Space4U – Details, episodes & analysis

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Space4U

Space Foundation

Science

Society & Culture

Frequency: 1 episode/14d. Total Eps: 84

Space is for everyone. Listen to casual and non-technical conversations with space professionals telling their part of the space story, and explore how space is also for you!

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🇺🇸 USA - astronomy
31/07/2026
#89
🇺🇸 USA - astronomy
21/07/2026
#96
🇺🇸 USA - astronomy
18/07/2026
#95
🇺🇸 USA - astronomy
14/07/2026
#97
🇺🇸 USA - astronomy
11/07/2026
#82
🇺🇸 USA - astronomy
22/06/2026
#94
🇺🇸 USA - astronomy
02/06/2026
#96
🇺🇸 USA - astronomy
23/04/2026
#90
🇺🇸 USA - astronomy
22/04/2026
#97
🇺🇸 USA - astronomy
19/04/2026
#92

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Score global : 58%

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Danny Jaques — Creator & Chief “Salsanaut,” Danny’s Rocket Ranch™ Space Salsa®

Episode 91

Thursday, February 17, 2022 • Duration 30:20

In this episode:

We meet Danny Jaques creator of Danny’s Rocket Ranch Space Salsa. Born and raised on a ranch (the company’s namesake) near Ignacio, Colorado, Jaques realized that rather than becoming a rancher, he wanted to pursue a career in space. He initially dreamt of being an astronaut, but after graduating from Fort Lewis College he embarked upon a junior high teaching career, during which he escorted hundreds of his students to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2010, Jaques was inducted into the Space Camp Hall of Fame.

After years of friends and family raving about his homemade salsa recipe, he had the idea to utilize dehydration techniques developed by NASA to formulate a salsa that could be consumed in and withstand the rigors of space, while still being delicious to consume on Earth. Danny has since retired from his teaching career, but he continues to help students attend Space Camp, with a portion of company profits donated to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation for Space Camp scholarships. Jaques’ Space Salsa has also earned Space Certification through Space Foundation.

In our conversation, Danny discusses his overarching love of space, how that played into his teaching career, his experiences taking students to Space Camp, what prompted him to start a salsa business, how he integrated his love of space into his company’s products, and how he perfected the process of making his dehydrated salsa as delicious as fresh salsas on the market.

Describing comments he’s received on his salsa, Jaques says, "Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, she’s a Shuttle astronaut and a former Ft. Collins high school teacher, and I [asked], ‘Dottie, do you think the folks on the International Space Station would like my salsa?’ And she looked over at me, and her eyes wide, and she said, ‘Danny, they’d love your salsa!’”

Learn more about Danny, his “forever bride” Laura, and Danny’s Rocket Ranch Space Salsa by visitinghttps://www.dannysrocketranch.com

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Kevin Rice – Former Director of Business Management for Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works and NASA JPL

Episode 90

Thursday, January 20, 2022 • Duration 43:43

In this episode:

We meet Kevin Rice who spent 40 years in the aerospace industry, roughly split between Lockheed Martin’s legendary Skunk Works and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). At Skunk Works Kevin served as Director of Business Management, where his responsibilities included management of several hundred employees in the execution of budgeting, scheduling, proposal development, cost estimating and pricing, contracts, and risk management. His work supported tactical aircraft projects including the F-117, F-22, and F-35, as well as reconnaissance projects such as the U-2, SR-71, various C-130 projects, and the sub-scale X-33 reusable launch vehicle.

Following that, and until his retirement in 2019, Kevin worked for NASA JPL, as a Division Manager and Director of Project Business Management for NASA’s research and development centers. Kevin developed, implemented and maintained JPL’s project controls processes, and created JPL’s business policies and practices manual (the “Dark Green Book”), which served as a model for business throughout NASA. He also developed the independent assessment model adopted by NASA to assess project performance. From 1992 to the present, Kevin has served as adjunct professor of Corporate Finance, International Business, and Global Financial Management at the .

Jay Chattaway, longtime Star Trek series music and score composer

Episode 81

Wednesday, September 22, 2021 • Duration 52:20

In this episode:

We meet Jay Chattaway, an Emmy award-winning composer who has been nominated nine times for his work in television, particularly for the hit Star Trek series. In addition to his television work, Jay has composed scores for more than 30 feature films.

Chattaway is also the producer of many Grammy-winning music projects, working with artists such as Carly Simon, Bob James, Maynard Ferguson, Gato Barbieri, David Byrne of The Talking Heads, The Fania All-Stars , Herb Alpert, and the von Trapp Children. He has served as Director of A&R for CBS records, has been the president of the Society of Composers and Lyricists, and governor of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Jay is also in demand as a conductor, having recently conducted the London Philharmonic at Royal Albert Hall.

Jay has both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from West Virginia University and post-graduate studies at The Eastman School of Music. Jay serves as Distinguished Composer-in-Residence at West Virginia University and received an Honorary Doctorate there in May 2019.

In this episode, Jay discusses the first instrument that he picked up and how it led him to a career in music, the musical artists that influenced him and his work, how music adds to storytelling, how he pairs music with a scripted scene, the processes and interactions he has with the director and writers for the show, and more.

