WeMartians Podcast

Five years ago, WeMartians debuted its first episode. We've learned a lot since then, both in how the space world works, and how podcasts work, too! Space reporters and friends of the show Brendan Byrne and Emilee Speck join Jake to have a bit of a humorous look back at the first podcast and how far everything has come.We talk Five Years of the WeMartians PodcastThe First WeMartians Podcast, January 20th, 2016Follow Brendan and EmileeEmilee Speck's Twitter (@EMSpeck)ClickOrlando.com (Space)Space Curious PodcastBrendan Byrne's Twitter (@SpaceBrendan)WMFE Orlando (Space)Are We There Yet PodcastFollow Jake & WeMartiansWeMartians.com)Patreon (https://www.wemartians.com/support)WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com)Mailing List (https://wemartians.com/signup)Twitter (@we_martians)Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit)Off-Nominal PodcastGoing Pro Phase TwoIt’s the end of the year, and traditionally around this time we ask for support from you, the listener, as we continue to produce space content on this podcast every month! WeMartians is entirely listener-funded, and as I noted about year ago this month, I’ve begun #GoingPro by making changes in my life in pursuit of creating space content full time. None of that is possible without you!See some of the special limited time offers for new Patrons!Support WeMartians on Patreon

NASA is getting serious about sending people back to the Moon. And when the Artemis program lands on the surface, there’s a whole world of science to uncover. Renee Weber from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center joins Jake to talk about her new report on what NASA should prioritize when it finally sends astronauts back. We talk Artemis and Lunar Science Moon Trek Artemis Science Definition Team releases report The Report Follow Renee and Artemis Renee’s Twitter (@moonshakes) Profile on Renee at NASA Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Mailing List (https://wemartians.com/signup) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Origins: Jim Bridenstine Most Recent Episode: 36 – December Hurricanes (feat. Eric Berger) Going Pro Phase Two It’s the end of the year, and traditionally around this time we ask for support from you, the listener, as we continue to produce space content on this podcast every month! WeMartians is entirely listener-funded, and as I noted about year ago this month, I’ve begun #GoingPro by making changes in my life in pursuit of creating space content full time. None of that is possible without you! See some of the special limited time offers for new Patrons! Support WeMartians on Patreon

It’s the end of the year, and traditionally around this time we ask for support from you, the listener, as we continue to produce space content on this podcast every month! WeMartians is entirely listener-funded, and as I noted about year ago this month, I’ve begun #GoingPro by making changes in my life in pursuit of creating space content full time. None of that is possible without you! And so as we kick off our December drive to gather support, it’s a great time to showcase one of the perks of being a Patron! Red Planet Review is an exclusive extra podcast that is enjoyed weekly by our Patreon supporters of $3 or more. We cover all kinds of news from planetary science, rockets and spacecraft, space policy, all with a Moon and Mars focus. Enjoy this week’s episode for free, and consider signing up to support independent space media. See some of the special limited time offers for new Patrons, too! Support WeMartians on Patreon Headlines for this week Chang’e 5 successfully lands on Moon, retrieves samples Chang’e 5 rendezvous and docking China to proceed with Long March 9 Orion PDU failure could add 12 month delay SLS begins Green Run Wet Dress Rehearsal Blue Origin fires BE-7 engine New process for making hydrogen and oxygen from martian brine InSight measures Martian Background Noise Curiosity Sol 2958 Curiosity Sol 2959 Curiosity Sols 2960-2961 Curiosity Traverse Map (revamped!) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Mailing List (https://wemartians.com/signup) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Origins: Jim Bridenstine Most Recent Episode: 36 – December Hurricanes (feat. Eric Berger)

NASA is building a new outpost at the Moon called the Lunar Gateway. It’s a place for science but also a place to stage lunar activities like landings on the surface. Michael Staab from Northrop Grumman joins us to talk about the core module of Gateway, HALO, and what we can expect from it when it gets there. We talk HALO and Lunar Gateway NASA Awards Northrop Grumman contract for HALO Recent plans for HALO Follow Michael and HALO NASA’s Lunar Gateway site Michael’s Twitter (@AstroStaab) Michael’s LinkedIn Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Mailing List (https://wemartians.com/signup) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Origins: Jim Bridenstine Most Recent Episode: 36 – December Hurricanes (feat. Eric Berger) Support WeMartians on Patreon Now Available – Season 4 Mission Patches Our season 4 mission patches are finally here! Celebrate our 4th season of podcasts with this awesome patch by artist Beth Kerner. We talk all about the design and its elements in our announcement blog post. You can get the new patch for $17USD with free shipping. Plus, if you missed last year’s patch, you can get both together for just $25USD while supplies last. Both patches are limited print runs so pick it up today and support not only WeMartians but a great independent space artist, too! Get your Mission Patch now!

As more and more human spaceflight vehicles enter service, and more and more people have access to spaceflight, the need to design vehicles to accommodate different kinds of passengers becomes more and more important. Kavya Manyapu, a spacesuit engineer on Boeing’s Starliner program, joins Jake to talk about equitable design, and the challenges and payoffs of pursuing it. We talk spacesuits and equitable design Boeing Suit unveiling Follow Kavya and Boeing’s Starliner Kavya’s Wikipedia Profile on Kavya in Rocket Women Kavya’s appearance on Space4U Podcast Boeing Starliner Site Boeing Future U Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Mailing List (https://wemartians.com/signup) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Origins: Jim Bridenstine Most Recent Episode: 35 – The Two Mile of the Space Industry featuring Caleb Henry Support WeMartians on Patreon Now Available – Season 4 Mission Patches Our season 4 mission patches are finally here! Celebrate our 4th season of podcasts with this awesome patch by artist Beth Kerner. We talk all about the design and its elements in our announcement blog post. You can get the new patch for $17USD with free shipping. Plus, if you missed last year’s patch, you can get both together for just $25USD while supplies last. Both patches are limited print runs so pick it up today and support not only WeMartians but a great independent space artist, too! Get your Mission Patch now!

In early 2019, NASA’s Curiosity Rover wrapped up a year-long chapter in its mission exploring Vera Rubin Ridge, an elevated rocky plateau with high iron content. Many months later, we’re starting to see the science results roll in. JPL’s Abigail Fraeman, the Deputy Project Scientist for the mission and campaign leader for the ridge chapter, joins Jake to talk about what we learned about the ridge, and how it surprised us. We talk Vera Rubin Ridge on Mars A view of Vera Rubin Ridge from Curiosity as it climbed up Vera Rubin Ridge from orbit with CRISM data overlay JGR Planets Special Issue on Vera Rubin Ridge Follow Abby & the Curiosity Rover Abby’s Twitter (@abbyfrae) Curiosity Mission Updates Where is Curiosity Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Mailing List (https://wemartians.com/signup) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Origins: Jim Bridenstine Most Recent Episode: 34 – Repeatedly Googling Area 51 (feat. Emilee Speck, plus Anna and Henna from But It Is Rocket Science) Support WeMartians on Patreon Now Available – Season 4 Mission Patches Our season 4 mission patches are finally here! Celebrate our 4th season of podcasts with this awesome patch by artist Beth Kerner. We talk all about the design and its elements in our announcement blog post. You can get the new patch for $17USD with free shipping. Plus, if you missed last year’s patch, you can get both together for just $25USD while supplies last. Both patches are limited print runs so pick it up today and support not only WeMartians but a great independent space artist, too! Get your Mission Patch now!

The surface of Mars has been a subject of repeated exploration, from both in orbit and in situ. But this exploration is only skin-deep, and a growing community of scientists are calling on NASA to explore the Mars underground. Charity Phillips-Lander joins Jake to talk about this exciting world underground and how she thinks we might have a chance to learn about it with a mission concept called MACIE. We talk Subterranean Exploration of Mars Visions and Voyages – Planetary Decadal Survey, 2013-2023 New Decadal Survey Page The MACIE Concept Page MACIE White Paper Follow Charity Phillips-Lander Charity’s Website Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Mailing List (https://wemartians.com/signup) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Origins: Jim Bridenstine Most Recent Episode: 34 – Repeatedly Googling Area 51 (feat. Emilee Speck, plus Anna and Henna from But It Is Rocket Science) Support WeMartians on Patreon Now Available – Season 4 Mission Patches Our season 4 mission patches are finally here! Celebrate our 4th season of podcasts with this awesome patch by artist Beth Kerner. We talk all about the design and its elements in our announcement blog post. You can get the new patch for $17USD with free shipping. Plus, if you missed last year’s patch, you can get both together for just $25USD while supplies last. Both patches are limited print runs so pick it up today and support not only WeMartians but a great independent space artist, too! Get your Mission Patch now!

