Stories From Space

Host | Matthew S Williams For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast ______________________ SpaceX founder Elon Musk recently announced that his company, founded on the idea of creating the first city on Mars, was focusing on the Moon instead. This announcement has left many wondering why he has made such a massive pivot. There are also questions as to why he's chosen to do this now. SpaceX, Mars, Moon, NASA, Musk, Bezos, Blue Origin, Artemis, xAI, Starlink, Starship, HLS, astronauts, space, Blue Moon, New Glenn, lunar lander, lunar surface, Moon base ______________________ Resources Fraser Cain - Soundbiteshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqCx81ky8Ts ______________________ For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host | Matthew S Williams For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast ______________________Episode Notes Asteroid Mining: The Promise, the Problems, and the Philosophy Asteroid mining is one of those ideas that cycles in and out of public fascination — generating enormous excitement, then fading when people realize it won't happen within the next news cycle. But the concept never truly disappears, and for good reason. Near-Earth asteroids, numbering in the millions, contain staggering quantities of precious metals, rare earth elements, and water ice. Ironically, those same materials — iron, gold, platinum, nickel, and dozens of others — were originally delivered to Earth by asteroids during the Late Heavy Bombardment period some four billion years ago. We're essentially talking about going back to the source. The three main asteroid types — carbonaceous (C-type), silicate (S-type), and metallic (M-type) — each offer distinct resources. Beyond metals, the abundance of water ice in the solar system could relieve pressure on Earth's increasingly stressed freshwater supply and fuel deep-space missions. Philosophically, the implications are profound. Thomas More and Nietzsche both wrestled with why scarcity drives human value systems. Flood the market with space-borne metals and the entire economic architecture built on scarcity begins to crumble. Orwell saw it too — abundance erodes hierarchy. The first trillionaires born from asteroid mining might find their wealth meaningless almost immediately after making it. But the darker scenarios deserve equal attention. Redistributing consumption off-world doesn't eliminate it. Space debris, environmental degradation beyond Earth, and the very real risk of exploitative labor structures in off-world operations — echoes of colonialism and indentured servitude — are not science fiction. They're logical extensions of human patterns. The enthusiasm may ebb and flow, but asteroid mining remains an inevitable chapter in humanity's story. The real question is what kind of story we choose to write around it. ______________________ Resources ______________________ For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host | Matthew S WilliamsOn ITSPmagazine 👉 https://itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/matthew-s-williams______________________This Episode’s SponsorsAre you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/sponsor-the-itspmagazine-podcast-network______________________Episode NotesInterstellar Objects (ISO) are back in the news, thanks to the arrival of 3I/ATLAS in our Solar System. But what do we actually know about this object? All indications are that it is a comet that poses no threat to Earth. Like it's predecessors, including the mysterious 'Oumuamua, it represents the dawn of a new era in astronomy.______________________ResourcesNASA - View Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Through NASA’s Multiple Lenses: https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/view-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-through-nasas-multiple-lenses/______________________For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host | Matthew S WilliamsOn ITSPmagazine 👉 https://itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/matthew-s-williams______________________This Episode’s SponsorsAre you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/sponsor-the-itspmagazine-podcast-network______________________Episode NotesFor decades, scientists believed they had a pretty good idea of how the Universe worked. But with the deployment of Webb, a number of discoveries have emerged that are challenging this assumption. As new discoveries challenge old assumptions, scientists are beginning to wonder. Is the Standard Model of Cosmology wrong, or does it just need some adjustments?______________________ResourcesCosmology - Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics: https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/research/science-field/cosmology______________________For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Guest | Les Johnson, Chief Technologist NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (retired) [@NASA_Marshall]On Twitter | https://x.com/LesAuthorOn LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesjohnson1/On Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/les.johnson2On YouTube | http://www.youtube.com/@interstellarresearchgroupWebsite | https://www.lesjohnsonauthor.com/Host | Matthew S WilliamsOn ITSPmagazine 👉 https://itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/matthew-s-williams______________________This Episode’s SponsorsAre you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/sponsor-the-itspmagazine-podcast-network______________________Episode NotesLes Johnson has spent his life working with NASA to realize advanced propulsion concepts that could one day enable interstellar voyages. In a new volume, the Interstellar Travel Monograph, he and a select group of experts explore all of the challenges such a voyage would present, before, during, and upon arrival.