Casual Space

RICHELLE GRIBBLE is a multidisciplinary artist exploring planetary connectivity. Her work explores networks and systems-based investigations to reflect the ways human impact, technology, and environment collide. She has had solo shows in Los Angeles, New York, Japan, and international orbit around Earth etched on satellites and aboard rockets. She has exhibited at renowned art fairs including Art Market San Francisco, Texas Contemporary, and Miami Project and had her artwork illuminated on a LED screen in Times Square NYC. Gribble has completed 17 art residencies as part of her project The Nomadic Artist, where she travels the world to reflect social and environmental changes across the globe and off-planet. Awarded residencies include Planet Labs, Biosphere 2, The Arctic Circle Residency, Awagami Factory and many more. Work presented in a TEDxTrousdale talk "What is our Role within a Networked Society?" and published in The Creator's Project, The Atlantic, Artillery, Hyperallergic and VICE. She is the Founding Director of SUPERCOLLIDER, an art + sci + tech exhibition platform and satellite initiative and co-founder of Beyond Earth, an artist collective exploring frontiers of art and space. She is a Scholar for the Kepler Space Institute examining the arts and humanities in space and is a Planet Ambassador at Planet Labs, an Earth-imaging satellite company devoted to use space to help life on Earth. Find Richelle on Twitter at @richellegribble View her artwork at richellegribble.com "With every stage in my life, I've been shifting my perspective." -Richelle Gribble on Casual Space Podcast About what Richelle is looking to achieve while on her "Mars" simulation: "I'm really prioritizing creative research while I am on this mission…I'm here at the habitat because of this interested in exploring art at it's intersection with space. I have this desire to (eventually) become an art astronaut. I know that at some point, there will be an artist in space, so getting that proper training, doing that analog experience, and preparing mentally and physically to be able to make that adventure and be able to reflect that experience of spaceflight, or even just that process of getting there as reflected in the artwork is going to be an important part of our story as humans." "Having artists go to space, having artists go to Mars… we're inherently extremely resourceful! I think that's one of artist's biggest strengths. When you give us restrictions, we get really creative." "We're here in a small enclosure. But if you are making art, experiencing art, you travel everywhere, you can go anywhere. When you're stuck inside a white dome, you turn on a song and you can go beyond. I think that's going to be so important for these longer duration space flights."

Dr. Michaela Musilova is an astrobiologist and the Director of the HI-SEAS analog space station. Michaela studied and conducted research at the University of Bristol, University College London, California Institute of Technology, Chiba University, International Space University (ISU) and others. She worked for NASA, University of London Observatory, Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and was the Commander of over 20 simulated missions to the Moon and Mars. She is also a visiting Professor at the Slovak University of Technology, Vice-Chair of the Slovak Organisation for Space Activities (SOSA), Adjunct Faculty at ISU and Senior Research Adviser for Mission Control Space Services Inc. Michaela has received numerous prizes and research grants, including the Emerging Space Leaders Grant from the International Astronautical Federation; Women in Aerospace – Europe Young Professional Award and she was selected as one of the most promising 30 under 30 by Forbes Slovakia. She is also actively involved in the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, as a patron of the programme in Slovakia and an Emerging Leader Representative for Europe, Mediterranean and Arab states. Furthermore, Michaela regularly performs a variety of outreach activities, such as: teaching, presenting, working with media and being an Advisory Board Member of the STEM Punks educational programs. Where to find Michaela: Dr. Michaela Musilova Director of HI-SEAS International Moonbase Alliance (IMA) LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Amanda Knutson Chief Engineering Officer, Mission Specialist: Extravehicular Activity Amanda Knutson is an Active Duty US Air Force member, currently working as a Weapons Armament Specialist at Luke AFB. While working full time at Luke AFB, she is studying part-time at Estrella Mountain Community College with plans to complete her Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering at Embry-Riddle. As a high school student enamored of engineering, Amanda was part of the FIRST Robotics Tech Challenge and Lego League programs. In 2017, she earned a place at the World Competition of FIRST Robotics securing the Engineering Inspiration award supported by NASA. During the SENSORIA mission, Amanda brought and built an entirely new space capsule aquaponics system of her own design that can be used in micro- and fractional gravity conditions with an eye toward long-duration space missions. Additionally, she is developing her own "propellant depots" for deep space missions to Jupiter and Saturn. As a strong STEM advocate, she looks to inspire children and adults alike to strive for to achieve their own ambitions. Chelsea Gohd Chief Science Officer, Mission Specialist: Documentary Filmmaker Chelsea Gohd is a Senior Writer at Space.com, where she writes articles and creates and hosts videos about everything from climate change to exoplanet exploration and human spaceflight. Prior to her work at Space.com, Chelsea worked as a freelancer, with bylines in publications including Scientific American, Astronomy Magazine and Discover Magazine. She also recently wrote an installation for the American Museum of Natural History's Hall of Meteorites, which included touchscreen exhibit placards and design and text for interactive, in-exhibit games. Chelsea is also a musician and writes, performs and records indie pop music under the pseudonym Foxanne. As Foxanne, she released her debut full-length record in 2020, titled "It's real (I knew it)," named after an iconic scene from the hit sci-fi film "Galaxy Quest." The album features a number of space-y easter eggs, including audio from the OA-9 rocket launch, a 2018 cargo mission that launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, and a song written from the perspective of NASA's Opportunity rover. Indie pop artist Foxanne released her debut full-length album "It's real (I knew it)" in December of 2020. The highly anticipated independent release can be found on all available platforms for streaming and download including Spotify, iTunes and Bandcamp. The album was produced by Doug Gallo at AGL studios and mastered by Daughterboard Audio.

