It's almost time for Artemis II to fly to the moon! We got together with Space.com writer Josh Dinner, who joined our own Tariq to attend the "astro unveiling" of NASA's newest class of astronauts and a major press event surrounding the crew of Artemis II. The mission is currently scheduled to loop the moon in early 2026. Join us for the newest details!

Headlines:
• NASA's Escapade Mission Gears Up for Mars Launch
• Rocket Lab Prepares for First Interplanetary Mission
• Dream Chaser Space Plane's ISS Debut Delayed, Contract Adjustments Announced
• Simulated Universe Creates 3.4 Billion Digital Galaxies
• Reflections on the Evolution of Space Missions—From Apollo to Artemis

Main Topic: Artemis II Updates and NASA's Next Generation Astronauts
• Our Reporters Go Behind the Scenes at Johnson Space Center
• Artemis II Launch Windows Announced for Feb-April 2026
• Overview of Artemis II Crew and Their Spaceflight Experience
• Mission Profile: Free Return Trajectory, Timeline, and Unique Features
• Naming of Orion Capsule as "Integrity"
• NASA Preps for Extensive, Real-time Media Coverage During Artemis II
• Discussion of Public Enthusiasm and Challenges for Engaging a Modern Audience
• Artemis II Crew Details, Training, and Scientific Goals
• Addressing Orion Heat Shield Issues and Design Updates
• Training for Artemis III: Simulating Lunar Gravity and EVA Preparation
• NASA Unveils New Astronaut Class with Diverse Backgrounds
• Discussion of Astronaut Demographics, Public Messaging, and International Partners

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Josh Dinner

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There's a very elite club in astronaut circles, one in which former astronauts go on to political careers. The most elite are senators, and so far, John Glenn, Harrison Schmitt, and Mark Kelly have been members, and may soon be joined by Terry Virts, a former shuttle and ISS astronaut. He's got a lot to say about today's NASA, the budget, the Artemis program (he was the astronaut embedded with the SLS rocket program back in 2011), and much more. Col. Virts is also an author and filmmaker, among his other pursuits. Join us for the enlightening episode.

Headlines:
• Ukraine Destroys Russian Military-Used Radio Telescope in Crimea
• China's Surge in Spaceflight Triggers New Warnings About U.S. Competitiveness
• Stunning New Black Hole Images Revealed by Event Horizon Telescope
• Partial Solar Eclipse Coming, Visible Most Spectacularly to Penguins

Main Topic: Interview with Colonel Terry Virts—Astronaut and Senate Candidate
• Highlights of Terry Virts' Career: Air Force, Shuttle & Soyuz Missions, Space Station Command
• Motivation Behind Virts' Run for U.S. Senate in Texas
• Threats to American Democracy, Middle-Class Issues, and Human Rights Priorities
• How Astronaut and Military Experience Prepares Him for Political Office
• Views on the U.S. Space Program: Budget Cuts, Program Delays, and China's Lunar Ambitions
• Specific Critiques of Artemis, SLS, and Lunar Lander Strategies
• Advice for Aspiring Astronauts and Reflections on NASA's Challenges
• The ISS at 25: Collaboration, Science Achievements, and Personal Lessons Learned
• Space, Star Trek, and Geek Culture Moments from Virts' NASA Years

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Terry Virts

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You've heard the news about a possible detection of ancient life on Mars... now get the inside scoop from one of the paper's key authors. Dr. Michael Tice is a research scientist and planetary geologist at Texas A&M, and has a lot to say about how the research was pulled from the year-old drill sampling, the incredible rigor that was applied to their findings, and what's next in this amazing story. It's the one we've all been waiting for--a possible indication of life beyond our own planet!

Headlines:

• NASA's Interim Chief Declares Mission to Beat China Back to the Moon
• Starlink Satellite Photobombs Maxar Image of Secret Chinese Airbase
• James Webb Telescope Captures Stunning Interstellar Jet "Flatulence"

Main Topic: Signs of Ancient Life Discovered on Mars by Perseverance

• Dr. Michael Tice Explains Potential Biosignatures in Jezero Crater
• Discovery of Unusual "Leopard Spots" Linked to Possible Microbial Activity
• Redox Reactions and Organics Suggest Favorable Conditions for Life
• Debate Between Biological and Abiotic Explanations for Findings
• Cutting-Edge Rover Instruments Push Detection Limits
• Challenges of Confirming Life Without Sample Return to Earth
• Future Work Needed: Sample Return Missions and Analogs on Earth
• Broader Reflections on Mars Science, Search for Life, and Technology Choices

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Dr. Michael Tice

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What's next in deep space exploration? Dr. Alan Stern, planetary scientist and the Principal Investigator for the New Horizons mission to Pluto, joins us to discuss what we learned about Pluto, the prospects for a future Pluto orbiter, the news from the Kuiper Belt, and to talk about his experiences as a commercial suborbital astronaut. Oh, and he might just mention that he was short-listed to fly on the space shuttle! Alan is one of those people that just has one adventure after another... did I mention that he dove on the Titanic? Yeah, that kind of guy. Join us for an hour of deep space adventure.