______________________ResourcesInterstellar Travel Monograph: https://shop.elsevier.com/books/interstellar-travel/johnson/978-0-323-91637-0______________________For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host | Matthew S WilliamsOn ITSPmagazine 👉 https://itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/matthew-s-williams______________________This Episode’s SponsorsAre you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/sponsor-the-itspmagazine-podcast-network______________________Episode NotesThe decision to name the Next Generation Space Telescope after former administrator James E. Webb has led to significant controversy and demands that it be renamed. This issue has shone a light on a dark period in the history of the U.S. and NASA and has raised questions about the agency's naming conventions.______________________ResourcesThe Lavender Scare - National Archives: https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2016/summer/lavender.html#:~:text=Beginning%20in%20the%20late%201940s,the%20power%20of%20congressional%20investigation.Why NASA should have a do-over on the name of JWST - Jason Wright: https://sites.psu.edu/astrowright/2022/10/25/why-nasa-should-have-a-do-over-on-the-name-of-jwst/______________________For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sixty years ago, famed physicist Freeman Dyson theorized that advanced civilizations, in their ongoing quest to find more living space and energy, would convert their solar system into a megastructure enclosing their star. This gave rise to the concept of megastructures, many of which have been theorized over the years. These hypothetical structures are one of many technosignatures SETI researchers are on the lookout for as they probe the stars for signs of intelligent life. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Neil Blevins' artwork: http://neilblevins.com/Centauri Dreams (Paul Glister): https://www.centauri-dreams.org/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), scientists need to consider what technologies they should look for, including those used by a more advanced species. This has spawned the idea of Megastructures, which was first proposed in the 1960s by theoretical physicist and mathematician Freeman Dyson (who proposed the Dyson Sphere). Since then, many variations and other possible Megastructures have been proposed, all of which are fascinating and fun to think about! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Shawna Pandya is an aeromedical transport physician, a neurosurgery and emergency medic, leader of the an aquanaut with NASA's NEEMO analog missions, director of the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences' (IIAS) Space Medicine Group, and will be Canada's first female commercial astronaut. She's also a black belt martial artist in Taekwon-Do, an analog astronaut, and an explorer. During our interview, we discussed the path that brought her to medicine, space, and what the future holds for humans living and working offworld. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A few months ago, I had the honor of appearing on AADYA Geo Talks, the podcast series launched by Bharti Sharma and the organization she founded – AADYA, whose name means “origin” in Hindi. As a geologist and world-traveller, Sharma launched this organization to promote knowledge about planetary and geoscience and create opportunities for collaborative research to address critical global challenges. During the interview, we talked about how I got into science journalism, my podcast series, and my science fiction writing. The interview lasted for more than an hour because she asked great questions about a range of wonderful topics! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A few months ago, I had the honor of appearing on AADYA Geo Talks, the podcast series launched by Bharti Sharma and the organization she founded – AADYA, whose name means “origin” in Hindi. As a geologist and world-traveller, Sharma launched this organization to promote knowledge about planetary and geoscience and create opportunities for collaborative research to address critical global challenges. During the interview, we talked about how I got into science journalism, my podcast series, and my science fiction writing. The interview lasted for more than an hour because she asked great questions about a range of wonderful topics! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The White House recently released its budget for FY 2026, which has led to significant concerns at NASA as it recommends significant cuts to international programs, education, and research. In addition, many of these cuts call for the cancellation of key elements of NASA's Artemis Program and its plans for sending crewed missions to Mars. This includes the Space Launch System (SLS), the Orion spacecraft, and the Lunar Gateway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Kerbal Space Program is currently used as an educational tool to teach about spacecraft and mission design. But as Dr. Schmitt tells us, it should be used as a method for designing whole mission architectures. For years, Schmitt has relied on KSP and its realism mods to design and simulate missions, including those that will take astronauts back to the Moon! