This Week in Space (Audio)

• TWiS 187: An Inspired Enterprise - A History of Star Trek with Glen Swanson

  Were you inspired by "Star Trek" (or one of its innumerable spinoffs) as a young person? We know we were, so it was a pleasure to invite Glen Swanson, author of the new Star Trek history book "Inspired Enterprise" onto the show. We've all heard lore about the original series, but Swanson, who was previously the Chief Historian at the Johnson Space Center, used his prodigious skills to perform a deep dive into the topic. From Gene Roddenberry's original inspiration to working with Caltech, the RAND Corporation, and NASA; and on to the design of the good ship Enterprise itself (and the very popular AMT models that followed), this book provides everything you need to know to be a certified Trekker. Headlines: Comet 3I Atlas confirmed as a comet, not a spacecraft & NASA releases new images and details of the comet SpaceX's Starship Version 3 booster suffers damage during test Uranus reaches yearly opposition—best viewing opportunity Main Topic: The Real Inspirations Behind Star Trek Glenn Swanson shares career highlights as a NASA historian and magazine founder How Gene Roddenberry's background and influences shaped Star Trek NASA's direct involvement and technical guidance for Star Trek's creators The significant role of the aerospace industry, Rand Corporation, and real-world science in Star Trek's development The story behind NASA and the Smithsonian Enterprise shooting model connections AMT's plastic model kits fueled fan obsession and supported the show's visuals Influences from movies like Robinson Crusoe on Mars and Forbidden Planet Space Station K7 design's origins traced to NASA and Douglas Aircraft concepts Star Trek's impact on inspiring real-life astronauts and the space community Glenn Swanson's book, "Inspired Enterprise," and how you can get a signed copy Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Glen Swanson Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

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• TWiS 186: Snow on the Moon? - With Dr. Jim Green, Former NASA Chief Scientist

  Snow on the moon? Yes, though not recently... but maybe billions of years ago. Recent discoveries indicate that the early moon, orbiting just 20,000 miles above our planet at the time, may have shared a dynamic magnetic field with that of the Earth, resulting in the moon having an early atmosphere about twice as dense as the Martian atmosphere is today! This has wide implications for planetary science, but perhaps our favorite is that it may have snowed both carbon dioxide and water ice on the moon back in the day. We're also talking about the amazing launch and recovery of New Glenn, the plight of the Chinese taikonauts aboard the Tiangong space station, and a recent SpaceX memo about—no surprises here—a delay to their lunar landing program for Artemis III. Join us! Headlines: China's Shenzhou Astronauts Still Dealing with Stricken Spacecraft Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Launches and Lands, Sends Probes Toward Mars Comet C/2025 K1 Atlas Breaks Up After Solar Flyby SpaceX Artemis Moon Landing Delayed to 2028 Main Topic: Moon Volatiles and Lunar Science The Moon's Formation and the Giant Impact Hypothesis Intertwined Magnetic Fields on the Early Moon and Earth Transmission of Earth Atmosphere and Volatiles to Lunar Surface Lunar Outgassing, Volcanism, and Creation of an Ancient Lunar Atmosphere Permanently Shadowed Regions as Time Capsules of Early Moon and Earth Scientific Importance of NASA's VIPER Rover for Analyzing Polar Ices and Volatiles Commercial and Scientific Value of Moon's Minerals and Resources Long-Term Preservation of Lunar Samples for Future Research Early Moon Weather: Volatile Snow, Atmosphere Collapse, and What It Means for Lunar Resources Educational Outreach through Virtual Space Science Experiences Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Dr. Jim Green Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

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• TWiS 185: Gutting Goddard - Dismantling a NASA Center

