Explore every episode of the podcast This Week in Space (Audio)
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TWiS 230: Living on Lava Worlds - Atmospheres on Lava-Covered Exoplanets | 02 oct. 2026 | 01:08:47 | |
Think you're having a hot summer? Try living on 55 Cancri-e, a super-Earth with daytime temperatures above 4000 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of these super-Earths orbit frighteningly close to their host stars and have long since had their atmospheres scraped away, leaving them baked, parched rocks. But some, like 55 Cancri, still have dense envelopes of air. How is that possible, when the planet is 20 times closer to its star than our own planet Mercury? Dr. Laura Schaefer explains how molten lava worlds defy the odds. Plus: Starship update, the first orbital data centers, and a new year on Mars.
Main Topic: Living on Lava Worlds—Atmospheres, Extreme Planets, and the Search for Life
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Dr. Laura Schaefer Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Sponsors: | |||
| TWiS 229: Is It Starship's Time? - Test Flight 14 to Orbit | 25 sept. 2026 | 01:06:22 | |
This week it's Rod and Tariq working through the most important space headlines. The big story: Starship could launch test flight 14 as early as Monday the 28th. We've seen lots of tests, but this is the first attempt at an orbital flight, the success of which is necessary for the lunar landing system and eventual retirement of the Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon. Also: Vast starts up a lunar division, Isaacman's relief over delays to China's lunar program, concerns over announced discontinuation of SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon, and yet more money for Boeing's troubled Starliner. This and more on this episode of TWiS!
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! Sponsors: | |||
| TWiS 228: What's a HOTOL? - Britain in Space | 18 sept. 2026 | 00:58:27 | |
In the 1980s, as the US space shuttle was just starting operations, the UK embarked on an ambitious project called HOTOL—short for Horizontal Take Off and Landing, a radical, air-breathing spaceplane design. Political and funding shifts in the UK ultimately derailed the project, despite the promising technologies it pioneered. The idea was later restarted as Skylon, with key individuals and refined technologies at its core. This project, too, struggled, ultimately shuttering in 2024. Despite this, the promise of rapid, reusable spaceplanes that can launch and land at airports is still coveted by many countries, and efforts continue. Join Rob Coppinger, author of the definitive book on the topic and editor of the UK's "Spaceflight" magazine, as he tells this fascinating story.
Main Topic: British Spaceplanes – HOTOL and Skylon
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Rob Coppinger Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Sponsor: | |||
| TWiS 227: TrekMania - Michael Okuda Talks LCARS, Easter Eggs, and Sci-Fi Innovation | 11 sept. 2026 | 01:09:18 | |
Hold onto your phasers, but it's been 60 years since Star Trek's debut, and the franchise is still going strong. For 40 of those years, Mike Okuda, working with a gifted team that included his wife Denise, has been central to the look, feel, and substance of the Star Trek universe. From the LCARS computer graphical system to alien languages to the designs and color schemes, and even the digital effects remastering of the original series, Mike has been the Cardinal of Canon when it comes to all things Trek. He has also been involved with many more space-related shows, books, and NASA projects. Join us for this very special episode. Headlines:
Main Topic: Star Trek at 60—Legacy, Design, and Influence with Mike Okuda
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Michael Okuda Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! | |||
| TWiS 226: Who Owns the Moon? - Capitalism and Property Rights in Space | 04 sept. 2026 | 01:13:19 | |
Capitalism—and a strong profit motivation—has driven enterprise for centuries. Two notable examples are the East India Company and the US transcontinental railroad, and the various tycoons who built it. In neither case, by today's standards, were the operations fair or ethical on a number of fronts. Can we do better in space? Dr. Rainer Zitelmann joins us to discuss capitalism and the importance of extraterrestrial land ownership as an enabler of human expansion off-Earth. He's got a lot to say, and not all of it is what you might expect. Join us for this fascinating and informative look at one business case for newspace. Headlines: Main Topic: Who Owns the Moon? — Capitalism in Space With Dr. Rainer Zitelmann Get "New Space Capitalism" (Amazon Affiliate Link): https://amzn.to/4xEeGID Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Dr. Rainer Zitelmann Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Sponsors: | |||
