This Week in Space (Video)

We've all heard of it, and some of us have seen the Netflix comedy series, but what exactly is the U.S. Space Force, and what do they do? We invited Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John Bentivegna to the podcast to discuss the founding of Space Force, what they are charged with overseeing, their role in continuously monitoring U.S. orbital assets and possible threats to them, and their future role in guarding the space lanes. We also look at the controversy surrounding the recent Blue Origin flight with Katy Perry and other women of note, a recent explosion at a Northrop Grumman facility, and the announcement of a possible detection of life on exoplanet k2-18b!
Headlines:

• Possible Life on Exoplanet K2-18b: Scientists have detected potential signs of life in the spectra of exoplanet K2-18b, including dimethyl sulfide, a substance produced by algae and microbes on Earth.
• Blue Origin's Glam Flight Controversy: The recent Blue Origin NS-31 flight, intended to promote women in STEM, sparked debate about space tourism and what defines an astronaut.
• Northrop Grumman Explosion: A recent explosion at Northrop Grumman's Promontory, Utah, test site destroyed a building, raising questions about the future of solid rocket motor development.

Interview with Chief Master Sergeant John Bentivegna:

• His role in the Space Force: Chief Master Sergeant Bentivegna discusses his role as the senior enlisted member, advising on guardian development, strategy, and welfare.
• Career Path: Bentivegna recounts his journey from joining the Air Force in 1994 to becoming a key leader in the Space Force, highlighting his experience in space operations.
• Space Force Mission: He details the Space Force's core functions: assured space access, global space operations (including GPS management and space domain awareness), and space control to ensure space superiority.
• Space Warfighting Framework: The launch of the Space Warfighting Framework, just released this week, is discussed, emphasizing its importance for integrating and planning space operations across the joint force and clarifying the Space Force's capabilities and operational lexicon.
• Concerns About Threats in Space: The podcast addresses the threats posed by adversarial actions in space, such as the deployment of ASAT weapons and potential EMP attacks, and the measures the Space Force is developing to protect and defend critical space assets.
• Space Force and NASA Collaboration: The ongoing collaboration between the Space Force and NASA is highlighted, including the role of guardians in space exploration, research, and astronaut support.
• Future of Space Operations: The episode concludes with a look at the future of space operations, including the potential for a "Space Coast Guard" and the expanding role of the Space Force in lunar and cislunar activities.

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: John Bentivegna

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Dr. Robert Goddard is known as the "Father of Rocketry," but his legacy has been largely overlooked--until now. Charles Slatkin grew up during the Space Age and has become a Goddard evangelist, going so far as to purchase the historic Goddard home to convert into a museum. But his efforts don't stop there. Slatkin has started a nonprofit to not only further Goddard's legacy, but also to inspire young people, who he calls "today's Goddards," to reach for the stars. Hear this inspiring story on this episode of This Week in Space!
Headliines

• Soviet Venus Probe Re-entry: The Soviet Union's Cosmos 42 Venus probe, launched in 1972, is set to re-enter Earth's atmosphere after failing to reach Venus. Due to its design for landing on Venus, there's a possibility some or much of it may survive re-entry.
• NASA's Roman Space Telescope: NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has successfully passed thermal vacuum tests, but its future is uncertain due to potential budget cuts.
• Scott Kelly and Goodnites: Astronaut Scott Kelly has partnered with Goodnites Undergarments to destigmatize bedwetting, humorously drawing parallels to astronauts wearing diapers in space.

Main Topic - The Robert Goddard Project

• Introducing Charles Slatkin: A space enthusiast and advocate, Charles Slatkin is dedicated to inspiring future generations through the wonders of space and preserving Robert Goddard's legacy in rocketry.
• Slatkin's Space Journey: Sputnik and Wernher von Braun's vision of lunar exploration ignited Slatkin's passion for space at a young age.
• Who Was Robert Goddard?: Robert Goddard, born in 1882, launched the world's first liquid-propellant rocket in 1926. Despite facing mockery and failures, his perseverance and ingenuity paved the way for modern space exploration.
• Slatkin's Connection to Goddard: Slatkin's journey with Goddard began at Clark University, where Goddard earned his PhD and later taught. His efforts to save Goddard's house from destruction and his involvement in the Goddard Centennial highlight his dedication to preserving Goddard's legacy.
• Goddard House Restoration: Slatkin bought Goddard's house and is restoring it into a museum, library, and resource center, with plans to house a student caretaker.
• Goddard's Rocketry Breakthrough: Goddard's shift to liquid-fueled rockets was revolutionary, overcoming the limitations of solid propellants and paving the way for modern rocketry.
• The Wonder Mission: Slatkin's Wonder Mission aims to inspire awe and wonder for space through immersive experiences and educational initiatives, including the Goddard Project and the National Space Trail.
• Goddard Centennial: The upcoming Goddard Centennial in 2026 is an opportunity to celebrate Goddard's legacy, honor today's scientists and engineers, and inspire future generations of space explorers.
• National Space Trail: The National Space Trail, an initiative inspired by the Boston Freedom Trail, will connect significant sites related to space exploration across the United States, beginning in Worcester, Massachusetts.
• Virtual Goddard Museum: Plans are underway for a virtual museum to expand access to Goddard's story and legacy, featuring multimedia resources and information connected to the National Space Trail.
• Goddard's Enduring

