Are We There Yet?

With warmer weather and more free time for some, summer is a time to relax, unwind and to stargaze. Plus, another way to unwind is by reading space books like Star Bound: A Beginner's Guide to the American Space Program, from Goddard's Rockets to Goldilocks Planets and Everything in Between

Astronomers have discovered an object light-years away that’s emitting timely pulses like nothing ever seen before. Plus, the next private space crew is grounded. How are they dealing with the delay?

From our cells to our universe, everything comes to an end.

A budget proposal from the White House would cut about a quarter of NASA’s budget and cut key science missions if approved by Congress. Plus, President Trump withdrew his nomination of Jared Isaacman for NASA administrator and SpaceX once again launched its massive Starship rocket.

Varda Space is sending "huggable" capsules into low-Earth orbit for autonomous research and just recently, it returned its third successful mission. Plus, often nicknamed Earth’s twin, Venus didn’t evolve like Earth at all.

Lockheed Martin delivered the Orion spacecraft for NASA’s Artemis II mission. Now, the agency is preparing the vehicle for the more than ten-day flyby of our moon—with a crew of four. Plus, Voyager's thrusters are back online after over two decades.

From the inaugural launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket to plans for SpaceX’s Starship to lift once off again, it’s been a busy year for commercial space. Plus, one engineer is making a sweat shield to protect spacecraft when re-entering Earth’s atmosphere.

The Orlando Museum of Art and the Central Florida Astronomical Society are hoping to inspire people to see the connection between art and space. Plus, we take a look at how the space economy is fairing under the new presidential administration and its policy changes.

In our own galaxy, a planet’s orbit slowly got closer and closer to a star, resulting in the star gobbling up its own planet. Plus, one veteran astronaut is using his inspiration from his space career to inspire others to reach for the stars.

One of the rovers on Mars made a big discovery on the red planet: the largest organic carbon molecules to date. This discovery could lead scientists closer to answering the age-old question: could there have been life on Mars? Plus, just like pirates roam the seas, the idea of pirates or criminals in space could be more of a reality than science fiction.

In an interview with Ars Technica’s Eric Berger, Starliner’s commander Butch Wilmore revealed that the spacecraft’s thruster issues led to one of the most harrowing journeys in his aerospace career. Plus, while we send robots to the moon, the success of a mission begins in the control room.

The “Are We There Yet?” team hosted a live panel discussion featuring experts on telescopes at the Daytona Beach Museum of Arts and Sciences. For centuries, telescopes have played a crucial role in science and exploration.The way telescopes work is simple: They magnify distant objects by collecting and focusing light. But through this simplicity, they can illuminate the complexities of the cosmos.

Lunar Trailblazer, a mission to explore water on the lunar surface, is having some issues along its mission. Plus, the book “Alcohol in Space” and documentary explores the idea that alcohol should be more available so people can relax and have an important part of Earth’s culture while away from our home planet.

Exercise while in space is vital for the human body, but scientists are studying how important cardio workouts are for long duration missions. Plus, engineers and scientists have worked to keep Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 going for almost 50 years by turning off some of the systems.

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft broke apart during a test flight. The debris from the rapid unplanned disassembly prompted the ground stoppage of many airline flights from Florida, highlighting the relationship between air traffic and space traffic. Plus, NASA is closing several of its offices in an attempt to reduce its forces—a reaction from new policy changes under the Trump administration.

NASA and other international partners are tracking an asteroid the size of a football field as it approaches Earth. Plus, one company sent a data center to the moon to preserve Earth's data and help advance the lunar economy.

The podcast “The Other Moonshot” explores the stories of three Black engineers and their contributions to the Apollo program. Plus, a look ahead at three missions that are launching this year that will help us understand and study our universe like never before.

Boeing is a contractor for NASA’s SLS rocket that will take astronauts on the moon, but Boeing recently announced plans to lay off over 400 employees from its SLS team. Plus, one professor’s experiment went for a spin on Blue Origin’s recent launch of New Sheppard that mimicked lunar gravity.

Researchers have uncovered evidence that Pluto may have found one of its moons through what they call the “kiss and capture method.” Plus, a centaur named Chiron has characteristics of both a comet and an asteroid; making scientist wonder what else makes this celestial body unique.

After almost three decades of science, research and exploration, the International Space Station is set to retire by the end of 2030. Once the station is decommissioned, commercial companies like Axiom Space will establish new orbiting platforms.

The new Trump administration has ended DEI programs for all federal organizations–how will this affect NASA? Plus, a look at the efforts to bring Mars rocks back to Earth.

Exoplanets, or planets orbiting another star, were originally confirmed in 1992. New telescopes and technological advancements have aided in the discovery of thousands of exoplanets. Now, astronomers wonder if worlds like our own could exist.