| TWiS 225: Get a Grip! - New Technologies for Orbital Salvage | 28 août 2026 | 01:00:25 | |
The mitigation of orbital debris is an increasingly serious problem that has not gotten enough attention, but this is changing. Commercial companies are addressing orbital debris, and one of them, KMI Space, has flown its experiments aboard the International Space Station, performing over 170 individual rendezvous-and-grab operations. The results are very promising, and the company is moving ahead with ever more ambitious designs. Adam Kall of KMI joins us to discuss their work on the ISS, the goals of the company, and how nature—via the humble octopus and gecko lizards—may have provided the answers for this vexing problem. Headlines:
Main Topic: KMI Space's REACH Technology and In-Orbit Relocation
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Adam Kall Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! | |||
| TWiS 224: The Science of Artemis - What We'll Do on the Moon | 21 août 2026 | 00:59:47 | |
It has been said that the Moon is a harsh mistress, and nowhere is this more apparent than at the lunar south pole. That is, however, where the Artemis program is headed, and we need to figure out how to best explore the region. Dr. David Kring of the Universities Space Research Association's Lunar and Planetary Institute joins us to explore the where, whys, and hows of the Artemis Program's lunar exploration plans, and the answers--and risks--that await us. Headlines:
Main Topic: The Science and Planning of the Artemis Lunar Program
Host: Rod Pyle Co-Host: Fredrick (Rick) Jenet Guest: Dr. David Kring Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! | |||
| TWiS 223: The Lunar Domain - Our Future on the Moon with Dr. Scott Pace | 14 août 2026 | 01:05:04 | |
We're headed for a space renaissance, and it will be focused on the Moon. The US, China, and international partners of both are vying to land people there and construct a permanent lunar base. Meanwhile, NASA is evolving to embrace commercial enterprise unlike any time in its past, and American lunar efforts are lagging. What are the stakes? Does it matter who returns humans there first? What does the future of lunar commerce look like? Dr. Scott Pace, the Director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, joins us. Host: Rod Pyle Co-Host: Dale Skran Guest: Dr. Scott Pace Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Sponsors: | |||
| TWiS 222: How to Invade Earth in 22 Easy Steps - With Rich Edwards | 07 août 2026 | 01:08:07 | |
We've all seen the movies... the aliens come to Earth, the aliens overcome the inferior humans, and the aliens fall prey to something dumb they overlooked, like microbes, Windows 95, or most absurdly, water. From the 1950s through yesterday, some of the best movies we've seen were about the invasion of our planet. They can be clever, scary, or even downright dumb, but they are all fun. Veteran space writer Rich Edwards joins us to give advice on how to repel the invaders!
Main Topic: How to Invade Earth in Sci-Fi—22 Dos and Don'ts with Rich Edwards
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Richard Edwards Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Sponsor: | |||
| TWiS 221: Starship Can Float? - Roman Space Telescope Ready to Launch! | 31 juil. 2026 | 00:57:01 | |
Rod Pyle is out this week, so Rick Jenet of the National Space Society joins Tariq Malik this week to talk about SpaceX's Starship Flight 13, which deployed new Starlink V3 satellites and stunned viewers when the ship survived reentry intact enough to float in the ocean for days afterward. They also discuss NASA's Roman Space Telescope, now just a month from launch, and an in-progress emergency effort to save the ailing Swift Space Observatory using a servicing spacecraft that is itself now experiencing technical trouble. Finally, they look into Boeing's continued Starliner delays and India's first successful private orbital launch via Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket. Tune in!