The annual Humans to Mars summit went virtual this year, and WeMartians stopped by to listen in on the discussions about getting humans to Mars. From life support to surface power, politics, and medicine, the summit covers a wide variety of topics. Guests Shawna Pandya, Robyn Gatens, Michelle Munk, Lee Mason, Marcia Smith and Chris Carberry join Jake to see where we’re at in this long-term plan. Humans to Mars Summit Explore Mars website This year’s Humans to Mars Summit Agenda Follow Explore Mars and our Guests Explore Mars on Twitter Shawna Pandya on Twitter Shawna Pandya’s Website Robyn Gatens names Acting Director of the ISS Michelle Munk’s NASA Bio Lee Mason’s NASA Bio Space Policy Online Marcia Smith’s Twitter Chris Carberry’s Twitter Chris Carberry on Off-Nominal Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Mailing List (https://wemartians.com/signup) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Origins: Jim Bridenstine Most Recent Episode 33 – Regular-ass Fishing Boar (feat. Loren Grush) Support WeMartians on Patreon Now Available – Season 4 Mission Patches Our season 4 mission patches are finally here! Celebrate our 4th season of podcasts with this awesome patch by artist Beth Kerner. We talk all about the design and its elements in our announcement blog post. You can get the new patch for $17USD with free shipping. Plus, if you missed last year’s patch, you can get both together for just $25USD while supplies last. Both patches are limited print runs so pick it up today and support not only WeMartians but a great independent space artist, too! Get your Mission Patch now! WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In the first ever WeMartians live video webcast, Jake is joined by co-host Tanya Harrison and special guests Alexandra Pontefract, Nathan Williams, and Phillip Hargrove to experience the launch of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover. Mars 2020 Perseverance Video Version of this Webcast NASA successfully launches Mars 2020 Follow our Guests Tanya Harrison Twitter (@TanyaOfMars) Alexandra Pontefract (@astrobio_alex) Phillip Hargrove Twitter (@FlightMastrPhil) Main Engine Cut Off (@WeHaveMECO) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Mailing List (https://wemartians.com/signup) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Origins: Jim Bridenstine Most Recent Episode: 32 – Well Within the Kill Zone (feat. Richard Garriott) Support WeMartians on Patreon WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

It’s the Summer of Mars, and in between the larger space agencies of the United States and China vying to put the next rover on the surface, a small, upstart space agency in the United Arab Emirates is also looking to make their mark. Team members Mohsen Al Awadhi, Hessa Rashid Al Matroushi and Ayesha Al Sharafi from the UAE’s Mars Hope mission join Jake to talk about their successful launch and what they hope this mission will say to the people of the UAE and the world. Mars Hope Mars Hope launches Successfully Follow Mars Hope Mars Hope Twitter (@HopeMarsMission) Ayesha Twitter (@ayesha_sharafi) Hessa Twitter (@HR_Almatroushi) Mohsen Twitter (@MohsenAlAwadhi) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Mailing List (https://wemartians.com/signup) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Origins: Jim Bridenstine Most Recent Episode: 32 – Well Within the Kill Zone (feat. Richard Garriott) Support WeMartians on Patreon Announcing the first WeMartians Livestream Event for Perseverance Be sure to join us on July 30th at 7:10AM EDT (T-40 minutes before launch). Co-host Tanya Harrison and I will be welcoming three amazing guests to talk about the NASA Perseverance launch, from science to engineering and more. You can watch it on the Off-Nominal YouTube channel (subscribe to get the notification we’re live!). We’ve Made Space Better Here at Off-Nominal, we’ve been following the demonstrations against racial inequality and police violence in the United States, Canada, and around the world with concern. These events have highlighted deep problems with how we treat each other in many domains, and space exploration is not exempt. While we have been processing this in real-time, it has become obvious that we must do our part and use our platform to speak up against these inequalities and take action to stop them. We have engaged with our Discord community to come up with a plan. The first part of this plan is to raise money for two great organizations listed above. Thanks to two anonymous listeners and our friend Tim Dodd the Everyday Astronaut, we’ve been able to match $11,000 of listener donations with twice that again. All in, we’ve raised nearly $35,000 for the Banneker Institute and Black Girls Code. Read more about the results here. Thank you for helping us work together to make space better.

The Summer of Mars is here! Three missions are launching to Mars in the next few weeks from three different space agencies. We’ve got the definitive preview of these missions, from UAE’s Mars Hope, to China’s Tianwen-1, and of course, NASA’s Perseverance Rover. Get caught up on all the facts before you watch the launch! Mars Hope Mars Hope Unveiled in 2015 Hope Probe Introduction TEDx Talk, Omran Sharaf, Project Manager for Mars Hope TEDx Talk, Sarah Amiri, Project Scientist for Mars Hope Lots of Technical Info for the Mission Follow Mars Hope Mars Hope Twitter (@HopeMarsMission) Tianwen-1 Yinguo-1, the ill-fated first Chinese Mars Mission China announces Mars Mission in 2016 Tianwen-1 Cameras Andrew Jones on WeMartians Tianwen-1 Payloads Long March 5 Returns to Flight Chinese Space and the Coronavirus More on Coronavirus Wan Weixing dies Perseverance 2003 Decadal Survey 2013 Decadal Survey Max-C Concept NASA pulls out of joint Max-C/ExoMars NASA announces Mars 2020 Mars 2020’s Sample Caching System Video NASA announces Jezero as landing site for Mars 2020 MiMi Aung on the Mars Helicopter Mars 2020 Cost Overruns SHERLOC nearly cancelled Launch slipped from July 17 to July 20 Launch slipped from July 20 to July 22 Launch slipped from July 22 to July 30 Mars 2020 Press Kit All of WeMartians Mars2020 Coverage over the years: 10 – Science Meets Engineering on the 2020 Rover (feat. Sarah Milkovich) 20 – Mars2020 Candidate Landing Sites 48 – Zooming in on Mars (feat. Melissa Rice and Elsa Jensen) 52 – Comin’ up Jezero (feat. Tim Goudge) 77 – Persevering through ATLO (feat. Christina Hernandez) 78 – The Quest for a Piece of Mars (feat. Chris Herd) 79 – Preparing for a Martian Launch (feat. Tory Bruno) Follow Perseverance NASA Perseverance Twitter Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Mailing List (https://wemartians.com/signup) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Make Space Better Origins: Jim Bridenstine Most Recent Episode: 31 – OG LIGO Support WeMartians on Patreon Help Make Space Better Here at Off-Nominal, we’ve been following the demonstrations against racial inequality and police violence in the United States, Canada, and around the world with concern. These events have highlighted deep problems with how we treat each other in many domains, and space exploration is not exempt. While we have been processing this in real-time, it has become obvious that we must do our part and use our platform to speak up against these inequalities and take action to stop them. We have been engaging with our Discord community this past week to come up with a plan. Many of these initiatives were developed not just by Jake and Anthony, but in partnership with the Patrons and listeners of our three podcasts. We’re proud that this is a community-led effort. We’re also really proud that some of our listeners and colleagues have joined in to make this an even stronger initiative. Together, we’re putting on a fundraiser to support Black organizations whose missions we believe in. All of the sponsors, including Jake and Anthony, will be matching contributions the community makes to both of these organizations through July 10. Jake and Anthony will match up to the total of this month’s revenue from Patreon (WeMartians, MECO), and other sponsors may have different max amounts. Thank you for helping us work together to make space better.