These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/160

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Charles Slatkin

It's time for Rod and Tariq to catch up on headlines... and space dad jokes! We're going to update you on the ever-slimming NASA budget, the latest news on the Voyager spacecraft, what's up with the SLS, Orion capsule, and Artemis programs? SpaceX's 9th Starship test flight, AliBaba in orbit, and the end of the universe. And more space jokes than ever for you to choke on.

• Gilmore Space Launch Attempt: Gilmore Space's Ares rocket experienced a payload fairing separation on the pad before launch.
• NASA Budget Cuts & Artemis Program: Proposed budget cuts threaten NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), Orion capsule, and Lunar Gateway, sparking debate about the future of the Artemis program and a potential shift towards commercial solutions.
• Voyager 1 Thrusters: After 21 years of inactivity, Voyager 1 successfully fired its backup thrusters, ensuring continued communication from interstellar space.
• NASA Advisory Groups React: NASA advisory groups, including the Mars Exploration Program Advisory Group, expressed concern over budget cuts and their potential to hinder U.S. leadership in space exploration.
• Texas MARS Act: Texas Senator John Cornyn proposed allocating $1 billion for modernizing the Johnson Space Center.
• Intuitive Machines Update: Intuitive Machines plans to return to the moon in Q1 2026 with Intuitive Machines 3, having identified and addressed the causes of previous landing failures.
• SpaceX Starship Update: Elon Musk will provide an update on SpaceX's Mars plans before the next Starship test flight, frlight 9, addressing challenges like refueling the vehicle in space.
• The End of the Universe: Astrophysicists predict the universe's end, or "heat death", will occur sooner than previously thought, approximately 10 to the power of 78 years from now.
• China's Orbital Computing Sats: China launched its first 12 orbital computing satellites, part of a planned 2,800-satellite constellation designed to shift power-hungry computing and AI capabilities off-planet.
• Starlink Profitability: SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet business has generated $11.8 billion in revenue in 2024, surpassing its space transportation business.
• VIPER Lunar Rover: NASA may be working to save the VIPER lunar prospecting rover mission, which was previously canceled due to lander delays.
• Solar Flare Activity: The sun has unleashed a strong solar flare, an X2.7 magnitude, with the potential for increased auroras on Earth.
• Auroras on Mars: Perseverance rover images reveal the first visible light auroras on Mars from the planet's surface.
• Virgin Galactic Update: Virgin Galactic plans to launch its new Spaceship Delta fleet in early 2026 and resume ticket sales, with prices increases to come.

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.

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This week, it's cool space news you can use (if you're not stuck on the ISS!). We look at the recent flight of Fram 2, the first spacecraft to fly a polar orbit; recent revelations about the flight of Starliner from commander Butch Wilmore; a mysterious Russian satellite behaving strangely; and carnivorous Martian dust devils. We also update you on SpaceX's next test of Starship, SpinLaunch's mighty "space cannon," recent experiments on abating lunar dust, and much more. Join us!

