This Week in Space (Audio) – Details, episodes & analysis

This week we cover the headlines, from the shutdown of NASA, to the risky dismantling of the space shuttle Discovery (because Texas insists), to a rogue exoplanet's weird weather, and much more. Should we be worried about China investing in SpaceX? How about those close-up shots of the interstellar visitor 3I/Atlas? And are asteroids hiding out near Venus a threat to Earth? All this and more on episode 180 of This Week in Space.

Headlines:

• NASA Suffers Major Disruption Amid Government Shutdown
• Shuttle Discovery Faces Potential Forced Dismantling for Texas Move
• China Might be Eying Perseverance Mars Samples in Race to Retrieve Martian Rocks
• Near-Venus Asteroids Pose Hidden Threats to Earth
• Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Gets Close-Up for Mars Orbiters
• Concerns Over Chinese Investments in SpaceX
• China Fast-Tracks Lunar Landing Systems and Rocket Tests
• James Webb Telescope Delivers First Rogue Exoplanet Weather Report

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

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If you ever saw the IMAX spectacular, "The Dream is Alive," you've seen astronaut Terry Hart in action, capturing the Solar Max satellite with the shuttle's robotic arm. But even if you missed that film, Terry has had a fascinating career as an Air Force pilot, NASA astronaut, senior leadership at Bell Labs (more than once!), and as an academic and creator of a new aerospace engineering program at Lehigh University. Join us for an enjoyable hour with one of our favorite guys. Also, is Jared Isaacman back as the new NASA Administrator? Will the Orion capsule soon be used for non-NASA missions? And what's going on with the layoffs at the Jet Propulsion Lab? All this and more on This Week in Space.

Headlines:

• Jared Isaacman Back in the Running for NASA Administrator
• Lockheed Martin Considers Launching Orion on Rockets Other Than SLS
• JPL Hit Hard by Layoffs and Uncertainty Amid NASA Budget Woes

Main Topic: Astronaut Terry Hart's Career, Space Shuttle Missions, and NASA's Evolution

• Terry Hart Recaps a Multifaceted Aerospace Career from Bell Labs to NASA
• Behind the Scenes of the IMAX Film "The Dream is Alive" and Shooting in Space
• In-Depth Look at STS-41C: First Shuttle Rendezvous, Satellite Repair, and Pioneering On-Orbit Servicing
• Long Duration Space Experiments and the Legacy of LDEF
• Reflections on Challenger, Shuttle Risks, and Safety Culture in Human Spaceflight
• The Ongoing Shift from NASA-Led Programs to Private Spaceflight Industry
• Preparing the Next Generation: Aerospace Education and Lehigh University's New Graduate Program
• Insights on Space Bees, Life Aboard the Shuttle, and Visions for the Future of Space Manufacturing

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Terry Hart (Astronaut)

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World Space Week is a global celebration of all things space, bringing together thousands of participants from all over the planet to celebrate our future in space. Chartered by the United Nations in 1999, this year's theme is "Living in Space." The many associated events from across the world are a reminder to all of the importance of space in our lives and our future, and a clarion call to international youth of the value of their future involvement. We spoke with the WSW Association's executive director, Alma Okpalefe, who explained their origins, activities, and plans for the future. It's one of the premier space-related events of the year, and when you're done with the episode, you'll want to know more!

Headlines:

• SpaceX Starship Flight 11 Set for Launch
• 6,000 Alien Planets Discovered—Where's Earth 2.0?
• Mars Crew Study Reveals Diverse Teams Outperform "Alpha Males"

Main Topic: World Space Week 2025

• Alma Okpalefe Shares Her Path from Legal Counsel to Space Leadership
• Global Scope and Organization: 95+ Countries, Thousands of Events
• Types of World Space Week Activities: School Outreach, Museum Events, Art Competitions
• 2025 Theme: "Living in Space"—Why It Was Chosen, What It Means Globally
• Building Space Interest in Regions Without Established Programs
• Outcomes and Impact: Inspiring Space Agencies, Universities, and Advocacy
• Accessibility and Inclusion as Future Focus for Space Exploration
• Advice for Young Space Enthusiasts: Get Involved and Dream Big
• International Collaboration: Why Working Together Matters for Space Progress