NASA’s Mars2020 Rover is set to launch this summer on an Atlas V rocket from the United Launch Alliance. But it is no trivial payload, and a lot of work goes into preparing a rocket for this kind of journey. ULA’s CEO Tory Bruno joins Jake to talk about those preparations as they get close to this historic mission. We talk Atlas V and Perseverance Atlas V assembly begins The Mars2020 Website NASA Perseverance Rover Twitter Follow Tory Tory on Twitter (@ToryBruno) ULA’s Website ULA Twitter (@ULALaunch) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: 30 – There’s Always Money in the VAB Support WeMartians on Patreon Now Available – Season 4 Mission Patches Our season 4 mission patches are finally here! Celebrate our 4th season of podcasts with this awesome patch by artist Beth Kerner. We talk all about the design and its elements in our announcement blog post. You can get the new patch for $17USD with free shipping. Plus, if you missed last year’s patch, you can get both together for just $25USD while supplies last. Both patches are limited print runs so pick it up today and support not only WeMartians but a great independent space artist, too! Get your Mission Patch now! WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

NASA’s Mars2020 Rover is set to launch this summer to kick off an intense series of missions set to bring back a sample from Mars. But retrieving these samples is no small task. The University of Alberta’s Chris Herd, member of the Project Science Group for the mission, joins Jake to discuss Mars samples and all the challenges that go into getting them home. We talk Sample Science for Mars2020 Perseverance Chris named to Project Science Group The Mars2020 Website NASA Perseverance Rover Twitter Mars helicopter named Ingenuity Follow Chris Chris on Twitter (@SpaceRockDoc) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: 30 – There’s Always Money in the VAB Support WeMartians on Patreon Now Available – Dragon Worm T-Shirt Celebrate NASA’s upcoming SpaceX DM-2 flight, which will launch astronauts to the International Space Station from US soil for the first time since the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011. Our new design features the iconic NASA Logotype, the “Worm”, which will make a triumphant return on the Falcon 9 rocket for the launch. Pick one up today in the WeMartians Shop. WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The ATLO phase of a planetary mission (Assembly, Test and Launch Operations) is the most intense of any part of its development. Amid a global pandemic, Perseverance’s time at it is even more remarkable. NASA JPL’s Christina Hernandez, a systems engineer on the rover team, joins us to talk about what it’s like getting a flagship mission out the door and to the launch pad. We talk ATLO for Mars2020 Perseverance The Mars2020 Website NASA Perseverance Rover Twitter Follow Christina Christina on Twitter (@estrellasycafe) Astronucelart Instagram Account Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: 29 – Don’t Go Full Goldin #GoingPro Phase 1 – Complete! On January 10th we concluded the first part of the #GoingPro fundraising campaign, and what a tremendous finish it was! With just hours to spare, we crossed the 200 patron milestone in an exciting finish. Missed the whole campaign? Catch up in our blog post explainer! There’s lots more to do, but for now I want to say THANK YOU. Keep an eye the main feed for the upcoming Ask Me Anything style podcast. It’s coming up next!Show your support with a monthly pledge on Patreon! Thanks to all the patrons who have come along so far, and to all the new ones ready to join the movement. Ad Ares! Support WeMartians on Patreon WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