Recalling how he initially got the job doing music for Star Trek: The Next Generation, Chattaway says, “So then they sent my whale orchestra on to the producers of Star Trek and they thought, ‘Wow, this guy’s out there, so I’m guessing if he’s that far out — doing whales in his orchestra — he might be the right guy to do Star Trek.’”

Frank Culbertson — former NASA astronaut, “The only US citizen not on Earth when the Sept. 11 attacks occurred”

Episode 80

Thursday, September 9, 2021 • Duration 27:18

In this episode:

We meet CAPT Frank Lee Culbertson, Jr., USN (Ret.), a former American Naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aerospace engineer, NASA astronaut, and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He served as the Commander of the International Space Station (ISS) for almost four months in 2001, giving him the distinction of being the only U.S. citizen not on Earth when the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks occurred. As the ISS passed over New York City after the attacks, he captured impactful photos and video from low Earth orbit of the smoke emanating from Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan.

You can read a letter he wrote detailing the complex emotions he experienced that day at https://www.nasa.gov/topics/nasalife/features/sept11_culbertson.html

Culbertson’s achievements are too numerous to list completely here. He served in the Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam, and later as a Naval aviator, Culbertson flew aircraft with the U.S. Air Force in the 426th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, where he served as Weapons and Tactics Instructor. Culbertson then served as the Catapult and Arresting Gear Officer for USS John F. Kennedy until he was selected to attend the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, from which he graduated with distinction in 1982. He has logged over 9,500 hours flying time in 60 different types of aircraft.

Frank was selected for and completed NASA astronaut training in 1985. He’s a veteran of three space flights: STS-38 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis (Nov. 1990), STS-51 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery (Sept. 1993), and as part of the ISS Expedition 3 crew (launched via STS-105 on Space Shuttle Discovery, Aug. 2001). Culbertson lived and worked aboard the International Space Station for a total of 129 days on that mission and commanded the ISS for 117 of those days.

Sam Mastovich – General Manager, Keystone Compliance

Episode 79

Wednesday, August 11, 2021 • Duration 30:40

In this episode:

We meet Sam Mastovich, general manager of Keystone Compliance. He joined the company more than 10 years ago following a career in commercial banking. What started as a three-person, one-location Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing lab is now a 40-person, four-location, EMC, mechanical, wireless, package and product safety testing lab. Their many testing capabilities also make them a perfect partner for aerospace companies.

In our conversation, Sam discusses how Keystone tests EMC, how Keystone grew to be more than just an EMC test lab, how all these tests relate to space technology, some of the general test programs Keystone provides for space companies, the more common mistakes that manufacturers make, and the new tests that he sees being developed as we venture further into space.

In describing how seldom consumers consider the testing that goes into the products they purchase, Mastovich says, “What we do is what every consumer takes for granted. We go to Target or Walmart or ... on Amazon, we order something, bring it home, plug it in—and it doesn’t kill us... So, that’s basically what we as consumers just take for granted.”

To learn more about Keystone Compliance, visit keystonecompliance.com.

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Robert Brumley – Cofounder/Chairman of CommStar Space Communications

Episode 78

Wednesday, July 28, 2021 • Duration 47:23

In this episode:

We meet Robert Brumley, cofounder and chairman of the CommStar space companies. CommStar intends to deploy the CommStar-1 satellite to cislunar orbit in 2023, serving as a high-capacity data relay satellite in the cislunar service area. CommStar-1 is being designed in cooperation with Thales Alenia Space to serve as a hybrid satellite able to receive and relay both radio-frequency and laser-optic communications — serving demand for bidirectional data communications between the Earth and the Moon for commercial, civil science, and government customers.

Brumley was a Senate-confirmed Presidential appointee in the Reagan administration, serving in both terms. During that time, he acted as the Executive Director of the Commercial Space Working Group of the National Security Council, and the Economic Policy Council. He is also a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Bob has extensive executive experience in the management and financing of early-stage ventures, particularly in aerospace, telecommunications, and defense.

In our conversation, Brumley explains what the vast cislunar area of space means to private companies like CommStar, why it’s so important to have this kind of infrastructure closer to the Moon, how the system will provide the same internet and communications services on the Moon as we currently have on Earth, and how a similar configuration could potentially be considered as infrastructure for other locations in deep space.

In discussing the growing importance of the cislunar service area, Bob says, “People are just learning: What is cislunar? And what is that to do with the Moon? And is there a real commercial opportunity outside what the government is doing? And within the last six months — particularly what we've experienced — the answer is yes, and there is real excitement about bypassing what would be low Earth orbit and going deeper.”

Daniel Lockney – NASA Technology Transfer Program

Episode 77

Wednesday, July 14, 2021 • Duration 35:25

In this episode:

We meet Daniel Lockney, the Technology Transfer Program executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. NASA has a long history of finding new and innovative uses for its space and aeronautical technologies, and Lockney is the agency’s leading authority on those technologies and their practical applications on Earth.