Beth recently returned from Mars, and Chad has a few questions. In November, 2020- Beth Mund and 5 other crew members lived, worked and survived a simulated "Mars" mission at the HI-SEAS research facility on the big island of Hawaii. In this episode, Beth "unpacks" the questions Chad has, like, What is an analog astronaut? Why Mars? Why do a mission like this, and what's been learned so far, and what's next?" Here are some answers to Chad's questions beyond the conversation on the podcast, in Beth's own words: What is an Analog astronaut? Why are they important to our future missions to explore beyond Earth and our wonders in the universe? An analog astronaut is a person who conducts activities in simulated space conditions. Ground-based studies involving analog astronauts are conducted by many laboratories, facilities, and research centers around the world. Analog astronauts engage in a wide range of research such as human physiology, psychology, crew cohesion, exercise, and nutritional studies along with testing cutting-edge science, technology, & engineering applications. Analog missions are recognized by NASA and are seen as an important part of space exploration. I was one of 6 ALL FEMALE crew members that included scientists, researchers, musicians, artists, doctors, Moms, active military service members, and writers! All professionals who applied their science to the mission, along with the required science that was expected of us. Why "Mars," or "why Hawaii?" I stayed on the main island, Hawaii on top on Mona Kea volcano at the HI-SEAS research facility. It's run by the International Moon Base Alliance. It looks a LOT like Mars and has many features that are Mars-like! The terrain, the rocks, the cold weather, the remoteness, etc. Many people apply to be an analog astronaut as part of the NASA training and application to become an actual astronaut. Although so few are selected, it's extreme experiences like these analog missions that help showcase their ability to work and live in space with success. Often, astronauts will work to accomplish MANY analog missions. HI-SEAS is one facility that runs analog missions- there are others in the US and around the world. They are run and affiliated with different companies and institutions. So why do this? What has been learned so far? Living off earth is HARD. Exploring takes guts and lots of being uncomfortable. I did this for my own personal reasons and for professional reasons, too. I'll be sharing the personal and professional in more detail in my blog, be sure to read it. What we've learned is that humans are difficult, and fragile and it's beyond challenging to live in space and off-planet. But IT CAN BE DONE. It can even be fun at times. We have learned SO much from the ISS. Analog missions help us learn in detail (and in person!) about: Geology and astrobiology Physiological and psychological and sociological research Technology testing Engineering & Maintenance Systems Outreach and Research (More details to read about these on the blog) Here is some information about why we explore space, from my favorite science guy (and yours): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnDt_DOZeLY What's next? (NASA is returning humans to the moon in 2024 with Artemis program. We're going to the moon to STAY. We can learn what works well for living and surviving on the Moon close to Earth before were years away on Mars! Mars changed me. Forever. In all kinds of ways. I use less water and electricity, (ha)! I have a deeper understanding of the overview effect and how precious our own earth is. I am still capturing lessons from my experience that make me stop in my everyday moments and realize how lucky we are- to be living on this planet- to be LIVING! Here is some detailed information about the HI-SEAS facility: http://www.HI-SEAS.org Here is some interesting information about an analog astronaut: http://www.analogastronaut.com/2018/08/what-is-analog-astronaut.html, and https://www.nasa.gov/analogs/what-are-analog-missions

