missions. Also, Axiom’s new mission, holographic doctors (in space!), golden record confusion, black hole foreshadowing, and a new Sounds of Space.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Visit our website at missioninterplanetary.com and drop us a line!

Hosts

Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard

Twitter

Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU

Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

Sina Bahram: @SinaBahram

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Making Space Accessible Pt. 1 Apr 19, 2022

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 social and cultural ones. Also, Yuri’s Night, a lot about kicking—Jennifer Lawrence kicking Cady, Cady kicking balls, and Cady and Andrew just kicking it together—and a new Sounds of Space.

This week’s Sounds of Space comes to us from the folks at ALMA Observatory in Chile.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Visit our website at missioninterplanetary.com and drop us a line!

Hosts

Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard

Twitter

Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU

Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

Ann Kapusta: @AnnOnAMission

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Mars vs. Venus Apr 12, 2022

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 Venus. Two enter. Only one will leave. Place your bets! Also, Cady returns to the ISS and Andrew tries out a new segment: Sounds of Ovaltine.

This week’s Sounds of Space was created by Domenico Vicinaza of GÉANT. Check out the description here.

Hosts

Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard

Twitter

Tanya Harrison: @TanyaOfMars

Joe O'Roarke: @geoJGO

Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU

Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Space and climate change Apr 05, 2022

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, and a new Sounds of Space.

This week’s Sounds of Space is from the great folks at SYSTEM Sounds.

Hosts

Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard

Twitter

Dava Newman: @DavaExplorer

Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU

Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The dangers of a crewed mission to Mars Mar 29, 2022

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 story, and a new Sounds of Space.

This week’s Sounds of Space was created by Mark Ballora.

Hosts

Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard

Twitter

Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU

Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Space Mining Really Viable? Mar 22, 2022

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 Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

Chris Lewicki: @interplanetary

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Sharing Space May 11, 2021

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: @II_ASU

Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

Ellen Stofan: @EllenStofan

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trash at 17,000 mph May 04, 2021

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Murder in Space Apr 27, 2021

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 more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Closing Time Apr 20, 2021

Nothing lasts forever, including the universe. So how will it all end? Cady and Andrew talk with theoretical astrophysicist Katie Mack about the ultimate destruction of the cosmos. Also, comfort food on the ISS, crocheting, and a new Sounds of Space.

This week’s Sounds of Space link. Data processed by Alexander G. Kosovichev.

Hosts

Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard

Twitter

Natalie Trevino: @AstroKatie

Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU

Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No Space for Columbus Apr 13, 2021

The last Age of Exploration was a disaster. How can we craft better models for a new Space Age? Cady and Andrew talk with space theoretician Natalie Trevino about decolonizing space exploration. Also, new obsessions, Yuri’s Night, and new Sounds of Space.

Find the full recording of this week’s Sounds of Space here.

Hosts

Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard

Twitter

Natalie Trevino: @nat_geo_theory

Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU

Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our Mars Fixation Apr 06, 2021

Why are we so fixated on Mars? Cady and Andrew talk with author and journalist David Baron about the surprising history behind our fascination with the Red Planet. Also, a new (and very musical) Sounds of Space.

This week’s Sounds of Space link. NASA/CXC/SAO/K. Arcand, M. Russo & A. Santaguida.

Hosts

Cady Coleman & Andrew Maynard

Twitter

Interplanetary Initiative: @II_ASU

Cady Coleman: @Astro_Cady

Andrew Maynard: @2020science

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Space of One’s Own Mar 30, 2021

In this episode, we ask: Should the first human mission to Mars have an all-women crew?

Cady and Andrew talk with science fiction writer Mary Robinette Kowal and professional Martian Tanya Harrison about who should go to Mars.

Landing on the Moon was “one small step for man.” Should we think differently about the first humans to step foot on Mars? Also, a new Sounds of Space.

Hosts

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Our Celestial Bodies, Ourselves Mar 23, 2021

In our first episode, we ask: What can a distant asteroid teach us about the history of our solar system?

Cady and Andrew talk with Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the leader of NASA’s mission to the asteroid 16 Psyche.

Planets get all the good press; asteroids often seem anonymous. But 16 Psyche is a unique metal world that may hold secrets to the history of our own planet. Also, Sounds of Space.

More on NASA’s Psyche mission: https://psyche.asu.edu

Hosts

Cady Coleman

Andrew Maynard

Follow

Twitter: @II_ASU

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