Casual Space

Christina Koch and Jessica Meir make HISTORY as the first two women to complete spacewalks TOGETHER in space! Beth and Dean review what this means for women everywhere, why this is a significant milestone for women, and how women have been a significant part of our success in space exploration for over 50 years. Beth and Dean discuss many firsts for women in space in this episode and more: NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir successfully completed a spacewalk on Friday, October 18, 2019– the first to be conducted by two women, which Koch and Meir replaced a faulty battery charger on the International Space Station's truss structure, restoring power capabilities for station operations and ongoing research. The spacewalk was Koch's fourth and Meir's first. Meir became the 15th U.S. woman to spacewalk, during the 43rd spacewalk to include a woman. Women have been performing spacewalks since 1984 – Russian cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya spacewalked that July, and NASA astronaut Kathryn Sullivan spacewalked in October that same year. Dean and Beth predict who will be the FIRST WOMAN ON THE MOON! If you want to hear MORE about the Women of the Johnson Space Center and the history of the work within the space program, Beth HIGHLY recommends, "Houston, We Have a Podcast, Episode 109 Women of JSC; Apollo to Artemis." Listen here: https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/HWHAP/women-of-jsc-apollo-to-artemis About Dean M: Dean is an American Astronomer who has been gazing at the heavens for over fifty years. From early trips to NASA centers, Dean caught the Space Bug at a very young age. Having many mentors in his quest to become an astronomer, Dean excelled at Physics & Astronomy. The only problem I can see in becoming an astronomer is that I have trouble staying up at night. I was able to get around this situation by getting my Master's in Solar Physics. However, I did end up biting the astronomy bullet by doing research on Quasars and Galaxies. An early instructor of mine once said, "Dean, I don't understand how you can keep looking out the window and still get an "A" in my class." I responded to him by saying, "I hear and understand everything you're saying, but if I have questions, I'll ask. " That was my 6th grade science teacher Mr. Pederson. Dean went on to using major astronomical research centers in the Midwest, such as LARC Lindheimer Astronomical Research Center on the campus of Northwestern University and also Yerkes Observatory of the University of Chicago. Dean published 3 papers on his research. Published in the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Being very outspoken, Dean was able to land a position at Marshall Spaceflight Center as a Public Affairs Officer. Beside his regular duties of promoting NASA, Dean was able to study computer programming. This led Dean to do minor software programs for the space shuttle. Recruited by the Jet propulsion laboratory in California Dean's position directly supported the MER program to Mars. Dean continues to actively promote NASA through his lectures to students and space enthusiasts throughout the Midwest. Dean's passion for Space & Astronomy has led him on a quest to educate the public through his classes and lectures on Space & Astronomy. Where to find Dean: www.TritionCollege.edu/Cernan www.HarperCollege.edu More news coverage about this historic spacewalk: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/10/18/nasa-astronauts-international-space-station-first-all-female-spacewalk/4020056002/ and https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/10/nasa-first-all-female-spacewalk/600331/ and https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/in-space-news-conference-to-review-first-all-woman-spacewalk and https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/HWHAP/women-of-jsc-apollo-to-artemis

Let's clear up some space myths with astronomer and author Bob King: Bob believes incorporating humor and fun is beneficial when learning about space! The Earth is NOT flat. It's fun to debunk myths about the Moon, the planets, the stars, gravity…contrails! Did you know Bob King IS the famous blogger AstroBob? Read his posts at: http://astrobob.areavoices.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/astrobobking/ Bob shares how to live a long & blissful life knowing we're safe from an asteroid collision with Earth. For now. About Bob King: From Bob "I've enjoyed the night sky and astronomy since childhood and love to share my passion through public observing, speaking and writing. I grew up in Illinois but have lived in Duluth, Minn. for many years. I'm the photo editor at the Duluth News Tribune and specialize in capturing moments and stories about people, but when the sun goes down you'll often find me out at night photographing the northern lights or fireflies. Besides my two books, "Night Sky with the Naked Eye" and "Wonders of the Night Sky You Must See Before You Die," I write a frequently updated astronomy blog called Astro Bob and teach community education astronomy at our local planetarium. I also write for Sky & Telescope and Universe Today. May you always find inspiration in the stars!" Where to find Bob King: http://astrobob.areavoices.com/ More great books by Bob: https://www.amazon.com/Urban-Legends-Space-Biggest-Demystified/ And https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-blogs/explore-night-bob-king/ https://twitter.com/astrobob_bk/ Check out these fun facts about the Sun from NightSkyPix: https://nightskypix.com/facts-about-the-sun/

