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Universe Today Podcast
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Episodes
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 571: Starship Takes Shape. Are We Months Away From A Fully Reusable Rocket System?
On Saturday, September 28th, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stood in front of an audience in Boca Chica, Texas, and presented the fully assembled SpaceX Starship, 50…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 572: Open Space 47: Quantum Mechanics With Caltech's Sean Carroll
My guest this week was Professor Sean Carroll from Caltech. Sean's a theoretical physicist, author of many books, and podcaster. His newest book, "Something…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 569: Open Space 46: Dr. Robert Zubrin and the "Case for Space"
One of my most requested guests is Dr. Robert Zubrin, engineer and founder of the Mars Society. It was Dr. Zubrin's "Case for Mars" that helped inspire me to…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 568: Q&A 101: How Do We Know Meteorites Came From Mars? And More... Featuring Dr. Nick Cowan from McGill
In this week's questions show, I explain how scientists know that meteorites came from Mars, is it dangerous to look for alien civilizations, what citizen…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 567: Open Space 45: Exomoons and the Terrascope with Professor David Kipping
This week I was joined in a livestream with Dr. David Kipping from Columbia University. We had a great interview about his research into exomoons, what new…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 566: Better Than Earth? Are There Superhabitable Worlds In The Milky Way?
I’ve said many times in the past that the Earth is the best planet in the Universe. No matter where we go, we’ll never find a planet that’s a better home to…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 565: Q&A 100: When Will Earth Be Uninhabitable? And More, Featuring Anton Petrov
In this week's questions show, I explain that life on Earth has less time than you think, if there could be multiple supermassive black holes inside the Milky…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 564: Interview with Fraser on the Big Beard Theory
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Universe Today PodcastEpisode 562: Open Space 44: Astrophotography With Dylan O'Donnell
This week I was joined by Dylan O'Donnell, an incredible astrophotographer and amateur astronomer from Australia. Dylan's photography has been featured in…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 563: Want To Explore Mars? Send Humans To The Moons Of Mars First: Phobos And Deimos
Humans to Mars. That’s the plan right? The problem is that sending humans down to the surface of Mars is one of the most complicated and ambitious goals that…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 561: Water Vapor Seen In the Atmosphere Of An Exoplanet. It Might Even Be Rain
We’re learning more and more about extrasolar planets, and for the first time, astronomers have discovered water vapor in the atmosphere of a planet orbiting…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 560: Q&A 99: Could We Find Life On Venus? And More, Featuring SciManDan
In this week's questions show, I talk about searching for life on Venus, trying to get to orbit with a jet, and why NASA probably shouldn't hire me. This…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 559: Open Space 43: Welcome to Season 2. Mixing Concrete in Space, And More...
Welcome back to Season 2 of my weekly live QA. Your chance to ask me your questions about space and astronomy... live. Sometimes I'll have guests, and…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 558: A Tour Of The Lagrange Points. Part 3 - Trojans and Space Colonies at L4/L5
We’ve reached the third part of our series on Lagrange Points, those stable spots in the Solar System, where you can sort of hover with the minimum amount of…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 557: Q&A 98: What's The Best Use For The Moon? And More...
In this week's questions show, I explain what I think the best uses of the Moon might be, why I'm qualified to answer questions about space, and if you could…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 556: A Tour Of The Lagrange Points. Part 2 - Space Telescopes At L2 And Nothing At L3
Lagrange Points. Stable spots in space that you just can’t stop thinking about. What spacecraft work best in which places? What are some amazing ideas that…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 554: Q&A 97: By Request, Here's Our Dog. And Then Some Actual Questions...
In this week's questions show, I introduce Ona, by request. I explain why I don't think going to space is going to fix the big challenges that humanity faces…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 555: A Tour Of The Lagrange Points. Part 1 - Past And Future Missions To L1
Thanks to gravity, there are places across the Solar System which are nicely balanced. They’re called Lagrange Points and they give us the perfect vantage…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 553: Bringing Mars To Earth. The Plans For a Mars Sample Return Mission
One of the great accomplishments of the Apollo missions was to bring home hundreds of kilograms of lunar rock. Suddenly, geologists had a lifetime’s worth of…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 552: A Spacecraft Is Going To Build Its Own Solar Panels In Space: Archinaut One
As I’ve mentioned in several episodes now, humanity is in a bit of a transition period, a time when it makes sense to launch material up and out of Earth’s…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 551: Q&A 96: Why Are Astronomers Finding Such Bizarre Exoplanets? And More...