Headlines:

• U.S. Faces Warnings of Losing Lunar Race to China
• NASA Selects a New Associate Administrator
• Third Interstellar Comet Spotted With Unusual CO2 Cloud

Main Topic: Pluto, the New Horizons Mission, and the Future of Planetary Exploration

• Why Pluto Was Chosen as a Prime Target for Exploration
• Building and Launching New Horizons: Team Effort and Challenges
• Emotional Moments as Pluto Data Arrived on Earth
• Precise Navigation: Getting New Horizons Safely to Pluto
• Pluto's Surprising Geological Activity and Complexity
• Major Discoveries at Pluto's Moon Charon
• Exploring Arrokoth: Insights into Planetary Formation
• The Search for a Possible Third Flyby Target in the Kuiper Belt
• The Importance of Long-Term Funding for New Horizons
• NASA Budget Threats Could End Multiple Key Space Missions
• The Possible Role of Kuiper Belt Objects in Delivering Organics to Earth
• How Flybys at Pluto and Arrokoth Reshaped Theories of Planetary Systems
• Prospects for Future Pluto Orbiters and Human Spaceflight
• Advocacy for Continued U.S. Leadership in Deep Space Exploration

Host: Rod Pyle

Co-Host: Fredrick (Rick) Jenet

Guest: Alan Stern

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So you're on a months-long flight to Mars... seven months with five people and one computer as crewmates. You've been told to put any fears of a HAL-9000 computer takeover of your mission out of your mind, but can you, really? In this episode, Dr. Daniel Selva of Texas A&M joins us to talk about his recent study of crew interactions and trust with AI using, well, computers, and the HERA habitat simulator at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The results were not entirely as expected! Join us for this fascinating look at crew-AI interaction in spaceflight procedures and emergencies.

Headlines:

• SpaceX Starship Flight 10 Nails Test Milestones, Despite Some Reentry Damage
• Simulated Satellite Deployments and Heat Shield Experiments Show Progress for Starship
• SETI's 1977 "Wow Signal" Mystery Gets Closer to Natural Explanation
• China Prepares for 2030 Moon Landing with New Hardware Tests, Spurs US Lunar Competition

Main Topic: AI Helpers for Diagnosing Space Emergencies (Interview with Dr. Daniel Selva)

• Dr. Selva's Background and Journey from Europe to Texas A&M and Space AI Research
• Using AI Agents to Assist Astronauts During Long-Duration, Deep Space Missions
• Details of the DAPHNE Virtual Assistant Study: Lab and NASA Analog Experiments
• Surprising Results: AI Shows Big Benefits in Lab, Mixed Results with Experienced Crews
• Individual Differences: Experience, Trust, and Task Complexity Influence AI Effectiveness
• Real-World Limitations: Emergency Charts vs. AI, Training, and Interface Design Challenges
• Broader Implications: Evolving AI to Assist Mission Control, Crew Autonomy, and Future Tech
• Fun Sci-Fi Comparisons: Favorite AI Assistants in Movies and the Reality of Human-AI Collaboration

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Dr. Daniel Selva

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The International Space Station has been serving as a major research center in space for over 25 years, but its time is coming to an end with a planned deorbit in 2030. Should we end this expensive experiment in space, or are we squandering a $150 billion resource? Lynn Harper, the Lead for Integrative Studies at the NASA Ames Space Portal, joins us to discuss some of the amazing research taking place aboard the ISS. We've all heard about crystal growth and so forth, but how about the promising work done on cancer treatments? Or the growing of replacement retinas? Perhaps the potential breakthroughs for treating Alzheimer's disease might interest you? These and many more will be the focus of our conversation.