When we're exploring space, we have to play nice with others. And, protect our planet Earth. Cara and Beth discuss: How the Girl Scouts started Cara's love for space, then confirmed by the Mars Curiosity landing The Science Communication campaign Cara worked on to support the Rosetta Mission! Why studying in Ireland brings a new perspective when it comes to International Space Exploration How inspiring it is to see so many opportunities for women in the field of space exploration! About Cara: Cara Cavanaugh is a Science Policy Fellow at the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI) in Washington, DC, where she supports the space portfolio. Her projects have included analyses of asteroid mining, space situational awareness, and planetary protection policies. Ms. Cavanaugh graduated from Princeton University in 2016 with a BA in History of Science. Her senior thesis explored international relations between emerging space programs in Europe, Brazil, and the United States. She presented her research as a speaker at the 2017 European Space Agency History Conference in Padua, Italy. Ms. Cavanaugh received a Fulbright Award to complete an MSc in Science Communication at Dublin City University, Ireland. For her master's thesis, she collaborated with the European Space Agency to analyze the communications campaign for their Rosetta mission. During her Fulbright Award, she was chosen to represent Ireland at the 2017 Fulbright EU-NATO Seminar in Brussels. Before joining STPI, Ms. Cavanaugh worked in the Press Office and Marketing Department at Cell Press in Cambridge, MA. Where to find Cara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cpcavanaugh/ More about the Science and Technology Policy Institute: https://www.facebook.com/SpacePolicyInstitute/ And https://www.ida.org/en/careers/students-and-recent-graduates/summer-associate-internships-and-fellowships/science-policy-fellowship

Everything you ever wanted to know about exoplanets! Our Resident Space Expert Dean explains: Who, what, where and why exoplanets are important! What is TESS and Kepler as it relates to our search for exoplanets and What we can expect in the future once we find planets outside our solar system that might be able to host life! About Dean: BS Technical Photography MS Astrophysics NASA MER Mars program NASA Public Relations Astronomy instructor & lecturer Where to find Dean: www.TritionCollege.edu/Cernan www.HarperCollege.edu

The movie Contact was inspired by scientist, Jill Tarter! Sarah and Beth discuss: What it was like to meet (and then write about) her childhood mentor, Jill Tarter How Sarah met Jill and asked to write the story of Jill's life- all from a bus?!? The impression left on you growing up with rocket launches in your backyard And… what the future of SETI might bring us – answers to our deepest questions- are we alone in the universe? About Sarah Scoles: http://www.sarahscoles.com/ "I'm a Denver-based freelance science writer, a contributing writer at WIRED Science, a contributing editor at Popular Science, and the author of the book ​Making Contact: Jill Tarter and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. A writing portfolio lives here. In previous lives, I was an associate editor at Astronomy and a public education person at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia. When I'm not making sentences or recording our conversations, I enjoy reading short story collections, running weirdly long distances in the wilderness, teaching my dog English, and trying to become a better navigator." Learn more about SETI: https://seti.org/ Watch Jill Tarter's TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/jill_tarter_s_call_to_join_the_seti_search