For a long time, planetary science missions have been the exclusive domain of space agencies like NASA. But in the 21st century, things are changing, and commercial actors are increasingly involving themselves not just as suppliers to governments, but as mission leaders themselves. Elizabeth Frank from First Mode joins Jake to talk about a new paradigm for planetary science. We talk Government, Industry, and Planetary Science Elizabeth’s rejected LPSC abstract Follow Elizabeth Elizabeth on Twitter (@efrankplanetary) Elizabeth’s Website First Mode Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: 27 – Space Policy Fugue State #GoingPro Phase 1 – Complete! On January 10th we concluded the first part of the #GoingPro fundraising campaign, and what a tremendous finish it was! With just hours to spare, we crossed the 200 patron milestone in an exciting finish. Missed the whole campaign? Catch up in our blog post explainer! There’s lots more to do, but for now I want to say THANK YOU. Keep an eye the main feed for the upcoming Ask Me Anything style podcast. It’s coming up next! Show your support with a monthly pledge on Patreon! Thanks to all the patrons who have come along so far, and to all the new ones ready to join the movement. Ad Ares! WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference is the premier gathering for planetary scientists worldwide. But, like many events, it was cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. We’ve covered it every year, and despite viral concerns, this year is no different. We speak with six planetary scientists about the work they were going to present by creating a virtual, simulated audio poster session. Stop step in, grab a drink, and learn about some cool space science. We Mars Planetary Science and LPSC Corbin Kling (@planetarydrone) Abstract on Noctis Labyrinthus Justin Cowart (@jccwrt) Abstract on THEMIS data Paul Niles (@PBNiles) Abstract on Jarosite formation Shoshanna Cole Abstract on MER Data Catalog e-Poster Link MER Data Survey Szilard Gyalay (@szizygy) Abstract on porosity at InSight’s landing site Peter Fawdon (@DrPFawdon) Abstract on Oxia Planum Crater Dating Abstract on Oxia Planum Landing Site Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: 28 – Don’t Sneeze in their Mouths #GoingPro Phase 1 – Complete! On January 10th we concluded the first part of the #GoingPro fundraising campaign, and what a tremendous finish it was! With just hours to spare, we crossed the 200 patron milestone in an exciting finish. Missed the whole campaign? Catch up in our blog post explainer! There’s lots more to do, but for now I want to say THANK YOU. Keep an eye the main feed for the upcoming Ask Me Anything style podcast. It’s coming up next! Show your support with a monthly pledge on Patreon! Thanks to all the patrons who have come along so far, and to all the new ones ready to join the movement. Ad Ares! WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference is the premier gathering for planetary scientists worldwide. But, like many events, it was cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. We’ve covered it every year, and despite viral concerns, this year is no different. We speak with six planetary scientists about the work they were going to present by creating a virtual, simulated audio poster session. Stop step in, grab a drink, and learn about some cool space science. We Mars Planetary Science and LPSC Joe Levy (@colddirt) Abstract on Glaciers and Boulders Frances Butcher (@fegbutcher) Abstract on Glaciers and the Gully Previous WeMartians Appearance: Episode 23 Stefano Nerozzi (@Micascisto) Abstract on the North Polar Layer Deposit Basal Unit Chimira Andres (@RocksNRockets) Abstract on Ground Penetrating Radar in the Canadian Arctic Catheryn Ryan (@geochemystery) Abstract on UV-LIF Instrument Previous WeMartians Appearance: Episode 39 More on the BASALT program with Astronaut Stan Love Andrew Annex (@AndrewAnnex) Abstract on Arabia Terra Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: 27 – Space Policy Fugue State #GoingPro Phase 1 – Complete! On January 10th we concluded the first part of the #GoingPro fundraising campaign, and what a tremendous finish it was! With just hours to spare, we crossed the 200 patron milestone in an exciting finish. Missed the whole campaign? Catch up in our blog post explainer! There’s lots more to do, but for now I want to say THANK YOU. Keep an eye the main feed for the upcoming Ask Me Anything style podcast. It’s coming up next! Show your support with a monthly pledge on Patreon! Thanks to all the patrons who have come along so far, and to all the new ones ready to join the movement. Ad Ares! WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The ExoMars mission will be Europe’s first Mars rover, and when it drives off the platform on Mars to begin operating, it will do so on chassis and wheels made in Canada. Natalie Panek from MDA joins Jake to talk about the Rosalind Franklin’s mobility system, and how the rover will move around on the Red Planet. We talk Rover Mobility Systems Wheel walking Tests More Wheel Walking! Video shows deployment sequence of wheels and rover (you can also hear the clinking sounds of the metal treads) Follow Natalie Natalie on Twitter (@nmpanek) Natalie’s Personal Website Natalie’s Wikipedia Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: 27 – Space Policy Fugue State #GoingPro Phase 1 – Complete! On January 10th we concluded the first part of the #GoingPro fundraising campaign, and what a tremendous finish it was! With just hours to spare, we crossed the 200 patron milestone in an exciting finish. Missed the whole campaign? Catch up in our blog post explainer! There’s lots more to do, but for now I want to say THANK YOU. Keep an eye the main feed for the upcoming Ask Me Anything style podcast. It’s coming up next! Show your support with a monthly pledge on Patreon! Thanks to all the patrons who have come along so far, and to all the new ones ready to join the movement. Ad Ares! WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Planetary Protection is the framework by which we protect the worlds we explore from our own environment, and Earth from the worlds we explore. And while it’s purpose is important, its specifics can get out of sync as we learn more about science, technology, and when our priorities for exploration and development of space change. Dr. Wendy Calvin, a member of the Planetary Protection Independent Review Board, joins Jake to talk about her assessment of the current policies and the recommendations they made to NASA. We talk Planetary Protection The PPIRB Report Follow Wendy Wendycalvin.com Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: 27 – Space Policy Fugue State #GoingPro Phase 1 – Complete! On January 10th we concluded the first part of the #GoingPro fundraising campaign, and what a tremendous finish it was! With just hours to spare, we crossed the 200 patron milestone in an exciting finish. Missed the whole campaign? Catch up in our blog post explainer! There’s lots more to do, but for now I want to say THANK YOU. Keep an eye the main feed for the upcoming Ask Me Anything style podcast. It’s coming up next! Show your support with a monthly pledge on Patreon! Thanks to all the patrons who have come along so far, and to all the new ones ready to join the movement. Ad Ares! WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In December we launched our #GoingPro campaign and you, the listeners, really stepped up! We hit our 200 patron milestone with hours to spare. And that means Jake’s on the hook for an Ask Me Anything podcast! So here it is. Patrons from around the world submitted questions and we’ve asked Anthony Colangelo from Main Engine Cut Off and Off-Nominal to come by and read them. It is a fun filled episode with questions spanning space and non-space areas. Thanks so much for your support in this endeavour. We hope you have fun listening. Tidbits from the Show Off-Nominal 4: Dragonfly vs CAESAR Jake’s iPhone wallpaper The Downlink App, for your Mac OS wallpaper Follow Anthony & Main Engine Cut Off Podcast & Blog (www.mainenginecutoff.com) Anthony’s Patreon Twitter (@WeHaveMECO) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: 26 – Hungover on Re-entry #GoingPro – What’s Next? There’s lots more to do! We’re going to keep working towards the next goal of 250 patrons. Once we reach it, I’ll make a bonus audio documentary about the Atlas Rocket, a storied launch vehicle that has sent a lot of really important payloads to Mars. Show your support with a monthly pledge on Patreon! Thanks to all the patrons who have come along so far, and to all the new ones ready to join the movement. Ad Ares! WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Dust is ubiquitous on Mars, and the way it moves around can be quite unique. While the global dust storm might be Mars most recognizable dusty weather pattern, the Dust Tower can be equally interesting. Planetary scientist Nick Heavens joins Jake to talk about these massive structures lifting dust into the upper atmosphere and leaking water in to space. We Mars missions, Artemis, and Commercial Crew Nick’s Paper on Martian Dust Towers Follow up by the ExoMars NOMAD Team Follow Nick Nick on Twitter (@WeatherOnMars) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: 26 – Hungover on Re-entry #GoingPro Phase 1 – Complete! On January 10th we concluded the first part of the #GoingPro fundraising campaign, and what a tremendous finish it was! With just hours to spare, we crossed the 200 patron milestone in an exciting finish. Missed the whole campaign? Catch up in our blog post explainer! There’s lots more to do, but for now I want to say THANK YOU. Keep an eye the main feed for the upcoming Ask Me Anything style podcast. It’s coming up next! Show your support with a monthly pledge on Patreon! https://twitter.com/We_Martians/status/1215815771315552257?s=20 Thanks to all the patrons who have come along so far, and to all the new ones ready to join the movement. Ad Ares! WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We’re in a new decade, and Mars is kicking it off strong with four missions to the Red Planet in July. As we do every year, we’re joined by Brendan Byrne and Emilee Speck to preview the missions as well as everything else ahead of us in 2020. We Mars missions, Artemis, and Commercial Crew Mars 2020 Name the Rover Contest ExoMars 2020 Parachute Progress UAE’s Mars Hope nearly assembled Long March 5 returns to flight Starliner in good shape after shortened flight NASA received $22.6B budget Previous Conversations with Brendan and Emilee Episode 18 – State of Mars 2017 Episode 35 – State of Mars 2018 Off-Nominal Episode 6 (feat. Brendan Byrne) Episode 53 – State of Mars 2019 Follow Emilee and Brendan Emilee on Twitter (@EMSpeck) Emilee’s Space Coverage (ClickOrlando.com) News 6 WKMG Facebook (Facebook.com) Brendan on Twitter (@SpaceBrendan) Are We There Yet Podcast on Twitter (@AWTYMars) WMFE Space (wmfe.org) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) Featuring a limited time special offer! Ends Jan 10th! WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Free shipping if you buy 2+ items until Jan 10th Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: 25 – SpaceX Cinematic Universe An Exciting Space Future WeMartians is celebrating its fourth anniversary, and I couldn’t be more happy with the way this project has turned out. What began as a hobby has transformed in to a thriving community of thousands interested in Mars exploration. I’ve got what feels like hundreds of ideas to make this show better, but I’ve always struggled balancing this hobby with my day job and the rest of my life. There’s not much else I can do without somehow getting more time! And so I’ve made some decisions to do just that. I’ve left my day job. WeMartians is officially on the path of #GoingPro. Learn more about the decision, what it means for the show, and how you can help at our blog post explainer! https://twitter.com/We_Martians/status/1212865759665246208?s=20 Show your support with a monthly pledge on Patreon! How you can help You can help support me as I transition to a new career. We’ve got some new Patreon goals for the next four patron milestones – all bonus content for YOU, including video tours of the new studio to audio documentaries. UPDATE – Goal 1 has been reached! You can see the new studio tour here or below! A limited offer extended until January 10th for new Patrons at the $5 level or higher – get a handwritten postcard and a pack of stickers! A special sale in the WeMartians shop – free shipping on orders of two or more items! UPDATE – New Shirt Design Available! SpaceX Super Heavy THIRTYSEVEN Thanks to all the patrons who have come along so far, and to all the new ones ready to join the movement. Ad Ares! New Shirt Design! THIRTYSEVEN We’ve got a new shirt design out to mark our #GoingPro campaign. The much anticipated successor to our bestseller TWENTYSEVEN, THIRTYSEVEN features the business end of a Starship Super Heavy rocket. Pick it up now with the Rosalind Franklin shirt to take advantage of our free shipping promo using code GOINGPRO. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfWK32tXFd8 WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Happy Holidays Martians! We’re #GoingPro, and we thought it would be a good opportunity to showcase what you get for becoming a Patron by sharing an episode of Red Planet Review, our weekly news show normally reserved for our $3+ Patreon supporters. To celebrate #GoingPro, we thought we’d end 2019 with a fresh new show that’s available to ALL listeners. If you like what you hear today, consider joining the hundreds of other listeners over at Patreon. With a pledge of $3 or more, you can get a show like this every Friday, a great way to keep up on the news! And remember, if you join at the $5 level or higher before January 3rd, you’ll get a limited time offer of a postcard from me and a set of podcast stickers! Headlines this Week NASA Budget for 2020 2020 Launch Window Updates Mars2020 takes its first drive Mars2020 drive video ExoMars Parachute Extraction Tests successful ExoMars Parachute Extraction Video Insight Update The mole is moving again! Curiosity Update Sols 2615-2617 Sols 2618-2619 Sols 2620-2630 (The Holiday Plan) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) Featuring a limited time special offer! Click through or see below! WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Free shipping if you buy 2+ items until the end of the year! Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: 25 – SpaceX Cinematic Universe Get your own Red Planet Review Shirt! Support the show by wearing the RPR logo loud and proud! Get one today at the WeMartians Shop! And take advantage of our #GoingPro deal by pairing it with the new THIRTYSEVEN design! WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In July, ESA plans to launch the 2nd ExoMars mission, a rover called the Rosalind Franklin that will search for signs of life on Mars. It’ll do so with the MOMA instrument. Recently, scientists from ESA and NASA embarked on an expedition to the Pilbara region in Australia to practice identifying biosignatures in rocks to prep them for their eventual interpretation of the data coming back. Teresa Fornaro, co-investigator on the MOMA instrument, joins Jake to talk about the instrument, the mission, and the expedition. We talk MOMA, ExoMars, and Life on Mars The ExoMars website MOMA Wikipedia Images of MOMA Pilbara Expedition Press Release Video of Expedition featuring Teresa Follow Teresa Fornaro Teresa’s Website Teresa’s laboratory website Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) Featuring a limited time special offer! Click through or see below! WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Free shipping if you buy 2+ items until the end of the year! Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: 25 – SpaceX Cinematic Universe An Exciting Space Future WeMartians is celebrating its fourth anniversary this month, and I couldn’t be more happy with the way this project has turned out. What began as a hobby has transformed in to a thriving community of thousands interested in Mars exploration. I’ve got what feels like hundreds of ideas to make this show better, but I’ve always struggled balancing this hobby with my day job and the rest of my life. There’s not much else I can do without somehow getting more time! And so I’ve made some decisions to do just that. I’ve left my day job. WeMartians is officially on the path of #GoingPro. Learn more about the decision, what it means for the show, and how you can help at our blog post explainer! https://twitter.com/We_Martians/status/1206647580370722816?s=20 Show your support with a monthly pledge on Patreon! How you can help You can help support me as I transition to a new career. We’ve got some new Patreon goals for the next four patron milestones – all bonus content for YOU, including video tours of the new studio to audio documentaries. UPDATE – Goal 1 has been reached! You can see the new studio tour here or below! A limited offer until January 3rd for new Patrons at the $5 level or higher – get a handwritten postcard and a pack of stickers! A special sale in the WeMartians shop – free shipping on orders of two or more items! UPDATE – New Shirt Design Available! SpaceX Super Heavy THIRTYSEVEN Thanks to all the patrons who have come along so far, and to all the new ones ready to join the movement. Ad Ares! New Shirt Design! THIRTYSEVEN We’ve got a new shirt design out to mark our #GoingPro campaign. The much anticipated successor to our bestseller TWENTYSEVEN, THIRTYSEVEN features the business end of a Starship Super Heavy rocket. Pick it up now with the Rosalind Franklin shirt to take advantage of our free shipping promo using code GOINGPRO. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfWK32tXFd8 WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

