Explore every episode of the podcast Made of Stars

Retired astronaut talks with us to talk about appearing at Dragon Con, her book Sharing Space, her documentary The Longest Goodbye, and her incredible career as an astronaut. 

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The Polaris Dawn Mission is preparing to launch on Tuesday and taking with it some space friendly Doritos. NASA has issued a a FAQ about the Starliner mission and in it they say t hat the astronauts are not stuck on the ISS. Debris from t he DART mission could make its way to Earth and Mars in the next 10 years. A rogue star is making its way out of the Milly Way. Sunspot activity is at a 20 year high.  

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NASA has an eye on several asteroids but there are two of  them they are watching a little more closely than the rest. A new star could be coming to our sky soon. Astronomers have discovered the slowest spinning neutron star ever. Plus a Russian cosmonaut has broken the 1000 day mark in space. 

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This week, Wes and Shawn talk about Hurricane Ian including its impact on space launches, plus the DART mission's direct hit on an asteroid as well as some possible evidence found on the Moon of the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs.

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This week, Wes and Shawn talk about the different dates that some say Fall officially begins and why. They also talk about the SLS as it prepares to possibly launch on September 27, plus an astronaut with Chattahoochee Valley ties is on board the ISS.

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This week Wes and Shawn talk with astrophysicist and author Dr. Jeffrey Bennett about the 2023 and 2024 eclipses and his new chidlren's book Totality: An Eclipse Guide in Rhyme and Science

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The SLS Artemis 1 rocket is still on the launchpad for repairs but a battery issue could send it beack to the VAB. Axiom Space will be providing the new space suits for the moonwalkers. Axiom is also preparing for another commerical trip to the ISS that could possibly include Tom Cruise.

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Dr. Erin Macdonald joins us to talk science, science fiction, the women who inspired her to become a scientist, her work with LIGO and her upcoming appearance at Dragon Con

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Artemis 1 is on the launchpad and everything is looking good for a Monday launch. The Artemis mission will test radiation exposure for astronauts and a recent study shows that astronauts would be exposed to multiple lifetimes of radiation on a trip to Mars.

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Artemis 1 is on the launchpad and ready for a launch window coming up later this month. The megarocket will circle the Moon and conduct a number of experiments that include tests to prepare a future launch with astronauts on board. Comet K2 has two tails now and Shawn explains why those 2 tails are visible.

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Scientists hope to use magnets to raise a visitor from outside of our solar system from its deep ocean resting place. Plus, Wes and Shawn talk about Nichelle Nichols and her contributions to space exploration, the anniversary of the Mars Curiosity, the busiest space port was even busier and STEVE has returned.

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China's runaway booster rocket landed on Earth and it did not land in the ocean. Plus scientists believe an interstellar visitor landed in the ocean in 2014.

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This week Wes and Shawn talk about the ISS and Russia's plans to leave after 2024. The US is committed to the ISS until 2030 and may need assistance if Russia pulls out before then. China's new space station has doubled its size but the booster that helped get it there has gone rogue and a sizeable portion of it could land in a populated area. SpaceX had their own booster problems when a truck carrying a vertical booster went under a bridge and the booster collided with the bridge.

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Starliner now has five helium leaks but there's plenty of helium for the mission to be completed in spite of the leaks. SpaceX has a very good week after Starship completes its test successfully. A NASA legend has died at the age of 90 doing something he loved. And frost was discovered in Olympus Mons on Mars. 

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The SLS has set a date for a possible launch as well as laying out other options if the launch window is missed. Plus, a historic space walk is taking place as we record the show. Also we talk bad science in sci-fi, dormant black holes, and the Sun's impact on Earth.

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This week, Wes and Shawn give a breakdown of the first JWST images, plus SpaceX's Starship's unsuccessful test, the Bastille Day event anniversary, and comet K2 is as close to Earth as it's going to get.

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It's an exciting time for space exploration as we now have two massive rockets both preparing for space travel this summer. Plus the CAPSTONE has reestablished communication with Earth, sailplanes may be the next big thing on Mars, and some great news for the ISS.

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Wes and Shawn talk Comet K2, SpaceX's Starship Super Heavy, Cloudspotting on Mars, CAPSTONE, and a very young pulsar

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This week, Wes and Shawn talk about the announcement that China detected alien life in deep space, wins for SLS and JWST plus great sky gazing opportunities

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Wes and Shawn talk about solar activity and how it could impact weekend weather, plus, which cities are most vulnerable to magnetic superstorms.

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Wes and Shawn talk about the SLS heading back to the launch pad for another series of tests, plus the Lunar Flashlight, more SpaceX rides for NASA, strange spikes on Mars and the Ingenuity finds a way to stay in service.

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Wes and Shawn talk Artemis 1, growing crops in lunar soil, volcanoes on the lunar surface and their possible connection to ice, Voyager 1's location and black holes shooting out of their galaxies.

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Wes and Shawn talk about a successful trip to the ISS for Boeing, the end nearing for the InSight Lander, NASA's leaking spacesuits, nanoracks, and a possible meteor storm.

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UAPs (formerly UFOs) are more common than we would like to think and now many say it's time to investigate and determine the possible threat level. Shawn and Wes also discuss a massive marsquake, Boeing's important launch, and an incredible image of the Milky Way's Super-Massive Black Hole

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Bloeing has finally gotten its big win with a successful launch of Starliner that is on its way to the ISS. SpaceX congratulated Boeing while planning a Thursday launch of their own massive rocket. China is grabbing samples from the far side of the Moon. Hubble is having some gyroscope trouble. And the planetary alignment story isn't exactly what social media says it is. 