In this week's questions show, I explain why all the planets astronomers have found are so bizarre. Couldn't we use laser highways to go faster? Is the lunar…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 550: Exploring The Icy Moons of Jupiter. NASA's Europa Clipper and ESA's JUICE
Mars is the place that most of our spacecraft, landers and rovers are studying, searching for any evidence that life ever existed somewhere else in the Solar…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 549: Why Build Big Rockets At All? It’s Time For Orbital Refueling
On Tuesday, July 30th, NASA announced 19 different partnerships with 13 different companies to use their expertise to help them develop space technologies…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 548: Q&A 95: Is Techno-Optimism Blinding Us To The Challenges of Space Exploration? And More...
In this week's questions show, I answer if techno optimism is blinding us to the challenges of spaceflight, why there aren't spacecraft at all the planets…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 547: Spacecraft Gyroscopes And Reaction Wheels. You Can Never Have Enough
It’s amazing to think there are telescopes up in space, right now, directing their gaze at distant objects for hours, days and even weeks. Providing a point of…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 546: One Year, Almost 1,000 Planetary Candidates. An Update On TESS
NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Telescope launched back in April, 2018. After a few months of testing, it was ready to begin mapping the southern sky…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 544: Q&A 94: Can Solar Sails Explore The Outer Solar System? And More...
In this week's questions show, I answer a question about solar sails, what geologists might learn from lunar rocks, if Earth could survive inside Jupiter…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 543: What Are Light Echoes? Using Reflections Of Light To See Even Further Back In Time
When we look outward into space, we’re looking backwards in time. That’s because light moves, at the speed of light. It takes time for the light to reach…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 542: How Habitable Is Titan? NASA Is Sending The Titan Dragonfly Helicopter To Find Out
There are few places in the Solar System which are as fascinating as Saturn’s moon Titan. It’s a world with a thicker atmosphere than Earth. Where it’s so cold…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 545: Q&A 93: When Will The Space Junk Return To Earth? And More...
In this week's questions show, I explain how long it'll take for space junk to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere, would it be possible to put advertising in…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 541: Why Is The Moon’s South Pole So Important? It’s All About Water
As NASA prepares to return to the Moon by 2024 as part of its Artemis program, the agency is focusing its efforts on exploring the Moon’s polar regions. These…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 540: Planetary Society Deploys LightSail 2’s Solar Sail. What Does The Future Hold For Solar Sails?
Where you can travel in space depends on how much propellant you’ve got on board your rocket and how efficiently you can use it. But there’s a source of free…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 539: Q&A 92: Can We Accelerate At 1G Like In The Expanse? Featuring Sophia Gad-Nasr
In this week's QA, I tackle constant acceleration. Do we have anything that can accelerate at 1G for long periods of time? Why are there different sized stars?…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 537: Catching The Next Interstellar Asteroid Or Comet. ESA's Comet Interceptor Mission
On October 19th, 2017 astronomers detected the first interstellar asteroid (or maybe comet) passing through the Solar System: Oumuamua. It had a brief…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 538: Searching For The Red Edge. How The Earth's Forests Are Telling The Aliens Where We Live
People are always worried that alien civilizations will detect the transmissions from our old radio shows and television broadcasts, and send in the invasion…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 536: Q&A 91: Are Space Telescopes A Waste Of Money? And More...
In this week's QA, I answer why space telescopes aren't a waste of taxpayer resources, if ground-based space telescopes will become obsolete, and whether it…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 535: Fermi Paradox: Where are they? A Debate with John Michael Godier Moderated by Skylias
This past weekend Skylias moderated a debated between John Michael Godier and Fraser Cain over their Fermi paradox theories. If there are aliens where are…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 534: Q&A 90: How Do We Know What The Milky Way Looks Like? And More...