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Alma Okpalefe

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

• Glen 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
• Glen Swanson's book, "Inspired Enterprise," and how you can get a signed copy

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Glen Swanson

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This week, we talk with our favorite Newspace Buccaneer, Jeffrey Manber. When so many people were touting their private spaceflight dreams in the 1980s, Manber took the next enormous stride and actually made it happen. He formed the Office of Space Commerce within the US Department of Commerce at the invitation of the Reagan administration, forged the first commercial relations with the then-Soviet Union, bridged that into the post-USSR period, and was responsible for the first commercial spaceflight to the then-mothballed Soviet-era Mir space station with a crew that stayed there for 70 days. He then went on to develop a variety of commercial space enterprises, from the first commercial platform to release smallsats from the ISS to initiating the Bishop airlock that became part of the space station. He also started Nanoracks, the first privately developed and standardized satellite deployment mechanism to fly. Finally, he initiated Starlab, the private space station currently under development by Voyager Technologies and a consortium of aerospace companies. Join us for this very special episode with one of the key founders of NewSpace!

Headlines:

• SpaceX Plans 2026 IPO and Possible $1.5 Trillion Valuation
• NASA Loses Contact with Mars Maven Orbiter
• Discussion of Star Trek's New Starfleet Academy Series Trailer

Main Topic: Privatizing Orbit and the Roots of Commercial Space

• Jeffrey Manber Details Early US-Russian Commercial Space Collaborations
• Space Journalism Origins and Shaping Commercial Space Policies
• Inside the Launch of Commercial Space Fund and the Office of Space Commerce
• First US Commercial Contracts with Soviet Union and Mir Space Station
• Navigating Washington Policy and Export Licenses for Soviet Deals
• Attempt to Privatize Mir: Meerkorp, Leasing the Space Station, and Commercial Astronaut Crews
• The Rise of Nanoracks and Commercial Payloads on the ISS
• Building Star Lab: Partnerships, Scale, Launch Plans, and Commercial Design
• Comparing Star Lab's Ambitions to Vast, Axiom, and China's Tiangong
• Evaluating SpaceX's Public Offering and Its Impact on Elon Musk's Strategy
• Jeffrey Manber's Other Projects: Writing About Mars and Lincoln's Wrath
• Thoughts on America's Future in Commercial Orbit and Personal Memoir Plans

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Jeffrey Manber

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Jared Isaacman, the billionaire entrepreneur, philanthropist, and private astronaut, took on Capitol Hill this week in his second confirmation hearing as President Trump's pick for NASA's next leader. Here's what it could mean, plus: A Russian cosmonaut got kicked off a SpaceX flight for allegedly trying to steal spacecraft secrets, China's 1st reusable rocket Zhuque-3 reached orbit, but crashed and burned (and exploded) during landing, and Russia accidentally wrecked the only launch pad it has for astronauts with Thanksgiving's new ISS crew launch.

Headlines:

• Russian Cosmonaut Pulled from SpaceX Crew 12 Mission over Alleged Incident at SpaceX HQ
• Russian Soyuz Launch Pad Damaged After Thanksgiving Crew Mission, Threatening Future Flights
• China's Land Space Rocket Nearly Sticks First Reusable Launch and Landing—Explodes on Return
• Scientists Find Time Passes Faster on Mars Than Earth, Thanks to Relativity

Main Topic: Jared Isaacman's Bid to Become NASA Administrator

• Isaacman Returns for Second Senate Confirmation Hearing After Trump Re-Nominates Him
• Controversy Over SpaceX Ties, Conflict of Interest, and Elon Musk's Influence
• Bipartisan Support from Astronauts, Industry, and Lawmakers Highlights Isaacman's Appeal
• Project Athena Leaked: Isaacman's Vision for NASA and Debate on Earth Science Outsourcing
• Congressional Drama Over Artemis Funding, Gateway, and the US-China Race to the Moon
• Questions Around Space Shuttle Discovery's Possible Move to Houston
• Anticipation Builds for Senate Vote and NASA's Need for Stable Leadership Ahead of Artemis 2

Host: Tariq Malik

Guest: Mike Wall

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