Host: Tariq Malik Co-Host: Fredrick (Rick) Jenet Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! | |||
| TWiS 220: First on Mars - The 50th Anniversary of Viking 1 | 24 juil. 2026 | 01:16:43 | |
This week, we cover how Starship Flight 13 finally prepares to launch amid a legal battle over SpaceX's proposed land swap at Starbase, plus a Chinese Long March 3B rocket gets struck by lightning during liftoff, yet still delivers its satellite safely. Then, guests Dr. Pascal Lee and astrobiologist Dr. Penny Boston join the show to mark the 50th anniversary of Viking 1's landing on Mars and revisit the mission's groundbreaking life-detection experiments and the decades-long controversy over what they actually found. The conversation traces Mars exploration from the earliest Mariner flybys through Viking's ambiguous, still-debated results—later explained by perchlorates in the Martian soil—and the fierce scientific rivalry the findings sparked. Join us!
Main Topic: 50th Anniversary of Viking Mars Landers—Search for Life on Mars
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guests: Pascal Lee and Dr. Penelope Boston Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Sponsor: | |||
| TWiS 219: SpaceX Goes to War! - And Other Space Headlines | 18 juil. 2026 | 01:13:22 | |
This week we're jumping into the space headlines for the past few weeks. It's been busy, and some exciting things are happening! A couple of companies are moving into the space solar power arena--something we've long advocated--and that's welcome progress. Starship is set to fly Starship test number 13, and a lot is riding on this--the system is overdue for some proof of concept to keep up with NASA's HLS contract. An exoplanet spotted a decade ago has shown signs of a potentially habitable atmosphere; there are landslides--big ones--on Pluto, and evidence of "space candy" sugars in an interstellar cloud are in the news. Finally, SpaceX is doubling down on their big defense contracts with a well-funded US Space Force. Join us for all the latest!
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! Sponsors: | |||
| TWiS 218: Which Way to the Moonbase? - With Dr. Pascal Lee | 10 juil. 2026 | 01:10:52 | |
We've been hearing a lot about NASA's new moonbase plans, and they are ambitious. Starting with Artemis V (so far), the US plans to begin preparations for a permanent base situated in the south polar regions of the moon. Details are somewhat fluid, but one thing stands out: the poles are likely to be the most challenging places to set up shop in an already hostile environment. Planetary scientist Dr. Pascal Lee joins us to discuss moonbase siting options and why the poles may not be the best choice at first.
Main Topic: Moon Base Strategy and Location Debate
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Pascal Lee Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Sponsors: | |||
| TWiS 217: America in Space - 250 Years of Bold Firsts & Our Favorite Missions! | 03 juil. 2026 | 01:18:05 | |
Since 1958, the United States has been part of the spaceflight adventure, and since the mid-1960s has led in just about any category that counts. In this episode, we discuss the progression of American space efforts, review which flights launched or landed on July 4, and relive some of our very favorite US space missions of all time! "Headlines: Main Topic: 250 Years of America in Space 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! Sponsors: | |||
| TWiS 216: Dark Matter Intelligence - With Physicist Dr. Daniel Whiteson | 26 juin 2026 | 01:10:55 | |
We've had endless conversations about aliens and first contact--but what if a conversation with other intelligences is beyond our scope? Dr. Daniel Whiteson, particle physicist at CERN's Large Hadron Collider and professor at UC Irvine, joins us to explore less conventional thoughts on first contact. We look at the challenges of communicating with extraterrestrial intelligences, potential difficulties of communicating via non-terrestrial mathematics and physics, and the possibility that extraterrestrials might actually be terrestrial... but existing as denizens of the dark energy universe. One might be sitting in your lap right now! Join us for the far-ranging discussion. Headlines:
Main Topic: Dark Matter, Particle Physics, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Daniel Whiteson Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! | |||
| TWiS 215: Disclosure Day - With Dr. David Brin | 19 juin 2026 | 01:06:22 | |
If you've seen "Disclosure Day" or "Age of Disclosure," you're going to want to join us for this fascinating discussion with famed bestselling sci-fi/sci-fact author Dr. David Brin. Long known for his universe-spanning visions, storytelling skills, and occasionally contrarian viewpoints, this episode will not disappoint! Our discussion ranged from reactions to Spielberg's "Disclosure Day" to why people believe in AI and more. This week's guest co-host is ace science journalist Susan Karlin.