In this week's questions show, I explain how astronomers know what the Milky Way looks like, what would happen in a catastrophic impact on the International…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 533: Earth To Mars In 100 Days? The Power Of Nuclear Rockets
The Solar System is a really big place, and it takes forever to travel from world to world with traditional chemical rockets. But one technique, developed back…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 532: Q&A 89: Why Didn't NASA Build More Hubbles? And More...
In this week's questions show, I explain why NASA decided to build James Webb and not more Hubble Space Telescopes, what would happen if you opened up a jar in…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 530: 386: Planetary Protection: What If We Destroy Life Before We Even Find It?
Explorers have always brought stowaways with them on board. Thanks to our travels around the world, hardy creatures like rats, goats, pigs and starlings and…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 531: Open Space 41: Seeing Jupiter At Opposition, And More...
In this week's penultimate episode of Open Space before our summer hiatus, I give tips and tricks on seeing Jupiter, what's a good starting telescope, updates…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 529: Open Space 40: To The Moon By 2024? And More...
In this week's live QA episode, I tackled questions about the reality of returning astronauts to the Moon by 2024, the loss of dark skies, will we ever be able…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 528: Q&A 88: How Could We Cool Down Venus? And More...
Here's my interview on Space Junk about the Fermi Paradox:https://anchor.fm/spacejunk/episodes/The-Fermi-Paradox-and-The-Great-Filter-w-Fraser-Cain-e44uff00:29…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 527: Just How Tough Is Earth Life? Tough Enough To Go Space And Still Thrive
Audio Podcast version:ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2RSS…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 526: Q&A 87: Why Is Starlink So Bright? Is It Right For Starlink To Provide Internet? And More...
00:28 Why is Starlink so bright? 02:52 Should Starlink provide internet access?07:02 How do chemical thrusters work in a vacuum?07:50 Sgr A* is pretty…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 525: SpaceX Just Launched the First 60 Satellites for Starlink. What About Space Junk?
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Universe Today PodcastEpisode 523: Interview with Fraser on the SNaQ Podcast
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Universe Today PodcastEpisode 521: Open Space 39: Dennis E. Taylor, author of the Bobiverse Trilogy
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Universe Today PodcastEpisode 522: 382: Project Artemis: NASA's Plans To Return To The Moon By 2024
Audio Podcast version:ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2RSS…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 520: Q&A 86 : Could We Move Atmosphere from Venus to Mars? And More... Featuring Dylan O'Donnell
Subscribe to Dylan's Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgOf4wBnoGg8WHHHr_h4otQ00:27 Reusable platform for space exploration?03:20 Move atmosphere from…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 518: 16 Years of Hubble Data In One Incredible Picture. The Hubble Legacy Field
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Universe Today PodcastEpisode 519: Open Space 38: Thoughts On Blue Origin/Blue Moon and More...
01:00 Gravity Wells are for Suckers poster01:36 What's coming out soon?03:15 Why are people worried about overpopulation?04:41 Favorite spot on Vancouver…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 517: QA 85: Am I Optimistic About Humanity? And More...
00:18 Am I optimistic about humanity?01:59 Is the expansion happening everywhere?04:03 How do they keep dust off big telescopes?05:02 What if Olympus Mons…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 516: Open Space 37: Can The Sun Release A Killer Flare? And More...
01:11 Is our Sun capable of releasing a super flare?04:10 How much for a decent starting telescope?05:20 Is terraforming Mars pointless?07:08 Will alien life…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 515: Build Enormous Structures In Space With 3D Printing
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Universe Today PodcastEpisode 514: Q&A 84: Is It Cheaper To Build Stuff In Space? And More...
00:18 Is it cheaper to build things in space?02:24 Is space rolling downhill?05:13 What would a citykiller look like?07:33 Farts in space?08:54 Space-based…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 513: 379: LIGO/Virgo Upgraded. A Black Hole Merger Every Week?
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Universe Today PodcastEpisode 512: Open Space 36: Live QA with Meteorite Man Geoff Notkin
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