The world is mourning the uncontrolled collapse of the Arecibo observatory, even as China's Chang’e-5 mission is underway to return lunar samples to Earth, which would be a first since the final Apollo mission. Also: an update on the SLS and Or

Delicate Dance of Docking

Nov 17th, 2020 40m 25s

Commercial Crew has gotten official with the launch of Crew-1 over the weekend, the start of a six-month expedition on the International Space Station. That and the possibilities of Jim Bridenstine's future. Oh, and kilonovas!

Don’t Tell the Boss

Nov 3rd, 2020 59m 16s

Zac Hall from Space Explored and 9to5Mac joins Jason to discuss the post-election future of NASA (and administrator Jim Bridenstine), the 20th anniversary of the permanent habitation of the International Space Station, a bunch of news about the

Space is Full of Rocks

Oct 20th, 2020 36m 30s

Stephen comes with good news about InSight's Mole, and Jason says there probably aren't aliens on Venus. Also: OSIRIS-REx is due for a big day and the space industry in China is heating up.

My Response to Existential Terror, with Dr. Katie Mack

Oct 6th, 2020 45m 23s

Jason and Stephen are joined by Dr. Katie Mack to discuss her book *The End of Everything: (Astrophysically Speaking).*

Dirt in a Soccer Ball

Jul 28th, 2020 38m 38s

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.

Summer of Mars

Jul 14th, 2020 52m 52s

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.

Everything Got Jumbled and Fell Down

Mar 24th, 2020 39m 7s

The entire space industry is reeling from effects of the current global pandemic, and NASA remembers Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden.

The World’s Most Expensive WeWork

Sep 22nd, 2020 1h

The recent announcement of phosphine being detected in Venus' atmosphere could have a major effect on future scientific missions, so Jason is excited about space blimps again. Then, Stephen walks through NASA's most recent Artemis roadmap, and

Wormy Space Coin

Jun 30th, 2020 46m 3s

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.

A Sparkly Dinosaur

Jun 2nd, 2020 49m 36s

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.

Space Koozie

May 19th, 2020 43m 7s

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.

A Rovey McRoverface Situation

Mar 10th, 2020 35m 2s

Mars 2020 has a name, Voyager 2 can't call home and SpaceX is doing SpaceX things. Then, results from the initial Starliner investigation and a look at VIPER.

A Reusable Buddy Satellite

Feb 28th, 2020 56m 32s

Little satellites are helping larger ones, InSight's mole is causing problems, the SLS is slipping and Venus is up for a mission as a Hot Jupiter may be being ripped apart. Just another fortnight of space news!

Things Bumping Against Other Things

Feb 11th, 2020 42m 45s

Boeing's Starliner issues run deeper than it first appeared, CHEOPS is operation and the Solar Orbiter is on its way to our start. That, and a look at the White House's proposed NASA budget for 2021.

Apollo 17

Dec 9th, 2022 37m 49s

In 1972, the final lunar mission of the Apollo program took place, finally sending a geologist to study the moon up close.

It Flew

Nov 18th, 2022 31m 17s

In the early morning of November 16, the SLS launched for the very first time.

A Lot of Glory to be Bathed Within

Jul 29th, 2022 38m 37s

Jason and Stephen pop open the hatch to marvel at the JWST's first images, talk about the SLS and wonder what is going on with Russia and the ISS.

Apollo 16

Apr 20th, 2022 36m 47s

In April 1972, the crew of Apollo 16 spent 71 hours on the surface of the moon after a series of technical glitches put their landing in jeopardy. The second of three J-missions, the crew spent nearly three whole days on the surface and complet

Back in the VAB

Apr 19th, 2022 30m 28s

The SLS has enjoyed some Florida sunshine but is headed back to the VAB for more work. This time, Stephen and Jason catch up on NASA's new rocket, plus some other news.

JWST and the Future of Liftoff

Dec 27th, 2021 26m 56s

On this special episode, Stephen and Jason celebrate the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope and talk about the future of the podcast. The short version is that we will no longer be publishing every other week. Moving forward, we'll be rec

Forever Expanded in our Hearts

Dec 14th, 2021 37m 33s

Days away from (hopefully) the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, Stephen and Jason talk about the hype around the mission, as well as the latest with SLS and Starliner.

A Dashcam for a Space Probe

Nov 30th, 2021 38m 54s

The future of the International Space Station is the topic of a new report, all while the SLS inches closer to its first launch. Also: DART is on its way to a celestial crash and a spacewalk has been delayed thanks to debris from the recent Rus

What Does it Look Like Under the Bus?

Nov 16th, 2021 40m 49s

Artemis' 2024 lunar landing is officially off the table. Russia has shot one of its own satellites down, leading to emergency procedures being carried out at the ISS.Yeah, not a great week in space.