For years, the NASA Curiosity Rover has been quietly sniffing the atmosphere in Gale Crater with its SAM instrument. Today, scientists are finally getting a handle on that vast dataset, and they’re turning up some crazy results, especially an unexplained oxygen spike! Dr. Melissa Trainer from NASA Goddard, lead author on a paper covering the results, joins Jake to talk about this peculiar behaviour. We talk Oxygen, Curiosity, and Atmospheres Melissa’s Paper on Atmospheric Composition (Open Access) NASA press release on the paper Follow Melissa Trainer The Curiosity Rover Home Page Melissa’s Wikipedia Entry Melissa’s Profile on NASA Goddard’s site Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) Featuring a limited time special offer! Click through or see below! WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Free shipping if you buy 2+ items until the end of the year! Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: “Jim-Adjacent” An Exciting Space Future WeMartians is celebrating its fourth anniversary this month, and I couldn’t be more happy with the way this project has turned out. What began as a hobby has transformed in to a thriving community of thousands interested in Mars exploration. I’ve got what feels like hundreds of ideas to make this show better, but I’ve always struggled balancing this hobby with my day job and the rest of my life. There’s not much else I can do without somehow getting more time! And so I’ve made some decisions to do just that. I’ve left my day job. WeMartians is officially on the path of #GoingPro. Learn more about the decision, what it means for the show, and how you can help at our blog post explainer! Show your support with a monthly pledge on Patreon! How you can help You can help support me as I transition to a new career. We’ve got some new Patreon goals for the next four patron milestones – all bonus content for YOU, including video tours of the new studio to audio documentaries. A limited offer until January 3rd for new Patrons at the $5 level or higher – get a handwritten postcard and a pack of stickers! A special sale in the WeMartians shop – free shipping on orders of two or more items! Thanks to all the patrons who have come along so far, and to all the new ones ready to join the movement. Ad Ares! WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Next year brings a quartet of missions heading from Earth to Mars, including one from the Chinese National Space Administration. Freelance journalist Andrew Jones, a specialist in Chinese space, joins Jake to talk about the mission, Huoxing-1, and what to expect leading up to China’s first Mars mission. We talk China, Space, and Huoxing-1 Huoxing-1 mission objectives and science payloads YF-77 Test Firing How not to land an orbital rocket booster (SpaceX) China’s Mars Technology is Ready for 2020 Launch (IEEE Spectrum) Follow Andrew Jones Andrew Jones Twitter (@AJ_FI) Andrew’s Space News Author Page Andrew’s Space.com Author Page Andrew’s Planetary Society Author Page Andrew’s Sky and Telescope Author Page Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: “Jim-Adjacent” The WeMartians Season 3 Mission Patch This is the Season 3 (2018) commemorative WeMartians Mission Patch. We’ve partnered with space fan and talented graphic artist Beth Kerner to put together a custom, 4-inch, sew-on embroidered patch. It’s limited edition, with a print-run of just 100. And you can get one for yourself starting today! They’re just $17 USD, and shipping is free anywhere on Earth (Mars is extra, though). If you’re a Station-level or higher patron, your permanent store discount applies, too! The patch captures the broad narratives of our third season of podcasts. It includes the Falcon Heavy inaugural flight, the InSight launch and landing, and the global dust storm that ended the Opportunity mission. WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The 70th International Astronautical Congress descended on Washington, DC this week, with 6300 delegates from around the world coming together to talk about space technology, policy and more. Jake is on site to report on the happenings, and connected with a range of people on robotic missions and human architectures. Guests include Walter Cugno from Thales Alenia Space, Khaled Ali Al Hashmi from the United Arab Emirates Space Agency, and Gary Napier from Lockheed Martin. We talk ExoMars, Mars Hope, and Human Landing Systems ExoMars Parachute Woes Mars Hope nears completion Blue Origin announces National Team Follow our Guests Thales Alenia Space Twitter UAE Space Agency Twitter Gary Napier Twitter Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: “What is the protocol for this?” The WeMartians Season 3 Mission Patch This is the Season 3 (2018) commemorative WeMartians Mission Patch. We’ve partnered with space fan and talented graphic artist Beth Kerner to put together a custom, 4-inch, sew-on embroidered patch. It’s limited edition, with a print-run of just 100. And you can get one for yourself starting today! They’re just $17 USD, and shipping is free anywhere on Earth (Mars is extra, though). If you’re a Station-level or higher patron, your permanent store discount applies, too! The patch captures the broad narratives of our third season of podcasts. It includes the Falcon Heavy inaugural flight, the InSight launch and landing, and the global dust storm that ended the Opportunity mission. WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

On September 28th, 2019, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk presented an update to the Starship architecture. To talk about what has changed and what hasn’t, Jake is joined by podcast partner Anthony Colangelo from Main Engine Cut Off in a two part conversation between the two shows. You can listen to part 2 of the conversation on the MECO feed or by clicking here. We talk SpaceX & Starship Starship’s Website SpaceNews coverage of Starship Update Part 2: T-135 Jake Robins on Starship Follow Anthony Colangelo Main Engine Cut Off Podcast & Blog Main Engine Cut Off Twitter Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: “What is the protocol for this?” WeMartians Meetup in Washington DC! On October 20th, we’ll be meeting up with Anthony Colangelo from The Main Engine Cut Off Podcast as we head to Washington DC to cover IAC 2019. You can join us as we visit the Udvar Hazy museum and see Space Shuttle Discovery, then come have beers with us at Dacha Beer Garden in the city. We’d love to meet you – this is going to be a big event and we can’t wait to talk with all our listeners. Check out the details at our events page. The WeMartians Season 3 Mission Patch This is the Season 3 (2018) commemorative WeMartians Mission Patch. We’ve partnered with space fan and talented graphic artist Beth Kerner to put together a custom, 4-inch, sew-on embroidered patch. It’s limited edition, with a print-run of just 100. And you can get one for yourself starting today! They’re just $17 USD, and shipping is free anywhere on Earth (Mars is extra, though). If you’re a Station-level or higher patron, your permanent store discount applies, too! The patch captures the broad narratives of our third season of podcasts. It includes the Falcon Heavy inaugural flight, the InSight launch and landing, and the global dust storm that ended the Opportunity mission. WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