Gary Li is currently a spacecraft system engineer at The Aerospace Corporation. He recently graduated with a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from UCLA in 2020 and a dual B.A. in Astrophysics and Physics from UC Berkeley in 2014. As an NDSEG fellow, he conducted research on advanced materials for plasma rocket and nuclear fusion technologies. During his academic career, he published over 10 papers and received 1 patent. Gary is also passionate about science communication. In 2017, he gave a presentation titled "Can weak plasma rockets get us to Mars?" at TEDxUCLA. He has also published popular science articles on plasma rockets and lunar fuel depots that have been featured on The Conversation, BusinessInsider, and space.com. After becoming a Matthew Isakowitz Fellow in 2019, Gary decided to pursue a commercial space career and set a goal of becoming a science and technology leader in the New Space era. He believes that humanity will hit two enormous milestones in the coming decades: a sustained human presence on the moon and the first human on Mars. Plasma rocket technology is sure to play a major role in making that happen. Where to find out more from Gary Li and his work, as mentioned on the show: You can find Gary on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-li-1b301047/ and: Grad school at UCLA - PhD research on plasma rockets Iternships at JPL, Air Force Research Lab on "future" propulsion concepts TEDxUCLA talk in 2017 "Can weak plasma rockets get us to Mars?" UCLA Grad Slam (3 minute thesis competition) winner in 2016 "Traveling to Mars with Immortal Plasma Rockets" Caltech Space Challenge in 2017 (two 16-person teams working on 5-day lunar refueling depot mission design competition with JPL) Popular science contributor on The Conversation, BusinessInsider, space.com, phys.org, etc. Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship in 2019 (intern at Aerospace Corporation, summit with Elon Musk and Buzz Aldrin)