Headlines:

• NASA Earth Science Faces Massive Cuts Under Interim Administrator Sean Duffy
• James Webb Telescope Discovers New Moon Orbiting Uranus
• SpaceX Gears Up for Starship Flight 10, Hopes for First Success of the Year

Main Topic: International Space Station Spinoffs & NASA's InSPA Breakthroughs

• NASA's InSPA Program Pushes Space-Based Research for Terrestrial Benefits
• Microgravity Research Triggers Life-Changing Advances in Medicine and Technology
• Space-Grown Protein Crystals Revolutionize Cancer Treatments, Save Lives and Billions
• ISS Tissue Engineering Enables Next-Generation Organ and Cell Therapies
• Accelerated Disease Modeling in Space Fast-Tracks Drug Discovery for Alzheimer's, ALS, and Cancer
• Space-Based Manufacturing Dramatically Improves Semiconductor and Fiber Optic Quality
• The Case for Extending ISS Operations to Maintain Biomedical & Industrial Progress
• Future Visions: Overlapping Space Stations and Expansion into Commercial Free-Flyers and Industrial Complexes

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Lynn Harper

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Tariq is back from the Far East and bursting with space news! This week we'll look at the passing of Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell, potential re-tasking of NASA's Juno probe from Jupiter to the interstellar interloper, 3I/Atlas--Avi Loeb wants it, of course--the third launch of ULA's Vulcan rocket, Artemis 2 lunar flyby updates, Virgin Galactic's new spaceplane (can they ever make a profit?), a proposed Pluto orbiter--with a planned mission of 50 years--and much more, on This Week in Space!

Headlines:

• Remembering Apollo 13's Jim Lovell
• ULA's Vulcan Rocket Hits New Milestone With Powerful Launch
• Could Juno Chase an Interstellar Visitor?
• NASA Eyes Pluto Orbiter Mission Persephone
• Virgin Galactic Preps Next-Gen Delta Spaceplane
• Strange "Helmet" Rock Spotted on Mars
• Artemis II Orion Capsule Fuels Up for 2026 Launch

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

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If we're ever to make Mars a second home, we have some serious housekeeping to do... as in a total renovation. The Red Planet has little atmosphere, no radiation shielding, and some seriously toxic soil. How can we make it more Earthlike... and should we? Dr. Erika Alden DeBenedictis joins us to discuss how terraforming might work, how it could be done in decades instead of millennia, and the questions surrounding the ethics of changing another planet to suit humanity's needs. We say it's a trailer park of a planet, but the best bet for human expansion. Dr. Rick Jenet is this week's co-host. Join us for the conversation!

Headlines:

• NASA aims to place a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030, competing with China's similar plans for the Moon.
• NASA's planned commercial space stations are facing delays. As ISS retirement nears, the U.S. risks losing its foothold in low-Earth orbit within the coming years.
• SpaceX hits 100 launches in 2025, dominating global orbital launch activity and enabling rapid rocket reuse.

Main Topic: High-Speed Terraforming of Mars

• Guest Dr. Erika Alden DeBenedictis shares new, biotech-driven concepts for terraforming Mars much faster than traditional proposals.
• Dr. DeBenedictis shares a modern understanding of Mars' past and present environment, including radiation, toxic perchlorate-laced soil, and thin atmosphere.
• Discussion on the importance and challenges of Mars Sample Return for accurate soil and resource analysis.
• Modern synthetic biology as a tool for creating microbes tailored for Martian soil and future terraforming.
• A step-by-step outline by Dr. DeBenedictis on building a breathable Mars atmosphere via engineered photosynthetic microbes, engineered atmospheric warming, and greenhouse construction.
• Exploration of the ethical considerations and philosophical implications of turning Mars into a habitable "garden," weighing preservation versus transformation.
• Dr. DeBenedictis makes a case for Martian settlement, terraforming technology, and legal and resource challenges for commercial space expansion.
• And Dr. DeBenedictis' vision for Mars' future as a unique, partially Earth-like biosphere with new opportunities in planetary stewardship and human adaptation of the planet.

Host: Rod Pyle

Co-Host: Fredrick (Rick) Jenet

Guest: Dr. Erika Alden DeBenedictis

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The United Nations has mediated conflicts since its founding in 1945. That domain of involvement extended into space in 1967 with the Outer Space Treaty. Today, their role is increasingly active with more and more nations entering space and the private sector getting into the game. The US's space-related branches, UNOOSA (the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs) and COPUOUS (UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space), are busy. Many years ago, the National Space Society gained permanent UN observer status, which is much less passive than the name sounds. The organization has addressed the committees on more than one occasion and is working to influence the policy for space flight positively. Dr. Rick Jenet has been instrumental in these efforts and joins us in explaining the landscape of newspace, international space efforts, and the organization's future initiatives.

Headline

• Space Shuttle Discovery Controversy: Rod and Isaac discuss the proposed $85 million move of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian to Houston, plan that faces obstacles from the Smithsonian, which holds the rights to the shuttle.