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In Earth's orbit, there are millions of debris objects that pose a collision risk for satellites and space stations. If left unchecked, the situation could lead to a cascading effect known as Kessler Syndrome. While space agencies worldwide track and monitor objects in orbit to prevent collisions, strategies for active debris removal are needed and many are being researched. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Guest | Dr. Moriba Jah, Professor, The University of Texas at Austin [@UTAustin]On Twitter | https://x.com/moribajahOn LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahniverse/On Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/moribajahWebsite | https://www.moriba.com/Host | Matthew S WilliamsOn ITSPmagazine 👉 https://itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/matthew-s-williams______________________This Episode’s SponsorsAre you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/sponsor-the-itspmagazine-podcast-network______________________Episode NotesMoriba Jah is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin. He's also a major advocate for the "stewardship" of Earth and space. Through his world traveling and extensive experience with NASA, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and academia, he has earned a wide following as a champion for the sustainable use of space.______________________Resources______________________For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host | Matthew S WilliamsOn ITSPmagazine 👉 https://itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/matthew-s-williams______________________This Episode’s SponsorsAre you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/sponsor-the-itspmagazine-podcast-network______________________Episode NotesThe James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the most complex and powerful space observatory ever deployed. What it has discovered since it commenced operations has been nothing short of groundbreaking! However, many of these discoveries were unexpected and confounded astronomers. But this is the purpose of Webb, which is designed to investigate the biggest questions we have about the nature of the Universe.______________________ResourcesWebb Space Telescope - Home: https://webbtelescope.org/home______________________For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Guest | Keith Cowing, Creator / Editor, NASA Watch and Astrobiology.comOn Twitter | https://x.com/keithcowingOn LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-cowing-9b94076/On Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/keith.cowingHost | Matthew S WilliamsOn ITSPmagazine 👉 https://itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/matthew-s-williams______________________This Episode’s SponsorsAre you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/sponsor-the-itspmagazine-podcast-network______________________Episode NotesKeith Cowing has been one of NASA's most vocal critics for decades. Together, we discussed what the future may hold for NASA and its ambitious exploration programs. In the end, hope and fear are the only way to describe the mood at NASA as it faces an uncertain future.______________________ResourcesNASA Watch: https://nasawatch.com/Astrobiology.com: https://astrobiology.com/______________________For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Guest | Keith Cowing, Editor, NASA WatchOn Twitter | https://x.com/keithcowingOn LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-cowing-9b94076/On Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/keith.cowingHost | Matthew S WilliamsOn ITSPmagazine 👉 https://itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/matthew-s-williams______________________This Episode’s SponsorsAre you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/sponsor-the-itspmagazine-podcast-network______________________Episode NotesKeith Cowing, a former NASA scientist and the creator of NASAWatch, has been a part of the space sector for decades. He's also one of NASA's most vocal critics. We sat down to discuss the current state of affairs at NASA, which has become chaotic thanks to the shakeup caused by the current U.S. administration______________________ResourcesNASA Watch: https://nasawatch.com/Astrobiology.com: https://astrobiology.com/______________________For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Guest | Dr. Will Grundy, Astronomer, Lowell ObservatoryHost | Matthew S WilliamsOn ITSPmagazine 👉 https://itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/matthew-s-williams______________________This Episode’s SponsorsAre you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/sponsor-the-itspmagazine-podcast-network______________________Episode NotesDr. Will Grundy, an astronomer and planetary scientist with the Lowell Observatory and a member of the New Horizons team, has been studying Pluto his entire professional life. Together, we sat down to discuss matters of planetary science, the Great Planet Debate, and the importance of icy bodies in the outer Solar System.______________________ResourcesLowell Observatory: https://lowell.edu/I Heart Pluto Festival 2025: https://iheartpluto.org/______________________For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.