Main Topic: Spielberg's "Disclosure Day" and the Alien Narrative
Host: Rod Pyle Co-Host: Susan Karlin Guest: Dr. David Brin Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! | |||
| TWiS 214: Moon Man - With Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine | 12 juin 2026 | 01:09:08 | |
There are NASA Administrators, and then there are NASA Administrators—all are very accomplished individuals, but some stand out for their unique backgrounds and on-the-job successes, and Jim Bridenstine is one of the latter. Entering service as the new NASA Administrator in 2017 with a background as a Navy pilot, Congressman, and museum director, he was an unconventional choice, and faced some headwinds in the appointment—but Jim turned out to be exceptional in the job, especially given the state of NASA when he took it on. Join us to hear his experiences with our favorite space agency and what he's doing today.
Main Topic: Jim Bridenstine & Quantum Space
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Jim Bridenstine Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Sponsor: | |||
| TWiS 213: Live From ISDC With Gerry Griffin - NASA Flight Director Breaks Down the Realities of Spaceflight | 05 juin 2026 | 01:22:34 | |
Recorded live from the International Space Development Conference in McLean, Virginia, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik are joined by Apollo legend and former Johnson Space Center director Gerry Griffin. Griffin takes us on a journey through his extraordinary career, from his appointment as a flight director in the wake of the Apollo 1 fire, through the audacious decision to send Apollo 8 around the moon, all the way to the nail-biting rescue of Apollo 13. We also venture behind the scenes of Ron Howard's Apollo 13 film, where Griffin reveals the real story behind some of Hollywood's most famous dramatic liberties. It's a rare, firsthand account of the golden age of human spaceflight — from one of the few people who was there for all of it.
Main Topic: Jerry Griffin's Legacy in Space Exploration
(Note: Apologies for the video flickering that occurs in the podcast.) Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Gerry Griffin Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Sponsors: | |||
| TWiS 212: Kabooms, Starship, and a Moon Base - What New Glenn's Explosion Means for NASA's Moon Base | 29 mai 2026 | 01:02:33 | |
What a wild week in space news! We were all set to discuss Starship Test Flight 12 and NASA's recent press conference updating their lunar base plans, when on Thursday night, Blue Origin lost a New Glenn rocket on the pad during a static test. The explosion appears to have severely damaged the launch structure, LC36, along with the loss of the rocket. Fortunately, there were no casualties. But this does throw NASA's schedule for returning American astronauts to the moon into question, given that the agency had recently signaled their choice of Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander for Artemis 4 in 2028. It's now a toss-up between the US and China, with the competition hotter--and closer--than ever. And of course, we'll still discuss Starship and the latest lunar base plans! Space.com's Mike Wall joins us. Headlines: Main Topic: NASA's Artemis Moon Base and Lunar Exploration Plans 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! | |||
| TWiS 211: Oysters in Space - With Jacob Scoccimerra of Monolith Space | 22 mai 2026 | 01:08:58 | |
When one ponders the diet of Mars-bound astonauts, oysters don't often come to mind... but they should. As it turns out, the plucky bivalves have much to offer space voyagers, including water filtration and a ready source of protein. Jacob Scoccimerra, formerly of Nanoracks and now with Monolith Space, initiated a research project with students from the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, to design, build, and operate a closed-circuit, automated support environment for oysters in a simulated space analog. It's a fascinating discussion that may leave you hungry.
Main Topic: Oysters in Space – Bioregenerative Life Support and Student Research
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Jacob Scoccimerra Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Sponsor: | |||