Main Topic: UNOOSA & Dr. Rick Jenet

• The National Space Society's UN Observer Status: Dr. Jenet explains that the NSS gained permanent observer status at the UN in 2001. The NSS uses this privilege to inform delegates by providing research and presentations.
• UNOOSA and COPUOS Explained: Dr. Jenet clarifies that UNOOSA organizes the Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). While UNOOSA maintains a registry of space objects, COPUOS is the body of 104 member states that develops legal frameworks.
• Outer Space Treaty of 1967: Dr. Jenet talks about the Outer Space Treaty, a global treaty dating back to the Cold War era that governs how state actors behave in space. He that the treaty's language on property ownership is being re-examined due to the rise of commercial space activities.
• Space Traffic Management and Orbital Debris: Dr. Jenet highlights that discussions on space traffic management and orbital debris are in their early stages. These discussions focus on basic tenets like coordination and information sharing.
• Lunar Activities and Resource Utilization: The development of policies for lunar exploration and resource extraction is also an area of new activity. UNOOSA's "Action Team for Lunar Activities Consultation," with co-chairs from Romania and Pakistan, coordinates the future of humanity's return to the moon by aligning different national initiatives.
• The "Regulation Sandbox" Concept: Dr. Jenet discusses the "regulation sandbox" concept, where existing regulations for an area with commercial potential, for example a lunar ice deposit, are set aside for a limited time to allow a new set of rules to be tested. This concept could be applied more boradly to space launch or ISRU.
• Why the Public Should Care: Dr. Jenet emphasizes that the public should care about these efforts because these high-level discussions will lead to international laws governing the behavior of all actors in space, including private companies and entrepreneurs. Early awareness of these frameworks will be less painful for startups later on.

These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/171

Host: Rod Pyle

Co-Host: Isaac Arthur

Guest: Fredrick (Rick) Jenet

Powering spacecraft, especially out in the dark, cold outer solar system, is a huge challenge. There are limits to how large solar panels can be, and they are not very efficient in the weak sunlight beyond Mars. For decades, choice flagship NASA missions have used RTGs--radioisotope thermoelectric generators--to fill this need. From the experiments on the Apollo missions to the Viking Mars landers, Galileo to Jupiter, Cassini to Saturn, and the twin Voyagers, RTGs have provided decades of power for space exploration. From Plutonium to Americium, nuclear elements provide years and years of heat that can be converted into electricity. Dr. Rob O'Brien is the Director of the Center for Space Nuclear Research for the Universities Space Research Association and has specialized in RTGs for decades. It's a fascinating dive into atomic space batteries!

Headlines

• The End of the Universe is Nigh (in 33 Billion Years): New dark matter discoveries suggest an earlier end to the universe, leading to a humorous discussion about bucket list items.
• August 2nd "Solar Eclipse": Rumors of an August 2nd, 2025, total solar eclipse are false; the next one on that date is in 2027 that won't darken the entire world, but will be the longest one of the century.
• Mother Earth 2.0 (L98-59f): Discussion of exoplanet L98-59f, 35 light-years away, and its potential habitability despite orbiting a red dwarf with a 23-day year.
• NASA Budget Concerns: Senate and House pushback against proposed cuts to NASA's 2026 science mission budget is discussed, with calls to preserve vital research.
• Mass Exodus at NASA: Senior NASA staff, including scientists and engineers, are reportedly leaving due to budget cuts, raising concerns about future capabilities.

Main Topic - Dr. Robert O'Brien & RTGs (Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators)

• Understanding RTGs: Dr. O'Brien explains RTGs convert heat from radioactive decay into electricity using the Seebeck effect.
• Early Use of RTGs in Space: The first US public RTG demonstration was on President Eisenhower's desk, and the first space use was the US Navy's Transit 4A satellite in 1961.
• RTGs on Mars and Deep Space Missions: RTGs power Mars landers and rovers (Viking, Curiosity, Perseverance), and deep space missions like Voyager, Galileo, and Cassini, providing long-term power in harsh environments.
• Fission Reactors vs. RTGs: RTGs suit small systems and backup power, while fission reactors are better for high-power needs of human expeditions.
• Plutonium-238 Production Challenges: The scarcity of plutonium-238 is due to its production requiring nuclear reactors and past moratoriums on reprocessing.
• Americium-241 as an Alternative: Americium-241, abundant in spent fuel and now accessible due to lifted moratoriums on reprocessing, is a viable alternative for powering missions despite lower energy density.
• Americium in Smoke Detectors and Safety: Americium's safe use in smoke detectors is highlighted, while acknowledging the hazards of working with nuclear materials.
• Public Perception and RTG Safety: Discussion covers historical atomic energy perceptions, from early toys to environmental concerns, emphasizing rigorous engineering and safety measures like ablative and impact-resistant casings for RTGs.
• Recovery of

These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/170

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Dr. Robert O'Brien