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Wes and Shawn break down everything you need to know about this weekend's lunar eclipse plus talk about the Boeing Starliner's scheduled launch for next week, the Crew-3's reactions to the November satellite debris plus water on Mars, CMEs and Space ORCs.

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Wes and Shawn talk about the ISS, the future of Russian involvement as well as space tourism companies planning to have space hotels in place in t he very near future. Plus, the Sun went Death Star on Star Wars Day and a hunter discovered what may be secondary craters in Wyoming.

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Wes and Shawn talk about the return of the Axiom astronauts to Earth and the arrival of the Crew-4 astronauts to the ISS. They also discuss the new mission of the OSIRUS spacecraft to study a different asteroid, plus the medium-sized black holes devouring clusters of stars and planets.

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This week, Wes and Shawn discuss some big wins for engineering and robotics with the capture of video of a Martian moon transit, plus the JWST preparing for new discoveries including looking for signs of life on exoplanets. Also, they discuss the Ac-1 crew's extended stay on the ISS and why that is delaying NASA's next mission.

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Wes and Shawn talk about the 80 mile wide megacomet making it's way through our solar system, plus the successful Axiom Ax-1 launch, the non-so-successful SLS test and the company that is planning to float tourists into near-space on a balloon.

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Wes and Shawn talk about Axiom's historic mission to send a full crew of private astronauts to the ISS, two rockets sitting on launchpads at Kennedy, Solar Cycle 25, and LASERS in galaxy clusters!

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Wes and Shawn talk this week's space news that includes another successful launch for Blue Origin, a new record for an American Astronaut, a star from the early says of the universe, and our own star's solar activity causing some problems.

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Wes and Shawn talk about the Russian cosmonauts arriving at the ISS in Ukrainian colors, plus 5k exoplanets, the SLS is having a wet dress rehearsal, and an update on Pete Davidson getting dropped from the latest Blue Origin launch.

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This week Wes and Shawn talk about the latest celebrity astronaut who will fly with Blue origin, plus the SLS will soon be on the move, Lego will pay tribute "unofficially" to the SLS, and some great news from the JWST

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Wes and Shawn talk about the latest from the ISS as the Ukraine/Russia war continues, plus an update on the proposed Georgia spaceport, and a rock stuck in the wheel of Perseverance

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This week's show sounds a little familiar... Starliner planning to launch, SpaceX is crushing it with launches and AR3664 is back! Also, Venus likely has volcanoes and the planet Vulcan wasn't really there at all.  

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Wes and Shawn talk more about the dynamics between Russian and American (and German) space missions, plus cosmic rays will be used by a team to scan the Great Pyramid of Giza, astronomers are watching a "kilonova" debris cloud and NASA's rollout for SLS gets a green date.

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Wes and Shawn discuss the dynamic aboard the ISS as Ukraine has been invaded by Russia and the American, Russian and international astronauts will continue their missions as cohabitants.

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Wes and Shawn talk about Elon's big announcement last week, plus the update on the rocket that will crash into the Moon that's not a SpaceX rocket, and the plans for a Crew Dragon spacewalk that's in the works.

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Wes and Shawn talk about the upcoming announcement from Elon Musk and SpaceX, plus Geomagnetic storms impacting Earth and Saturn, plus Mars may have been wet for longer than we thought.

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Wes and Shawn talk about the latest from JWST and its calibration, the plans to end the ISS, delays for Artemis, and the Earth spinning faster

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Wes and Shawn discuss NASA's annual day to remember on the anniversary of the Apollo 1 tragedy while also remembering the Challenger, Columbia and others, plus, the JWST has reached L2 and calibrations can begin.

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Things are getting interesting on Mars for the Curiosity rover and things have gotten stuck for Perseverance. The Sun continues to show signs of an extreme Solar Cycle 25 and scientists are working on creating steak from cow cells.

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Wes and Shawn discuss the latest good news for the JWST while acknowledging that first light is still to come, plus caution you to not worry about the ominous headlines about the space rock that will pass us by

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Wes and Shawn start the new year talking about the good news from the James Webb Space Telescope, the Russian rocket that crashed back to Earth and why that's not necessarily bad news, the massive sunspot forming that could cause some problems, 70 orphaned planets roaming through the Milky Way and a significant step towards a Warp Drive becoming a reality

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Part 2: This week Wes and Shawn discuss the biggest space new stories of 2021

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Starliner delays launch again but hopes for a June 2 launch now. SpaceX is continues to launch successfully with the latest launch for the NRO. Ed Dwight wasn't given a chance to go to space 60 years ago but has now taken a trip aboard a Blue Origin rocket and become t he oldest person to ever go to space. NASA's oldest active astronaut will go back to the ISS for a 6 month mission at 69 years old. Juno has given us some new looks at Europa and Euclid has given us five brand new looks of the universe. 

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Part 1: This week Wes and Shawn discuss the biggest space new stories of 2021

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Wes and Shawn talk about two incredible discoveries on Mars, another delay for t he JWST and Leonard the Christmas Comet's current location

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Wes and Shawn discuss the Michael Strahan trip to space launch delay, the December sky's bounty of celestial objects, Japan's billionaire astronaut, and a mysterious object found on the Moon.

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