Daniel is responsible for agency-level management of NASA intellectual property and the transfer of NASA technology to the public. In this role, Lockney oversees policy, strategy, resources, and direction for the agency’s technology commercialization efforts.

In our conversation, Lockney explains how the Technology Transfer office bridges the gap between space technology and our needs on Earth, how space technology impacts Earth’s economy, and some of the most interesting secondary applications of space technologies he’s seen.

Describing the significant uptick in commercial applications of NASA-developed technologies, Daniel says, “Over the past decade, a quintupling of the amount of commercialization we've typically seen from NASA... Our patent licensing is through the roof. You know, we used to average about 20, 25 patents licensed per year — now we're hitting 150 to 175 easily.”

To learn more about the Technology Transfer Program at NASA, visit https://technology.nasa.gov.

Andrew Matthes & Leyton Torres – SystemsGo Curriculum Program

Episode 76

Wednesday, June 23, 2021 • Duration 38:47

In this episode:

We meet Andrew Matthes and Leyton Torres to hear about their experiences with the SystemsGo High School STEM Curriculum Program from both teacher and student perspectives.

Matthes has been teaching at Fredericksburg High School in Fredericksburg, Texas, since 2003. He has taught chemistry, all levels of physics, and currently teaches all four years of the engineering program. Having graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy with a bachelor’s degree in Marine Engineering, he sailed as a third assistant engineer on commercial merchant ships to fulfill his obligation. Deciding not to follow the design engineering path thereafter, he moved up his plans to teach and followed his true passion — changing lives through hands-on education.

Leyton Torres is finishing his junior year at Fredericksburg High School and has been in the SystemsGo engineering classes since his freshman year. He has always been a problem solver, driven by challenges and new opportunities. He volunteered at the 2021 SystemsGo launches for two days, totaling about 24 hours, and assisted in launching a record-breaking 40 rockets in one day. He is now interested in pursuing a career in aerospace engineering.

In our conversation, Andrew shares how he first learned about SystemsGo’s innovative high school rocketry and aerospace curriculum, and what made him decide to bring the program to his school. Leyton discusses helping with the launches and building rockets in past years, the obstacles he encountered, and how SystemsGo changed his future goals.

In explaining how SystemsGo encourages students to develop an emotional connection to their projects, Matthes says, “The fact that they take ownership over everything ... when it flies, they’ve got a lot of heart and emotion and commitment put into their rocket, and I think it sticks with them much longer knowing that it’s 100% theirs.”

Trevor Bennett – Cofounder of Starfish Space

Episode 75

Wednesday, June 16, 2021 • Duration 29:01

In this episode:

We meet Dr. Trevor Bennett, cofounder of Starfish Space — a software, robotics, and autonomous space infrastructure company developing satellite servicing and space debris capture missions. Their current products include the Otter space tug, Cephalopod software, and Nautilus capture mechanism.

Trevor earned his PhD in Aerospace from the University of Colorado where he was a NASA Space Technology Research Fellow and was also spotlighted in the Aviation Week “20 Twenties.” Trevor has worked at both NASA Goddard and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on robotic missions, and for Blue Origin on the New Glenn launch vehicle.

In our conversation, Bennet explains what led him to cofound Starfish Space and focus on these specific aspects of the space ecosystem, why space debris is a critical issue from his perspective, what sets Starfish apart from other companies developing technologies for space debris capture, the company’s upcoming in-orbit test launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9, and more.

In explaining the role that Starfish Space would like to play in the space infrastructure of the future, Trevor says, “If we are able to provide some component of that industry and do in-space mining, in-space recycling, in-space manufacturing — I think that’s really where the space industry kicks off and starts doing amazing things.”

To learn more about Starfish Space, visit starfishspace.com.

Tom Smokov & Craig Fairclough — Water Pure Technologies

Episode 74

Wednesday, April 21, 2021 • Duration 38:44

In this episode:

We meet Tom Smokov, Cofounder and CEO, and Craig Fairclough, President, of Water Pure Technologies. Over the past 25 years, Smokov’s entrepreneurial vision has driven innovations in the way water is treated and filtered. He’s worked with federal, state, and international water quality codes, and his research has been focused on the development of safer, long-term solutions for point-of-use water treatment based on proven science and testing. Craig Fairclough came to Water Pure after 18 years in sales management, and together their goal is to provide the best possible drinking water throughout the world.

In this conversation, our guests explain how the water we believe to be clean can still contain bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, or hormones. Using a Nano Water Filtration Technology codeveloped by NASA for use on the International Space Station, these contaminants can be reduced by 99.999999%. Water Pure Technologies believes that clean drinking water is a human right, and they participate in many humanitarian efforts to supply clean water to regions of developing nations in need.

In discussing the high performance of their filter, Smokov says, “This is a game-changing filter, as far as its ability to save lives, treat lots of water, and it really does a great job. It's got the highest reduction of bacteria and viruses tested to date.”

To learn more about Water Pure Technologies and their line of products, visit waterpuretechnologies.com.

Space4U – Details, episodes & analysis

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Space4U – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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