  As you may or may not know, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is in the administration's crosshairs. With cuts to their budget and staffing beginning under Elon Musk's DOGE, it has taken a different form with the government shutdown. Employees furloughed or retired from critical programs, laboratories shuttered, and entire facilities gutted--all without the approval of Congress. By the time the shutdown is over, NASA's primary research center--and the one most responsible for what many are now calling "the C-word," climate science--will be a shell of its former self. Josh Dinner, who recently completed a months-long investigative report, joins us. Also: Jared Isaacman is back in the running as NASA chief, the 25th anniversary of the ISS, and China now working with the US on orbital dangers. Headlines: Trump Renominates Jared Isaacman as NASA Chief, Sparking Political Drama 25 Years of Continuous Astronaut Presence on the International Space Station China Initiates Rare Satellite Collision Avoidance With NASA Apollo-Era Radio Telescope That Spied on Soviet Satellites Up for Sale Mars ESCAPADE Missions Twin Probes Prepare for Launch on New Glenn Rocket Main Topic: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Crisis Goddard Hit by Accelerated Building Closures and Funding Cuts NASA Employees and Lawmakers Accuse Agency Leadership of Breaking the Law Climate Science and Political Motives at the Core of Goddard's Struggles Union Power Stripped After NASA's Reclassification as National Security Agency High-Profile Missions Like Hubble, the Nancy Roman Space Telescope, and LISA Facing Uncertainty Loss of Talent and Institutional Knowledge Threatens Future Space Projects Congress and the Public Urged to Support, But Outlook Remains Grim Could New Leadership Reverse the Changes Brought to Goddard, or Reinforce Goddard's Decline? Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Josh Dinner Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

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• TWiS 184: Space is Scary! - Halloween Movies About Space

  This week we look at why space can be scary with a survey of some of the best (and some of the most laughable) movies about critters from outer space! Witness the terror of men in floppy rubber suits! Cringe as the century plant-like triffids take over people's brains! Scream along with us as rock spiders on the moon devour astronauts' faces! It's a true potpourri of space-borne horrors as we discuss some of the best (okay, and worst) space sci-fi movies of all time! Headlines: NASA Science Centers Face Shutdown and Controversy During Budget Crisis SpaceX Promises to Simplify Artemis 3 Moon Landing, Details Remain Vague Night Sky Halloween Highlights: Two Can't-Miss Comets Tribute to Buzz Aldrin's Late Wife, Anka Faur Main Topic: Scary Space Movies—A Halloween Special Classic 1950s Sci-Fi: The Thing from Another World, Terror from Beyond Space Martian Invasions: War of the Worlds films and HBO/BBC Adaptations Alien Franchise: From Horror to Action Blockbusters Unique Entries: Day of the Triffids, Quatermass, Event Horizon, Apollo 18 Modern Space Horror: Life, Pandorum, Sunshine, and Sputnik Real-Life Space Terror: Apollo 13's Harrowing True Story Honorable Mentions and B-movie Picks: Green Slime, The Blob, Leprechaun 4, Jason X Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

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• TWiS 183: Lunar Lander Wanted! Apply Within - Artemis III Contract Opening Up?

  Lander, lander, who's got the lander? Last week, acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy announced that the agency would be re-opening the contract for the Artemis III lunar lander, which had previously been let to SpaceX to be fulfilled by their Starship Human Landing System. Unfortunately, that effort is well behind schedule, and the Trump administration has made landing astronauts on the moon, before China does, a national priority. With multiple refuelings and landing tests required, there is concern that SpaceX may not be able to fulfill their commitment before China's announced landing date of 2030. Elon Musk responded to the announcement with characteristic tack, with phrasing like "Sean Dummy" and him having a two-digit IQ. Mike Wall of Space.com joins us to dive into this rapidly evolving story. Headlines: • Texas vs. the Smithsonian: The Fight Over Space Shuttle Discovery Heats Up • Artemis II Moon Rocket Fully Assembled, Awaits Rollout • California Senator Pushes State Funding to Support JPL Amid Federal Cuts • SpaceX Sets Record with 139 Launches, ULA Struggles to Keep Up • New Super-Earth Discovered Just 20 Light Years Away Near Gemini Main Topic: The Lunar Lander Dilemma for Artemis III and Beyond • NASA Acting Chief Sean Duffy Announces Reopening Artemis III Lunar Lander Contract • SpaceX's Starship Faces Orbital Refueling Challenges and Timeline Doubts • Blue Origin Lurking in the Wings: Can They Deliver a Lander On Time? • Political Pressures: China's Moon Plans Drive US Urgency • Spacesuit Development Delays Threaten Artemis Timelines • NASA's Budget Woes and Layoffs Cloud Roadmap for Future Moon Missions • Speculation on Jared Isaacman's Potential Leadership of NASA • Broader Uncertainty Over Artemis IV, V, and Long-Term Lunar Strategy Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Mike Wall Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

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