• Fram 2 Mission - SpaceX's private orbital mission financed by cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang completed a four-day flight, making history as the first mission to send astronauts over Earth's poles.
• Amazon's Kuiper Satellites - Amazon launched its first batch of 27 Kuiper internet satellites on an Atlas 5 rocket, beginning its planned 3,200-satellite constellation to compete with SpaceX's Starlink.
• Blue Origin's All-Female Flight Controversy? - Actress Olivia Munn is blasting the all-female crew for Blue Origin's next suborbital flight for its costly, gluttonous mission.
• Tariffs Impact on Space Industry - The hosts discussed how new tariffs could affect aerospace companies that rely on international partnerships and imported components for spacecraft manufacturing.
• US Military Cargo Delivery with SpaceX - The US military's Rocket Cargo Vanguard program plans to test using SpaceX's Starship to deliver 100 tons of cargo anywhere in the world in under 90 minutes.
• Starliner's Harrowing Mission - New details revealed that Boeing's Starliner mission was more dangerous than initially reported, with multiple thruster failures creating serious maneuvering issues, threatening to leave them adrift in space.
• Mysterious Russian Satellites - Three Russian satellites (Cosmos 2581-2583) were observed performing proximity operations and possibly deploying another object in orbit, raising concerns about their purpose.
• Starship Test 9 Preparations - SpaceX is preparing to refly a Starship booster with 29 reused engines, marking progress toward their fully reusable rocket system.
• Japan's Mars Plans - JAXA is planning to send multiple mini rovers to Mars using an inflatable heat shield technology to enable larger payload deliveries, and add a lander to Phobos.
• Cannibal Dust Devils on Mars - The Perseverance rover captured images of two dust devils on Mars merging, with the larger one (210 feet wide) absorbing a smaller one (16 feet wide).
• Lunar Dust Mitigation Technology - NASA successfully tested an electrodynamic dust shield on Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander that could help manage the highly problematic lunar dust on future missions.
• Asteroid 2024 YR4 Update - James Webb Space Telescope observations determined the asteroid is about 200 feet wide with a slightly increased 3.8% chance of hitting the moon in 2032, up from 1.7%.
• SpinLaunch's Satellite Plans - SpinLaunch received $12 million in funding to develop an enhanced system using centrifugal force to launch up to 250 satellites at once, potentially offering a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly launch alternative.

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.

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If you're lucky enough to have witnessed the landing of Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969, you know what a momentous occasion that was. If you're younger than a Boomer, you've read and heard about that amazing day, but it might not have the impact it did for those who witnessed it. Bob Slater, M.D., is out to change that with his campaign to make July 20 a national holiday called "Lunar Landing Day," and we think it's a fine idea--and so do the moonwalkers, Mission Control folks, and lots of others. It'll be good for STEM, good for national pride, and just good all around. Join us to learn more and about how you can help make this great idea a reality!
Headlines

• Next Starship Launch Scheduled: SpaceX aims for its third Starship launch of the year, Flight 9, no earlier than May 27th, 7:30 PM Eastern. This follows previous failures, with hopes for a successful mission.
• SpaceX Flight 9 Gets FAA Approval, with Caveats: The FAA approved Starship Flight 9 after SpaceX's Flight 8 failure assessment. A changed trajectory was requested for safety. The goal is to recreate earlier trajectories for a soft landing in the Indian Ocean and will be the first full reflight of the Super Heavy booster.
• China's Experimental Fuel Dump: Chinese company Landscape launched a methane-fueled rocket that performed an experimental fuel dump at 155 miles, creating a visible ribbon of reflective crystals. Discussion arose on its necessity, accidental nature, or deliberate intent, and its resemblance to 1950s US/Russian plans to nuke the moon as a political statement.
• "Golden Dome" Missile Defense Initiative: The Trump administration announced a $175 billion "Golden Dome" missile defense shield, similar to Israel's Iron Dome, to intercept orbital threats. U.S. Space Force General Michael Gutzlian will oversee the three-year development.
• AI Processing Center in Abu Dhabi: OpenAI plans a new AI processing center in Abu Dhabi, requiring immense power (equivalent to five nuclear plants), raising concerns about AI's resource consumption.
• "Rocket on a Rocket": Blue Origin's NS-32 private space flight will include investor Mark Rocket, CEO of Kai Aerospace and seed investor in Rocket Lab, among its six passengers: a Panamanian businessman, a radiologist and space camp alumni, an entrepreneur and real estate developer, a middle school STEM teacher, and a Canadian entrepreneur and adventurer.
• From the wacky Weekly World News: Are eight U.S. senators actually aliens in disguise? (Just a gag!)

Main Topic - The Landing Day Initiative

• Dr. Robert Slater, M.D., joins the podcast to discuss his Lunar Landing Day Initiative.
• Dr. Slater's Path to Space Passion: Slater's passion for space began at age six, watching the moon landing, an event his parents stressed as historical.
• The Lunar Landing Day Initiative: Inspired by the lack of public recall about July 20, 1969, Slater started the initiative to celebrate the moon landing as a unifying, historic American achievement.
• Lunar Landing Day Initiative Federal Holiday Goal: The ultimate goal is to make July 20th a federal holiday with a paid day off for federal employees, encouraging states and companies to follow.
• Historical Significance: Dr. Slater emphasizes the moon landing's historical context as a Cold War

These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/162

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Dr. Robert Slater