SpaceX has been requesting HiRISE images from an area called Arcadia Planitia as potential landing sites for their Starship vehicle. Dr Ali Bramson, a planetary scientist at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Lab and expert on the region, joins Jake to talk about what’s going on there and why SpaceX might be interested. We talk SpaceX, Starship, and Arcadia Planitia SpaceX requests landing site candidate images Some textures of Arcadia Planitia An example of “Brain Terrain” Polygonal terrain in Canada Planetary Society piece on Terraced Craters The SpaceX Landing Site Candidate HIRISE requests Interactive DTMs for Terraced Craters – explore them in your browser! PAPER: Widespread excess ice in Arcadia Planitia, Mars PAPER: Exposed subsurface ice sheets in the Martian mid-latitudes Follow Ali Bramson Ali Bramson’s Twitter (@alibramson) Ali’s profile at LPL Ali’s profile at Purdue (starting Fall 2020) SWIM Project SWIM Project Twitter (@RedPlanetSWIM) Be a student at Purdue! Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: “What is the protocol for this?” WeMartians Meetup in Washington DC! On October 20th, we’ll be meeting up with Anthony Colangelo from The Main Engine Cut Off Podcast as we head to Washington DC to cover IAC 2019. You can join us as we visit the Udvar Hazy museum and see Space Shuttle Discovery, then come have beers with us at Dacha Beer Garden in the city. We’d love to meet you – this is going to be a big event and we can’t wait to talk with all our listeners. Check out the details at our events page. The WeMartians Season 3 Mission Patch This is the Season 3 (2018) commemorative WeMartians Mission Patch. We’ve partnered with space fan and talented graphic artist Beth Kerner to put together a custom, 4-inch, sew-on embroidered patch. It’s limited edition, with a print-run of just 100. And you can get one for yourself starting today! They’re just $17 USD, and shipping is free anywhere on Earth (Mars is extra, though). If you’re a Station-level or higher patron, your permanent store discount applies, too! The patch captures the broad narratives of our third season of podcasts. It includes the Falcon Heavy inaugural flight, the InSight launch and landing, and the global dust storm that ended the Opportunity mission. WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We talk the 9th International Mars Conference Tweet thread on Methane from Justin Cowart Content from the MEPAG meeting Content from 9th Mars Presentations Follow Nina Lanza Nina Lanza’s Twitter (@marsninja) Nina back on Episode 11 Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: The Dark Lord The WeMartians Season 3 Mission Patch This is the Season 3 (2018) commemorative WeMartians Mission Patch. We’ve partnered with space fan and talented graphic artist Beth Kerner to put together a custom, 4-inch, sew-on embroidered patch. It’s limited edition, with a print-run of just 100. And you can get one for yourself starting today! They’re just $17 USD, and shipping is free anywhere on Earth (Mars is extra, though). If you’re a Station-level or higher patron, your permanent store discount applies, too! The patch captures the broad narratives of our third season of podcasts. It includes the Falcon Heavy inaugural flight, the InSight launch and landing, and the global dust storm that ended the Opportunity mission. WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We talk Relativity Space 3D-printed rockets Telesat signs with Relativity Space Relativity signs contract to build launch pad Relativity to build rocket factory at Stennis Follow Jordan Noone and Relativity Relativity Space Website Work for Relativity! Relativity Space Twitter Jordan Noone Twitter Relativity Space Instagram Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: Carpet-Bombing Venus Upcoming Seattle Meetup! Join us in south Seattle on August 31st for another meetup at the charming Airways Brewing Taproom. They’ve got Blue Origin themed beers and a great atmosphere. Check out the details at our events page, and note this one is a little earlier ’cause the taproom closes at 7PM! The WeMartians Season 3 Mission Patch This is the Season 3 (2018) commemorative WeMartians Mission Patch. We’ve partnered with space fan and talented graphic artist Beth Kerner to put together a custom, 4-inch, sew-on embroidered patch. It’s limited edition, with a print-run of just 100. And you can get one for yourself starting today! They’re just $17 USD, and shipping is free anywhere on Earth (Mars is extra, though). If you’re a Station-level or higher patron, your permanent store discount applies, too! The patch captures the broad narratives of our third season of podcasts. It includes the Falcon Heavy inaugural flight, the InSight launch and landing, and the global dust storm that ended the Opportunity mission. WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We talk the MAVEN mission MAVEN Reveals Speed of Solar Wind Stripping Martian Atmosphere MAVEN atmospheric escape simulation video Follow Gina DiBraccio and MAVEN The MAVEN Mission Page Dr Gina DiBraccio on Instagram Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Off-Nominal Podcast Most Recent Episode: Carpet-Bombing Venus The WeMartians Season 3 Mission Patch This is the Season 3 (2018) commemorative WeMartians Mission Patch. We’ve partnered with space fan and talented graphic artist Beth Kerner to put together a custom, 4-inch, sew-on embroidered patch. It’s limited edition, with a print-run of just 100. And you can get one for yourself starting today! They’re just $17 USD, and shipping is free anywhere on Earth (Mars is extra, though). If you’re a Station-level or higher patron, your permanent store discount applies, too! The patch captures the broad narratives of our third season of podcasts. It includes the Falcon Heavy inaugural flight, the InSight launch and landing, and the global dust storm that ended the Opportunity mission. WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

It’s been 50 years since Apollo 11, and while there’s still a lot to celebrate about the whole Apollo era, it also begs the question, “why haven’t we gone back?” Michael Robinson, historian and host of the podcast Time to Eat the Dogs joins Jake to dig in to what motivates people to go to deep space and Mars in an attempt to understand how to make it happen again. We Talk Motivations for People to Explore Mars and Deep Space Planetary Radio Space Policy Edition feat. Roger Launius Time to Eat the Dogs interview with Catherine Newell, author of Destined for the Stars Michael’s essay on Motivations for Mars “The Tweet” about Why Sending Humans to Mars Follow Michael Robinson Time to Eat the Dogs Some select episodes to try: Apollo in the Age of Aquarius Should We Colonize Mars? Living on the International Space Station An American in Soviet Antarctica Part 1 & Part 2 The Mars Curiosity Rover The Falcon Heavy Time To Eat the Dogs Twitter Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) The WeMartians 2018 Mission Patch This is the Season 3 (2018) commemorative WeMartians Mission Patch. We’ve partnered with space fan and talented graphic artist Beth Kerner to put together a custom, 4-inch, sew-on embroidered patch. It’s limited edition, with a print-run of just 100. And you can get one for yourself starting today! They’re just $17 USD, and shipping is free anywhere on Earth (Mars is extra, though). If you’re a Station-level or higher patron, your permanent store discount applies, too! The patch captures the broad narratives of our third season of podcasts. It includes the Falcon Heavy inaugural flight, the InSight launch and landing, and the global dust stormthat ended the Opportunity mission. Apollo 11 Celebration Discount Code! Use the code APOLLO11 to get 11% off any order with two or more items! It wouldn’t be a 50th anniversary celebration without some sweet merch, including the patch above! Pick them up in our shop today until July 23rd. WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

NASA is sending people back to the Moon, or so they say. A human deep space program is easier said than done. The Planetary Society’s Casey Dreier returns to the show to talk about politics, policy, and balancing skepticism with excitement. We Talk NASA’s Moon Plan, Artemis Mars Wars by Thor Hogan (free pdf) What can we learn from a Failed Return to the Moon? A Crash Program or a Modest Proposal? NASA awards PPE Contract for Gateway A Look at NASA’s Budgets Follow Casey Casey’s Twitter Casey’s Profile on The Planetary Society The Planetary Society’s Space Advocacy Page Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Seattle Meetup on June 29th! The WeMartians 2018 Mission Patch This is the Season 3 (2018) commemorative WeMartians Mission Patch. We’ve partnered with space fan and talented graphic artist Beth Kerner to put together a custom, 4-inch, sew-on embroidered patch. It’s limited edition, with a print-run of just 100. And you can get one for yourself starting today! They’re just $17 USD, and shipping is free anywhere on Earth (Mars is extra, though). If you’re a Station-level or higher patron, your permanent store discount applies, too! The patch captures the broad narratives of our third season of podcasts. It includes the Falcon Heavy inaugural flight, the InSight launch and landing, and the global dust stormthat ended the Opportunity mission. WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Getting data back from our Mars spacecraft requires some pretty robust communications technology. But the infrastructure that rovers like Curiosity relay their images through is aging, and scientists are starting to worry about what would happen if they fail. NASA JPL’s Michael Staab joins Jake to talk about a new idea to reinforce that infrastructure and keep those data flowing back each and every sol. We Talk Mars Communications MAVEN lowers orbit to facilitate communications Follow Michael Michael’s Twitter (@AstroStaab) NASA JPL Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) The WeMartians 2018 Mission Patch This is the Season 3 (2018) commemorative WeMartians Mission Patch. We’ve partnered with space fan and talented graphic artist Beth Kerner to put together a custom, 4-inch, sew-on embroidered patch. It’s limited edition, with a print-run of just 100. And you can get one for yourself starting today! They’re just $17 USD, and shipping is free anywhere on Earth (Mars is extra, though). If you’re a Station-level or higher patron, your permanent store discount applies, too! The patch captures the broad narratives of our third season of podcasts. It includes the Falcon Heavy inaugural flight, the InSight launch and landing, and the global dust stormthat ended the Opportunity mission. WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