Jeffrey discusses with Beth: How Jeffrey became a entrepreneurial pioneer, becoming one of the first (commercial) space contractors (working on the Russian space program on MIR and Soyuz, and later with the international Space Station). About starting the first commercial space company, NanoRacks and what's on the horizon for the company's (international) future… About bringing whiskey to space! And so much more, including Jeffrey's perspective on: About space exploration's public and private partnership About loving space exploration at a young age and why space is alive now more than ever! How space is not the first or final frontier About Jeffrey Manber: Jeffrey has served as the CEO of NanoRacks since 2009, growing the company into the first commercial space station company with customers. Before NanoRacks, Jeffrey was the only American to officially work for the Russian space program, he served as Managing Director of Energia USA, carried over the first commercial contract between NASA and the Soviet Union, and served as CEO of MirCorp, which leased the Russian space station. While at MirCorp, he oversaw the first ever, and still only, commercially funded manned mission, of over 70 days, to the Mir space station. Jeffrey later represented Russian space organizations when the initial International Space Station contracts were negotiated. He also co-developed the first fund dedicated to commercial space on Wall Street (Shearson Lehman) and has served as an adviser to numerous companies and governments. The author of three books, his second (Selling Peace) chronicles his time working with the Russian space program. In 2012, Jeffrey was awarded the NASA Exceptional Public Achievement Medal, and in 2017, Space Frontier Foundation's Pioneer of New Space Award. In 2018, Jeffrey spoke before the National Space Council and Vice President Mike Pence on commercial trade with China on space services. Read and learn more about Jeffrey's work at: http://jeffreymanber.com/ Watch numerous media clips about Jeffrey and his perspectives at: http://jeffreymanber.com/media/ Read about NanoRacks here: http://nanoracks.com/ From Wikiwand.com: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Jeffrey_Manber Jeffrey Manber is regarded as one of the pioneering commercial space entrepreneurs.[1] As CEO of NanoRacks, from 2009, Manber has steered the growth of the first company to own and market its own hardware and services on board the International Space Station.[2] Manber has been involved in several of the key breakthrough commercial space projects, principally those revolving around the commercialization of space assets as well as the integration of the Russian space industry into major space programs, including that of the International Space Station. Manber is believed to be the only American to be an official part of the Russian space corporation, RSC Energia, during their privatization period of the 1990s.[3]

Beth, Kelly and Zach have way too much fun geeking out about: Whether or not we would put an Elon Musk- invented NeuroLink implant in our brains… How Kelly and Zach had to really focus on only 10 technologies for their book, "Soonish" Kelly's extreme fear of being bored and her many career achievements from bugs to asteroids…and how she keeps parasites in her ice cubes in her kitchen freezer sometimes (not really). Asteroid mining and the future of accessing raw materials while we're traveling in space How Zach captures his cleverness all in one (single-panel) cartoon About Kelly: Dr. Kelly Weinersmith From www.weeklyweinersmith.com: "I'm a parasitologist, podcaster, mom, and sci writer (not necessarily in that order). I study parasites that manipulate the behavior of their hosts, making the host behave in ways that benefit the parasite. My favorite parasite is the crypt-keeper wasp, which you can read more about here. I am an adjunct assistant professor at Rice University in the BioSciences Department. You can find out more about my research here. Follow me on twitter, where I occasionally post photos of the cool parasites I study." -Kelly Read and learn more about Kelly's work at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/01/crypt-keeper-wasps-parasites-new-species/ and www.weinersmith.com About Zach: Zach Weinersmith is the creator of the popular webcomic SMBC, the creator of the nerd comedy show BAHFest, and the co-author of the New York Times-bestselling popular science book, Soonish. Read and learn more about Zach's work at: Zach's graphic novel on immigration (Open Borders, with Bryan Caplan) http://openborderscomic.com/ And http://theweinerworks.com/ Watch great videos with BOTH Zach and Kelly: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=about+kelly+and+zach+weinersmith&&view=detail&mid=8EB541CDAE82452444AC8EB541CDAE82452444AC&rvsmid=CB7EFDB51B7A10837EF1CB7EFDB51B7A10837EF1&FORM=VDMCNR