Dylan Taylor is a global business leader and philanthropist. He is an active pioneer in the space exploration industry as a CEO, investor, thought leader and futurist. Every day is like Christmas for Dylan, because working in the space industry has always been his passion and calling. Beth asks Dylan about when his interest in space began, and Dylan describes how investments in space can be transformational for all humans and our future- on this episode of the Casual Space Podcast. ABOUT DYLAN TAYLOR: Dylan Taylor is a global business leader and philanthropist. He is an active pioneer in the space exploration industry as a CEO, investor, thought leader and futurist. Currently, Dylan serves as Chairman & CEO of Voyager Space Holdings, a multi-national space holding firm that acquires and integrates leading space exploration enterprises globally. Dylan has been cited by Harvard University, SpaceNews, the BBC, Pitchbook, CNBC, CNN and others as having played a seminal role in the growth of the private space industry. As an early-stage investor in more than 50 emerging ventures, including Accion, Kepler, York, Astrobotic, Made in Space, Relativity, and Planet, Dylan is widely considered the most active private space investor in the world. Dylan has extensive global business experience as both a board director and CEO. He previously served as a Director for UMB Bank, a Fortune 500 company based in Kansas City and as a mutual fund director for the Jackson Funds where he oversaw assets of $8B across 130 distinct funds. Dylan has been a Fortune 1000 CEO with P&L responsibility in excess of $3B and operations encompassing 16,000 employees in 60 countries. In addition, Dylan has participated in 4 IPOs over the course of his career. From the Casual Space Podcast: On how his love for space got started and why it's getting stronger every day: "Every day is like Christmas, I certainly love what I do. For me, (space) is a life long passion, the question I ask myself a lot is, 'Why did it take so long to realize what I loved and was truly passionate about?!' I think the answer is, you get caught up in life, you get caught up in a career path… and ironically, if you have early success in your career that's not directly tied to your passion, it can be a little bit of a trap. I think you can find yourself in the hamster wheel, and it can be hard to get off.. I certainly was like the situation I was in. I was in more of a traditional business career, and that was fine, and there were gratifying elements of that, but it was not truly satisfying the passion that I had for space." "My passion for space is really about the societal impact of space. It's about the transformational element of space. It's about the ability for humanity to reimagine what it means to be human, and what our opportunity as a species is going forward. So to me, it's more about having the canvas to paint our future onto. I think space is truly transformational from a contextual, intellectual standpoint." On what made Dylan Taylor brave enough to leave his career path to follow his passion for space: "My close friends and family encouraging me- I could see that we were entering a growth for the industry, and I've never been personally happier being in the industry. My free time and social activity and my life revolves around it- it's not a career, it's more of a calling." On the challenges of space and why it's worth exploring: "We have some real global challenges. Climate change, income inequality, mass migration caused by civil unrest, geopolitics, etc. My thesis is that the reason those problems seem intractable, is because we really don't have the right context to evaluate those problems. We don't really have the right view, that we're all humans, on a rock floating in the middle of space, squabbling over (in my mind) tiny differences. I'm all about space as a contextual reorientation that allows you to see things clearer, and in a more enlightened way. "The ROI of space in infinite. Humanity 2.0, a reimagining of what we could be- a more aspirational inspirational viewpoint is amazing, and space holds the canvas that we can paint that future on to." On why it takes everyone to make space exploration successful: "It's incredibly important that we diversify space and that we take advantage of all the talent that exists in the world. This is a human endeavor, and we all know humans are identical in their capacity to do incredible things. In fact, if we can't figure out a way to bring all humans into the fold, we will not be successful in space. And it does not have to be just in STEM, space is for everybody, and we need all skills. All backgrounds. We are commercializing space at such a rapid rate that I tell my friends, 'Everyone is in the space industry. They just don't know it yet.' The number of jobs within the space economy that are going to be created over the next few years is going to be mind-boggling. So if you're focused on space, and you're training yourself up to be part of the space economy, you will be providing yourself a very very bright future!" More about Dylan Taylor and the "space" he works with: Dylan's technical background, global business experience and unbridled passion for space make him a unique figure within his industry. He regularly speaks and writes about the future of the space economy and is sought after by the media for his expertise in the financial aspects of space investing as well as industry dynamics. As a writer and columnist, he has written several widely read pieces on the future of the space industry for SpaceNews, ROOM, The Space Review, Apogeo Spatial and Space.com. As a speaker, Dylan has keynoted many of the major space conferences around the world and has appeared regularly on Bloomberg, Fox Business, and CNBC. Dylan is a leading advocate of space manufacturing and the utilization of in-space resources to further space exploration and settlement. In 2017 he became the first private citizen to manufacturer an item in space when the gravity meter he co-designed and commissioned was 3D printed on the International Space Station. The historic item is now housed in the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Dylan has also had an extensive philanthropic impact on the space industry. In 2017, Dylan founded the nonprofit and social movement, Space for Humanity, which seeks to democratize space exploration and develop solutions to global issues through the scope of human awareness to help solve the world's most intractable problems. Additionally, Dylan is the Co-Founding Patron of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, which seeks to promote the growth of commercial space activity. Additionally Dylan serves as a strategic advisor for both the Archmission and the Human Spaceflight Program. Dylan is the founder and Chairman of Multiverse Media, parent company of the popular space philosophy website 2211.world as well as the Ad Astra Dinners, a Jeffersonian styled dinner series featuring some of the world's leading influencers discussing the future of humanity in space. Another subsidiary of Multiverse Media publishes books by leading authors including Frank White, Isaac Asimov and Gerard K. O'Neill. It is also the executive producer of the documentary film, The High Frontier. For his influence as a global leader and his commitment to creating a positive impact on the world, Dylan has been honored with numerous personal and professional accolades in recent years. The World Economic Forum recognized Dylan as a Young Global Leader in 2011 and he was named a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute in 2014. In 2020, Dylan was recognized by the Commercial Spaceflight Federation with their top honor for business and finance, following in the footsteps of 2019's inaugural winner, the late Paul Allen. Dylan Taylor earned an MBA in Finance and Strategy from the Booth School of Business at University of Chicago and holds a BS in Engineering from the honors college at the University of Arizona, where he graduated Tau Beta Pi and in 2018 was named Alumnus of the year. In 2013, he attended the Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century program at Harvard University. Dylan and his family live in Denver where he is active locally with Colorado Concern and the Colorado Spaceport. In his spare time, Dylan enjoys hiking, competing in triathlons and spending time outdoors. He is married to author Gabrielle V. Taylor and has two teenage daughters. "I love to travel and explore- anything that's new and edgy and a little bit dangerous...the pinnacle would be to go to the moon. If I could do that in my lifetime, that would be cool." -Dylan Taylor from the Casual Space Podcast