NASA’s BASALT program (Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains) has been working on understand how to do real science on an EVA since 2016. Jake is joined by NASA Astronaut, planetary scientist and program participant Stan Love to learn the challenges imposed by a Red Planet Spacewalk and what kinds of things the agency is trying to overcome them. We Talk Mars, EVAs, and Science Astrobiology Special Issue on BASALT Intro by Stan Love Paper overview by PI Darlene Lim Off-Nominal Podcast Episode 17 (Jake’s Pick was BASALT) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) The WeMartians 2018 Mission Patch This is the Season 3 (2018) commemorative WeMartians Mission Patch. We’ve partnered with space fan and talented graphic artist Beth Kerner to put together a custom, 4-inch, sew-on embroidered patch. It’s limited edition, with a print-run of just 100. And you can get one for yourself starting today! They’re just $17 USD, and shipping is free anywhere on Earth (Mars is extra, though). If you’re a Station-level or higher patron, your permanent store discount applies, too! The patch captures the broad narratives of our third season of podcasts. It includes the Falcon Heavy inaugural flight, the InSight launch and landing, and the global dust stormthat ended the Opportunity mission. WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Jake is on-site at the 50th annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference to report on Mars science results and the shift to the Moon. Fifty years from Apollo’s first landing, lunar samples are still having an incredible impact on all planetary science, and as we look to the future, we have so much more to be excited about. Three special guests join Jake to talk about this exciting topic. We Talk Mars and Apollo Lunar Science InSight pauses Mole deployment HP3 Heat Flow Probe results Abstract DLR Blog on Heat Flow Probe with Team Updates APSS (pressure sensor) results Abstract Weird weather results from InSight (Ars Technica) Mars Weather Report from InSight Jack Schmitt’s keynote lecture (video) 50 Years of Lunar Science Talk Track (video) 50 Years of Planetary Science Talk Track (video) Follow our Guests Louise Prockter The Lunar and Planetary Institute Twitter Gordon Osinski Twitter Gordon Osinski’s Website Our Travel Grant Winner Áine O’Brien wins the 2019 WeMartians Travel Grant Áine’s Talk: Carbon in Martian Meteorites Áine’s Poster: Diversity in Student Space Activities in the UK Áine O’Brien Twitter Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Introducing the WeMartians 2018 Mission Patch This is the Season 3 (2018) commemorative WeMartians Mission Patch. We’ve partnered with space fan and talented graphic artist Beth Kerner to put together a custom, 4-inch, sew-on embroidered patch. It’s limited edition, with a print-run of just 100. And you can get one for yourself starting today! They’re just $17 USD, and shipping is free anywhere on Earth (Mars is extra, though). If you’re a Station-level or higher patron, your permanent store discount applies, too! The patch captures the broad narratives of our third season of podcasts. It includes the Falcon Heavy inaugural flight, the InSight launch and landing, and the global dust stormthat ended the Opportunity mission.

Curiosity recently drove down from the Vera Rubin Ridge, its home for the last year and a half, into a new clay-rich area called Glen Torridon. Planetary Scientist Kristen Bennett joins Jake to talk about what this new area is like and what questions we hope to answer in the next chapter of this rover’s mission. We Talk Curiosity and Glen Torridon Curiosity says Farewell to Vera Rubin Ridge 360 view of Vera Rubin Ridge as Curiosity Departs Curiosity Computer troubles Follow Kristen Kristen’s Twitter (@planetkilobravo) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Rosalind Franklin ESA recently announced that the upcoming ExoMars 2020 rover will be named for the pioneering British DNA scientist, Rosalind Franklin. Just as Franklin sought to understand the smallest signs of life, so too will her titular rover as it explores Mars. We’re celebrating this announcement with a new t-shirt design, which you can get in our shop now! WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

WeMartians visits Arizona to attend the 2019 Women in Space Conference, an interdisciplinary event covering science, engineering, and policy with a reimagined, humanized perspective. Jake and guests discuss some of the science as well as the social challenges women and other marginalized groups face as they try to explore space. We talk the Human side of Exploration WISC 2019 Conference Schedule Sex Differences in Body Composition, Physical Activity, and Total Energy Expenditure When in a Challenging and Novel Environment (Sarma, M. S.) Space Ethics and Our Expanding Vision for Exploration: Core Conversations (Grier, J. A.) All other WISC Abstracts WISC Keynote Speaker Profiles Follow Mallika, J.A., Tanya and Sara Mallika Sarma on Twitter (@skyy_mal) Mallika’s Research Site J.A. Grier on Twitter (@grierja) Tanya Harrison on Twitter (@tanyaofmars) Tanya’s website Sara Mazrouei on Twitter (@SciCommSara) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Rosalind Franklin ESA recently announced that the upcoming ExoMars 2020 rover will be named for the pioneering British DNA scientist, Rosalind Franklin. Just as Franklin sought to understand the smallest signs of life, so too will her titular rover as it explores Mars. We’re celebrating this announcement with a new t-shirt design, which you can get in our shop now! The Rosalind Franklin design WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The fourth season of WeMartians has begun, and we bring in our friends and regular guests Brendan Byrne and Emilee Speck to talk about rockets, rovers, and Mars in pop culture. We talk Mars in 2018 and in to the future Sounds of Mars from NASA’s InSight Previous Conversations with Brendan and Emilee Episode 18 – State of Mars 2017 Episode 35 – State of Mars 2018 Off-Nominal Episode 6 (feat. Brendan Byrne) Follow Emilee and Brendan Emilee on Twitter (@EMSpeck) Emilee’s Space Coverage (ClickOrlando.com) News 6 WKMG Facebook (Facebook.com) Brendan on Twitter (@SpaceBrendan) Are We There Yet Podcast on Twitter (@AWTYMars) WMFE Space (wmfe.org) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) The WeMartians Travel Grant WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Support the Travel Grant Here! Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Come have a beer with me I will be at McFate Brewing Company (South location) in Scottsdale, Arizona at 6PM on Friday, Feb 8th. It’s an open invitation to any listeners in the area who want to hang out! More details here!

Happy New Year Martians! It’s been 1 year since we launched the Red Planet Review weekly news roundup for our $3+ Patreon supporters. To celebrate, we thought we’d kick off 2019 with a fresh new show that’s available to ALL listeners. If you like what you hear today, consider joining the hundreds of other listeners over at Patreon. With a pledge of $3 or more, you can get a show like this every Friday, a great way to keep up on the news! Plus, you’ll help support things like the WeMartians Travel Grant, for which applications are now open! Headlines this Week Valles Marineris – Not a Glaciated Place! SpaceX’s Starhopper Test Article comes together Mars Express celebrates 15 years at Mars INSIGHT Update SEIS levels itself SEIS Tether slack released MSL Update Sols 2279-2280 Sols 2281-2283 Sols 2284-2285 MER Update MER-B December Update at Planetary.org Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) The WeMartians Travel Grant WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Check out the new PLANETARY design in support of the grant! Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Get your own Red Planet Review Shirt! Support the show by wearing the RPR logo loud and proud! Get one today at the WeMartians Shop!

In a quick holiday update, Jake shares an update on the podcast announcing the WeMartians Travel Grant, looking ahead to our next Patreon Goal and content for 2019, as well as two upcoming conferences and Podcast Meetups! We talk 2019 Podcast News Introducing the WeMartians Travel Grant Our Next Patreon Goal Meetup Schedule (stay tuned!) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Check out the new PLANETARY design in support of the grant! Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Listener Survey 2018 New Shirt Design! In support of the WeMartians Travel Grant, you can pick up our new PLANETARY T-Shirt design. 100% of the proceeds of this shirt support an early career scientist travelling to LPSC to share their work about Mars. We also accept direct donations to the grant through the store link. WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle”, and “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

NASA has selected the next landing site for its future Mars rover, Mars 2020. Jezero Crater is an incredible ancient river delta spilling in to the side of a crater. But what really makes it special, plus how and why did NASA pick it? Jake is joined by planetary scientist Tim Goudge, who led the advocacy of Jezero through the process, to explain its charm. We talk NASA’s Mars 2020 rover and Jezero Crater NASA Announces Jezero Crater as Landing Site Mars 2020 Rover Previous Coverage of the Mars 2020 Rover Episode 10 – Science meets Engineering on the 2020 Rover (feat. Sarah Milkovich) Episode 20 – Mars 2020 Landing Site Candidates Episode 48 – Zooming in on Mars (feat. Melissa Rice and Elsa Jensen) Follow Tim Goudge Tim’s Website Tim’s Twitter (@timgoudge) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) The WeMartians Travel Grant WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Check out all the new merchandise out in time for the holidays! Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Listener Survey 2018 New Merchandise! We’ve got a whole bunch of new merchandise in our shop! Check out the new designs, including Off-Nominal gear! Our Sponsor WeMartians is sponsored by MOVA Globes. Visit the site and use the code WEMARTIANS for 10% off your order of one of these really great looking pieces shipping to the Americas. They rotate without cords or batteries! Patrons, check your Patreon account for a special Patron-only discount code. Thanks to MOVA Globes for helping us explore Mars together. We wanted to feature a cool globe this episode. Given that Voyager 2 made the news this week when it entered the Interstellar Medium, we thought it appropriate to feature the Neptune design. Neptune has only ever been visited by Voyager 2! Check out that Small Dark Spot! WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle”, and “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