This year could be transformative for the space economy with new rockets, AI technology and upcoming missions to the moon. Plus, NASA and NOAA scientists found that 2024 was the hottest year on record since the 1850’s.

The Parker Solar Probe is the first man-made spacecraft to get closer to our sun than ever before. Plus, Firefly aerospace is launching its Blue Ghost Lunar Lander to deliver payloads to the moon.

The book, Star bound, A Beginner's Guide to the American Space Program, from Goddard's Rockets to Goldilocks Planets and Everything in Between (Outward Odyssey: A People's History of Spaceflight) explains America’s space history while highlighting the nation’s social and cultural contexts in space. Plus, a glimpse into the major space news from this past year.

How an astronaut celebrated holidays at the International Space Station with festive foods, decorations and traditions.

SpaceKids Global’s founder Sharon Hagle launched into space for the second time and eight kids from the organization’s Press Squad contest watched her journey while getting experience as space journalists. Intuitive Machines unveiled its new lunar rover after being selected by NASA to create the vehicle for Artemis astronauts to use on the moon.

December skies will bring stargazer delights. Plus, a look at the growing tension between the U.S. and Chinese space programs.

One astronaut helped build a bridge between space and birds. New UAP hearings are leading to public conversations.

Exoplanets are planets that exist outside our solar system. As a relatively new field of study, there’s much to learn about these newly discovered worlds.

Space policy in Florida and the potential for private companies on Mars, plus the ISS begins to show its age.

During the last Trump administration there were big moves in space exploration like pushing for human landings on the moon and launching astronauts on commercial rockets, plus a look at some of JWST’s incredible images of stars exploding and galaxies deep in our universe.

Europa Clipper may open doors on the grander questions on life beyond Earth. Plus, Mars scientists found that Mars might not be so different than Earth as research suggests life could exist in signs of water on the red planet.

UCF physicist and co-host of the podcast “Walkabout the Galaxy”, shares spooky cosmic occurrences. Stephen Eikenberry, UCF professor of applied optics and professor of physics, explains the humanlike pulses from the darkest vacuums in our universe.

A journalist takes us through the significance of Starship’s test flight and Hubble’s senior project scientist shares new observations of cosmic phenomena.

A director at the ISS Laboratory shares unique research experiments to benefit life on Earth and exploration beyond and a chief of planetary policy addresses the need for executable plans and public support following Europa Clipper’s launch.

Earth has an asteroid, or mini moon, orbiting the planet for the next several weeks. Plus, a look at how forecasters use weather satellites to track storms.

One journalist takes us through the trajectory of SpaceX and its possible future and a University of Florida scientist takes a journey to space to better understand how humans thrive in space.

NASA is making plans for the future of space exploration with space enthusiasts and companies around the world preparing for the future retirement of the International Space Station and a look into women’s health in space.

Blue Origin commercial astronaut and founder of the nonprofit organization SpaceKids Global, Sharon Hagle, is going back to space, this time, with an audience of young people audience. Eight lucky winners from SpaceKids Global’s contest will be able to watch Hagle launch into space and be a part of a Press Squad: interviewing members of Blue Origin’s team.

Scientists will study the crew of SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission analyzing how the human body reacts to the environment of space and Mars has water hidden under its surface.

University of Florida researchers are brewing beer in microgravity and one author believes that humanity needs to focus on the needs of our own planet before focusing on space exploration.

NASA is weighing its options when it comes to returning two astronauts on Boeing's Starliner space craft. Plus, we'll hear about robotic bees on the International Space Station.

Veteran NASA astronaut, Winston Scott, answered questions from kids about his experiences while on the International Space Station and one researcher is studying flames in space for wildfire research.

One scientist is conducting the first research tended suborbital flight on board Blue Origin’s New Shepard capsule. Plus, could there be evidence of life on two icy moons in our solar system?

Researchers are trying to make a spacesuit that can recycle urine into clean drinking water for astronauts and curiosity accidentally discovered pure sulfur on Mars.

A new James Webb Space Telescope image of two galaxies in a cosmic dance was released for the telescope’s two-year anniversary of science operations. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket malfunction resulted in satellites burning up in Earth’s atmosphere, and the rocket grounded.

From the OSIRIS-REx mission, phosphate was found in a sample from the asteroid Bennu, a necessary building block for life to exist here on Earth. Then, as NASA grapples with aging space suits on the International Space Station, efforts to build the next generation of space suits hit a major snag.

The fourth and final satellite of the GOES-R weather satellite constellation is one step closer to tracking weather from space like never before. Plus, after a year of lost communication, Voyager 1 is back online after engineers delivered a fix 15 million miles away from Earth.