Chad and Beth sit down (literally, in their living room) and reflect (while enjoying a cocktail) on reaching the 100th episode of Casual Space! Beth and Chad talk about: what's been the best part of hosting the podcast some of the most memorable guests when Beth realized the show was "successful" and what's next for the Casual Space Podcast!! Thank you to everyone who has helped make the Casual Space Podcast so much fun each week. I sincerely appreciate it! Can't wait to share with you the next 100! -Beth

Space investor and entrepreneur Robert C. Jacobson shares highlights from his first book "Space is Open for Business," providing readers with an insightful guide to the evolving space industry. Robert presents perspectives from experts, industry leaders and investors, each examining the economics and strategies for leading the trillion-dollar race to commercialize space. Jacobson has spent over a decade working and investing in private spaceflight and provides a comprehensive overview of this transformative industry. This book allows everyone to understand the integral role space plays in our lives and how it will continue to transform our world. About Robert Jacobson: Jacobson is an expert in the commercial space industry also known as New Space. His work enables investors to make smarter decisions in the space sector and works with entrepreneurs to help them achieve them vision. Some of his accomplishments include: CEO of Space Advisors Co-founder of 1000+ community for aerospace leaders and executives Co-founder of an organization connecting the public and the space sector Former Principal of a space focused management group Led first institutional investment round in an emerging space company Team member on 3 successful space missions Interviewed dozens of experts from many areas in and around the $350 Billion dollar space industry Where to find Robert and his latest work: https://www.robertjacobson.com/ Where to find "Space is Open for Business" https://www.spaceisopenforbusiness.com/book-v1

Dr. Graham is the Director of Communications and Marketing for Blue Marble Space, a Research Scientist with Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, the Director of Logistics for the University Rover Challenge, the Host of the NASA Astrobiology and SAGANet show "Ask the Astrobiologist" AND the Research Community Coordinator for the Hypothesis Browser and the Life Detection Forum's Knowledge Base. *Whew!* *Ask an Astrobiologist airs live on SAGANet and on the NASA Astrobiology Facebook page. People watching the show live can ask questions of our interviewees on either streaming platform or on Twitter using #AskAstrobio. Check out Graham's talks, presentations and videos all below- lots of fun here to learn, chat about, and share! Where to find Graham and pretty much everything he's doing: https://cosmobiota.com/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cosmobiologist/ On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cosmobiologist/

Dr. Tricia Larose is the Principal Investigator for Tumors in Space. She is preparing for a 31-day Space mission on board the China Space Station. She is supported by 14 international collaborators from four countries. Originally from a mining town in Northern Ontario Canada, she is now based in Oslo, Norway. She is also adjunct faculty in Human Performance in Space at the International Space University, and a scientist-astronaut candidate with Project POSSuM! Valuable resources Tricia mentions on the show: Where to find Dr. Larose and all of her papers, etc. www.tricialarose.com Tumors in space: https://www.intechopen.com/books/preparation-of-space-experiments/tumors-in-space-preparation-for-spaceflight The International Space University: https://www.isunet.edu/ On Twitter: @TricLarose