There's lots to learn in this episode including: What makes neutrinos (the building blocks of the universe) so important and so elusive! What you can see in a particle vacuum- they pop in and out of existence- and Jessica is searching for new particles! How Jessica was inspired by watching sci-fi shows with her aunt, and how knew she wanted to become an astrophysicist at a very young age. And… what is Wakandacon? https://wakandaconforever.com/ At the end of the day, what Jessica wants YOU to realize, is that: "anybody can do physics, and anybody can study space! There's this mentality that you have to be Albert Einstein smart to study physics. Anybody can do it! Studying space or physics in general, is all about failure! When we think about it, it's the scientific method! You come up with a hypothesis or theory, you test that theory and it may not hold up- then you go back to the drawing board and start again. So being comfortable with failure- taking it in stride- and full disclosure, I'm still working on that!" About Jessica: http://jessicaesquivelphd.com/ Jessica Esquivel received her Bachelor of Science degree from St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas where she double majored in Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics. She went on to become the 2nd black female to receive a Ph.D. in physics from Syracuse University in 2018, and worked to study neutrinos. Jessica now works as a Fermilab Postdoc research associate on the Muon g-2 experiment, where an inconsistence between experiment and theory could point to new physics! Jessica has recently been selected as an American Association for the Advancement of Science If/Then Ambassador! You can learn more about this impressive appointment here: http://ifthenshecan.org and AAAS - The American Association for the Advancement of Science African American Women in Physics, Inc Learn more about Fermilab National Laboratory: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Triple threat Tyler Nordgren and Beth talk about: Seeing the Great American Solar Eclipse in 2017 and what to expect when in comes back Why our National Parks are a treasure for our observation and appreciation Traveling the world in search of cosmic phenomenon About Tyler: Dr. Tyler Nordgren is a professional astronomer and artist. He holds a Ph.D. in Astronomy from Cornell University where he did work on dark matter as well as a B.A. in Physics from Reed College. For over a decade he has worked with the National Park Service to turn the national parks into the single largest source for public science and astronomy education in the world. His popular science book "Stars Above, Earth Below: A guide to astronomy in the national parks," reveals what visitors to America's national parks can observe in their dark night skies. The color illustrations in this book include both his night sky photography as well as vintage-style "travel posters" he designed to help the public learn about and see the astronomical wonders in the sky. For the 2017 "Great American Eclipse" he wrote the book, "SUN MOON EARTH: The History of Solar Eclipses from Omens of Doom to Einstein and Exoplanets," describing the vast array of social and scientific influences eclipses have had throughout history. Dr Nordgren also produced a series of 30 eclipse travel posters for communities, state, and national parks in the path of totality. These posters are being collected by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. In addition to the Smithsonian, Dr. Nordgren's work has appeared at NASA Headquarters and the White House where he designed the poster for President Obama's final White House Astronomy Night. In 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover joined Spirit and Opportunity on Mars, each carrying sundials, or "Marsdials" which Dr. Nordgren helped design through his science and art. Dr. Nordgren also leads astronomically themed tours for various companies to see the beauty of the northern lights in Alaska, dark skies in the Grand Canyon rafting the Colorado River, and locations around the world following the shadow of the Moon to share the glory of a total solar eclipse with the general public. Where to find Tyler and his books: https://www.tylernordgren.com/

In this two-part series, RSE Dean Mikolajczyk shares several examples of how NASA learned valuable lessons from manned spaceflight mistakes including: (Part 2 will feature manned flights and will be posted January 2020) What we learned from the Surveyer Program (the very first unmanned lunar landers) Mars Polar Lander (just a bit of a fast landing) Mars Express (this lesson really hurts) and The most recent Moon lander mission: Israel's nearly-successful, almost first-ever private moon lander "Beresheet" Show Highlights: As always, expect to enjoy the expertise and fun facts presented from Dean Mikolajczyk, the show's "Resident Space Expert" as he shares powerful examples of what makes space exploration so challenging when it comes to unmanned missions. This "back-to-school" episode is all about the most difficult kind of learning- learning from our mistakes. Even our nation's space agency, with more than 60+ years of missions, continues to learn valuable lessons from space exploration. So pay attention! There will be a quiz. About Dean: BS Technical Photography MS Astrophysics NASA MER Mars program NASA Public Relations Astronomy instructor & lecturer Where to find Dean: www.TritionCollege.edu/Cernan www.HarperCollege.edu