In the olden days, NASA developed its missions using a variety of in-house engineers and external suppliers. As more commercial companies are targeting the Moon, NASA is working with partners to deliver its payloads to the lunar surface.
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Universe Today
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CosmoQuest
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17 seasons and more than 700 episodes await.
Ep. 709: Space Weapons
Last week we learned that Russia might be planning nuclear weapons to take out satellites in space. What is the current and future possibility of weapons in space and what are the treaties designed to prevent them?
Ep. 708: What Goes Into Sample Return Missions from Asteroids and Comets?
Last week we talked about sample return missions from the Moon and Mars, but scientists have retrieved samples from other objects in the Solar System, including comets and asteroids. What does it take to return a piece of rock from space, and what have we learned so far?
Ep. 707: What Goes Into Sample Return Missions for the Moon and Mars?
We’ve sent robots to other worlds, but the amount of science we can deploy to another planet can’t compare with the vast science labs we have on Earth. That’s why more and more missions are for a sample return, bringing pieces of alien worlds back to Earth, were we study them with proper equipment.
Recent Episodes
Ep. 679: High(per) Velocity Stars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f00HT9dMJ7Y Most stars in the Milky Way are trapped in here with us, doomed to orbit around and around and around. But a few have found a way out, an escape into the freedom of intergalactic space. How do stars reach escape velocity,...
Ep. 678: World Building: Planet Formation, Growth, & Ejection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJQ3BnCYiR4 Okay sci-fi writers, today we’re going to give you a guided tour of building planets. How they form, how they grow, and how things can go horribly horribly wrong. Download MP3 | Show Notes | Transcript Show Notes Coming soon...
Ep. 677: The Answer is Always Dust
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5-RoU59l38 Whenever astronomers discover something surprising, the answer often turns out to be dust. Dust obscuring our view, dust changing the polarity, dust warming things up, dust cooling things down. It’s always dust. Until it...
Ep. 676: Other Things with Rings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPD5FsmQBMA We’ve spent a lot of time gushing about Saturn’s rings, but there are other places with ring systems. And not just Jupiter and the ice giants, but asteroids, dwarf planets, centaurs and even exoplanets. Today we’ll gush...
Ep. 675: Exotic Forms of Ice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvmLdFINnFY Ice is ice, right? You know, what you get when water freezes. Well, maybe here on Earth. But across the Universe, water can be squeezed together at different temperatures and pressures, leading to very different structures....
Ep. 674: Asteroid Early Warning Systems
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u643Sh0tTB4 The asteroid apocalypse is one of those existential crises that keep astronomers up at night. But the DART mission showed us that we can push an asteroid off its trajectory if we have enough warning. Today we’ll talk about...
Ep. 673: How to See Satellites (or Avoid Seeing Them)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyL-XxZy_G8 If you’re in dark skies and look up, you’re certain to see a satellite. Lots of them. But how can you know which one you’re seeing, and how can you improve your chances of a sighting? Today we’ll talk about how to see...
Ep. 672: Space Debris Removal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7RxmX5eDY4 We’ve talked about the rising problem of space junk. Okay, we know it’s an issue. So what can be done about it? Today we’ll talk about ideas to remove space junk, making sure space is open to use for the centuries to come....
Ep. 671: The Consequences to Breaking Space Laws
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wni5--mzw2Q Last week we talked about the laws that govern space exploration. This week the rubber hits the road. What are the consequences for actually breaking these rules? Are they really going to stop anyone? Download MP3 | Show...
Ep. 670: Governing Space – The Outer Space Treaty of 1967
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZOYKDGglo8 The Universe was inaccessible for most of human history, but the first tentative steps to space in the 20th century made humanity realize that science fiction was becoming science reality. New rules would have to be written...
Ep. 669: Challenges to Dark Energy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_1L_P24gT4 It’s been over 20 years since astronomers first discovered that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating thanks to dark energy. And in these decades, astronomers still don’t have much evidence for what could be causing...
Ep. 668: The Crisis in Cosmology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n6HKpWaEEE Astronomers have made extremely accurate measurements of the expansion rate of the Universe and come up with different results. And the error bars for the observations don’t overlap, so there’s something strange going on....
Ep. 667: JWST First Science Results
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbMBAivcnes Astronomers came together in January to present their newest research, and not surprisingly, the Winter AAS meeting was heavy on news from JWST. What were some of the new results that were announced? Download MP3 | Show...
Ep. 666: Solar System References to the Underworld
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QwZoy58ZR8 Well, we did it. We made it to episode 666, an auspicious number to be sure. What can we do to celebrate this accomplishment? An episode all about things in the Universe that have been named after mythological people and...
Ep. 665: The Age of Reionization
https://youtu.be/ceUI7wR76gE The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation tells us so much about the Universe. After that era, the Universe went dark. Then, as gas pulled together into the first stars and eventually galaxies, light returned, beginning the Age of...
Ep. 664: The First Stars
https://youtu.be/zK4Palgj6zI The Sun is a third-generation star, polluted with the metals from long-dead stars. Astronomers have also discovered second-generation stars, with very low metallicity. But theories suggest there must be a first generation, with stars made...
Ep. 663: End of Year Observing Events
https://youtu.be/ImwJ1FblRhU We generally save our stargazing suggestions for the summer, when it’s warmer in the northern hemisphere. But you’re tough, you can handle a little cold. And it’s worth it because there are some wonderful things you can see in the night...
Ep. 662: Looking Ahead at New and Recycled Missions
https://youtu.be/shKSE47JmjY Last week we talked about the missions we’re saying goodbye to. This week, we’re going to talk about some upcoming missions to say hello to. Some are brand new ideas, others are, uh, recycled. Download MP3 | Show Notes | Transcript Show...
Ep. 661: Looking Back on the Missions That Ended
https://youtu.be/TicUn1-ak3Y It’s always sad to say goodbye, but when we send our robotic emissaries out into the cosmos, it’s just a matter of time before they shut down. Today we’re going to say goodbye to a few missions which have reached the end of their lives....
Ep. 660: Runaway! Runaway! Escaping Stars, Planets & Small Bodies
https://youtu.be/_jE0X9eb-54 Moons orbit planets, planets orbit stars, stars orbit within galaxies. It’s orbits all the way down. But occasionally objects can receive a powerful kick that sends them off on a journey, never to return. PART II PART III Download MP3 |...