On November 26th, 2018, NASA successfully landed the InSight spacecraft on the surface of Mars. It was their 8th successful landing, went picture-perfect, and seemed to defy the common thought that Mars landings rarely work. Jake recounts the landing, provides historical context to the events, and asks the question of whether NASA’s entries, descents, and landings are as failure-prone as some make it out to be. We Talk InSight and Entry, Descent, and Landing Viking Press Kit Mars Pathfinder Press Kit Mars Polar Lander Press Kit Mars Exploration Rovers Press Kit Mars Phoenix Press Kit Mars Science Laboratory Press Kit InSight Press Kit InSight L-1 Briefing Paper on Drag-assisted entry at Mars Summary of Mars EDLs Previous Coverage of InSight Episode 36: Systems Engineering InSight (feat. Farah Alibay) Episode 41: Thirty Years to the Centre of Mars (feat. Bruce Banerdt, Philippe Lognonné, and Tim Linn) Episode 50: The Journey to Mars is Hyperbolic (feat. Mark Wallace) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) The WeMartians Travel Grant WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Check out all the new merchandise out in time for the holidays! Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) New Merchandise! We’ve got a whole bunch of new merchandise in our shop! Check out the new designs, including Off-Nominal gear! Our Sponsor WeMartians is sponsored by MOVA Globes. Visit the site and use the code WEMARTIANS for 10% off your order of one of these really great looking pieces shipping to the Americas. They rotate without cords or batteries! Patrons, check your Patreon account for a special Patron-only discount code. Thanks to MOVA Globes for helping us explore Mars together. Check out this antique celestial globe! It’s a reprint of Globo Celeste, by Giovanni Cassini in 1792 (no, not that Giovanni Cassini). WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle”, and “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

NASA’s InSight lander arrives on Mars on November 26th. It is an exciting event that ends the 7 month cruise phase since its launch on May 5th. But how did it get there? NASA JPL’s Mark Wallace, the Lead Trajectory Analyst for InSight’s, joins Jake and explains how to plan a journey across the solar system. We Talk InSight’s Trajectory Porkchop Plots InSight Press Kit Previous Coverage of InSight Episode 36: Systems Engineering InSight (feat. Farah Alibay) Episode 41: Thirty Years to the Centre of Mars (feat. Bruce Banerdt, Philippe Lognonné, and Tim Linn) Follow Mark Wallace Mark Wallace Twitter Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) The WeMartians Travel Grant WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Check out all the new merchandise out in time for the holidays! Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) The Off-Nominal Podcast Episode 14 with Gary Napier from Lockheed Martin New Merchandise! We’ve got a whole bunch of new merchandise in our shop! Check out the new designs, including Off-Nominal gear! Our Sponsor WeMartians is sponsored by MOVA Globes. Visit the site and use the code WEMARTIANS for 10% off your order of one of these really great looking pieces shipping to the Americas. They rotate without cords or batteries! Patrons, check your Patreon account for a special Patron-only discount code. Thanks to MOVA Globes for helping us explore Mars together. Check out their Moon globe! They did a great blog post featuring five of its prominent features, and also a sweet eclipse-primer last year that has the best GIF ever. WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle”, and “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

NASA continues to advance it’s Moon-first strategy, and commercial companies are starting to hop on board. Along with international interest, it all forms the backbone of NASA’s Moon to Mars strategy. Space consultant and founder of Astralytical Laura Forczyk returns to the show to talk with Jake about what this all means for Mars. We talk Moon and Mars Blue Origin signs agreement with OHB and MT dearMoon Airbus/Blue Origin backed Moon Race NASA’s Moon to Mars strategy Previous Coverage of Mars Strategy Episode 34 – Moon vs Mars (feat. Laura Forczyk) Episode 46 – Keeping Mars Alive (feat. Rick Davis) Follow Laura Laura’s Twitter Account Astralytical’s website Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) The WeMartians Travel Grant WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) The Off-Nominal Podcast Episode 13 with Elizabeth Howell Our Sponsor WeMartians is sponsored by MOVA Globes. Visit the site and use the code WEMARTIANS for 10% off your order of one of these really great looking pieces shipping to the Americas. They rotate without cords or batteries! Patrons, check your Patreon account for a special Patron-only discount code. Thanks to MOVA Globes for helping us explore Mars together. Learn how MOVA worked with Cassini scientist Alexander Hayes to put together the incredible Titan globe! WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle”, and “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

NASA’s upcoming flagship mission Mars2020 will send a state of the art rover to the surface of Mars. Along for the ride will be an impressive camera called Mastcam-Z which will unveil Mars in a way never seen before. Planetary scientist Melissa Rice from Western Washington University and instrument operations manager Elsa Jensen from Malin Space Science Systems join Jake to talk all about the new camera, how it’s put together and what questions it might help us answer. We talk Mastcam-Z and NASA’s Mars2020 Rover Planetary Society’s Mastcam-Z Outreach content NASA’s page on Mastcam-Z Malin Space Science Systems Previous Coverage of Mars2020 Episode 10 – Science Meets Engineering on the 2020 Rover (feat. Sarah Milkovich) Episode 20 – Landing Site Candidate Overview Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) The Off-Nominal Podcast Our Sponsor WeMartians is sponsored by MOVA Globes. Visit the site and use the code WEMARTIANS for 10% off your order of one of these really great looking pieces shipping to the Americas. They rotate without cords or batteries! Patrons, check your Patreon account for a special Patron-only discount code. Thanks to MOVA Globes for helping us explore Mars together. Learn how MOVA worked with Marc Rayman from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to put together the Vesta globe using data from the Dawn Mission! WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle”, and “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Opportunity Rover hasn’t been heard from since June 10th, and things are starting to look dire. NASA recently released a new plan to recover the intrepid Mars explorer but the plan hasn’t convinced everyone of its merit just yet. Engineer and former rover driver Mike Seibert returns to the show to talk about the plan, how it compares with Spirit’s recovery, and why some may not be as excited about it as others. We talk NASA’s Opportunity Recovery Plan NASA’s Press Release on the new Opportunity Rover Plan Is NASA’s Opportunity Mars Rover Doomed? Planetary Society’s August Deep Dive Deep Space Network’s DSN Now Previous Coverage of Opportunity Episode 29: A Teenage Rover (feat. Mike Seibert) Episode 44: Ashes to Ashes, Clay to Dust (feat. Mark Lemmon) Follow Mike Seibert Twitter (@mikeseibert) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) The Off-Nominal Podcast New Episode feat Loren Grush! Our Sponsor WeMartians is sponsored by MOVA Globes. Visit the site and use the code WEMARTIANS for 10% off your order of one of these really great looking pieces shipping to the Americas. They rotate without cords or batteries! Patrons, check your Patreon account for a special Patron-only discount code. Thanks to MOVA Globes for helping us explore Mars together. WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle”, and “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

NASA may have pivoted to the Moon, but Mars remains a horizon goal. Keeping the different departments at the Agency focused and working together towards this goal is no small task. Jake is joined Rick Davis, Assistant Director for Science and Exploration, to talk about how NASA is working to send Humans to Mars. We Talk Humans to Mars NASA’s Mars Human Landing Sites Study Previous Coverage of NASA & Humans to Mars Episode 1: The Waxing Interest in Mars (January 2016) Episode 24: Risks & Rewards (feat. Leonard David, May 2017) Episode 34: Moon vs. Mars (feat. Laura Forczyk, December 2017) Episode 42: A Culture of Safety (feat. Holly Griffith, May 2018) Follow Rick Davis Red Planet Rick Twitter Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Back to School Sale details! Twitter (@we_martians) Facebook (@wemartians) Instagram (@wemartians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) The Off-Nominal Podcast WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle”, and “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Missions to Mars don’t happen by accident. A ton of planning goes in long before the spacecraft is even selected. Understanding the consensus wishes of the scientific community is critical to putting resources into the right missions, and one group that helps gather that consensus is the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group. Jake is joined by Jeff Johnson, planetary scientist from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab and the current MEPAGC hair to talk about how MEPAG works and everything that it does. (note: in the interview, you may hear Jeff mistaken identify himself as the Goals Chair. He is in fact, the MEPAG Chair) We Talk Mars Program Analysis and the Decadal Survey The MEPAG Goals Document (2015) The 2013 Planetary Sciences Decadal Survey Previous Coverage of Mars Policy Episode 27: The Policy of Mars (feat. Casey Dreier) Follow Jeff and MEPAG Jeff’s Profile at JHUAPL’s Website MEPAG Website (JPL) MEPAG Committee Members Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Facebook (@wemartians) Instagram (@wemartians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) The Off-Nominal Podcast WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle”, and “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Get a Shirt! The storm may be huge and terrible, but it’s time is limited. If you’ve been following along, you’ll know it’ll be over…soon! Get the shirt on our shop! Or, support Opportunity as she hunkers down through the worst of it in her typical, extra-nominal way.