Space4U

Athena Brensberger - Founder and CEO of Astroathens, LLC

In this episode:

 

We meet Founder and CEO of Astroathens, LLC, Athena Brensberger. 

 

Athena advocates for space exploration through her platform Astroathens, which is a website, YouTube channel and various social media platforms combined where people can find DIY videos for astrophysics demos, rocket launch coverage and look behind-the-scenes at space ports and events around the world!

 

She has worked with Seeker, Futurism and most recently Arianespace, as a correspondent on all things astronomy and rocket science. Athena conducted research on protoplanetary disks --early formation of planetary systems like our solar system!

 

Athena tell us how her passions, astrophysics, theater and fashion intersect and how space really reaches all walks of life. She is a self-proclaimed Astrophysicist Barbie.

 

Learn more about Astroathens at https://astroathens.com/.

 

Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged 

Laura Forczyk - Space Consultant

In this episode:

 

We meet Laura Forczyk, owner of Astralytical, a space consulting firm specializing in space science, industry, and policy, and offering space career coaching services.

 

Laura is a NASA Subject Matter Expert for planetary science missions and serves on the advisory boards for the Lifeboat Foundation and the Society of Women in Space Exploration. In addition, she serves as a mentor for the Brooke Owens Fellowship program. 

 

Laura tells us about her recently released book, Rise of the Space Age Millennials. She interviewed 100 millennials to write the book, exploring where the space industry is heading and what the future leaders of the space industry hope to see happen in their lifetimes.

 

Laura also does a lot of coaching with students, helping to prepare them for a career in space. In this episode, she also offers bits of advice for listeners to use in their own careers. 

 

You can find Rise of the Space Age Millennials online at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble website, or get a signed copy on Laura’s website, https://www.astralytical.com/.

 

Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged 

Will Pomerantz – Virgin Orbit

In this episode:

 

We meet Will Pomerantz, Vice President of Special Projects and Brand at Virgin Orbit in Glendale, California. He has been a part of the XPRIZE Team, a weightless flight coach with Zero Gravity Corporation, and was a founder of the Brooke Owens Fellowship. He has worked with Futron Inc., the International Space University, and the United Nations. He has also done a TEDx Talk entitled, “Why We Go: Leaving Our Beautiful Home and Exploring Outer Space.”

 

In this conversation, Will discusses how he decided space was the place for him career wise when he was growing up, his start at Virgin Galactic, what he does now at Virgin Orbit, and how small satellite launch needs have evolved. He also describes how Virgin Orbit was able to quickly pivot from launch and commercial space activities to producing ventilators to support COVID-19 efforts, taking their ventilator design from concept to production within a month.

 

In discussing future Virgin Orbit projects, Will says, “I have really come to deeply love and admire the small satellite industry. I’ve gone from being a little bit of a skeptic at first, to believing that this is something that’s going to have an enormous impact on the planet.”

 

To learn more about Virgin Orbit, visit virginorbit.com.

 

Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged

Dr. Ulyana Horodyskyj – Science in the Wild Founder

In this episode:

 

We meet Dr. Ulyana Horodyskyj, a glaciologist, geologist, climatologist, and planetologist. After earning her PhD, she went on to complete postdoctoral research at the National Snow and Ice Data Center and launched an adventure and citizen science company called Science in the Wild, which offers participants the chance to go on expeditions and collect scientific data. Ulyana is also an instructor for a citizen science program called Project PoSSUM (Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere), and a visiting professor of environmental science at Colorado College. 

 

In this conversation, Ulyana discusses how she first got interested in space and science, the meaning of “citizen science,” and shares her experiences as commander of a deep space mission simulation as a part of NASA’s Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA XII) project. She also describes the similarities between working at high mountain elevations and being an astronaut in space, offers advice for women trying to get into scientific professions, and explains what her ideal mission destination would be if she were to be selected for the upcoming NASA class for which she is an applicant.

 

In discussing her research work in high mountain elevations such as the Nepal Himalayas, Ulyana says, “Twenty [thousand] to 23,000 feet is the kind of the realm I've been working in, and you still have to function in order to collect samples for the research. I think I really just enjoy both the physical and mental challenges that come along with the high-altitude climbing and the science.”

 

For more information about Ulyana's Science in the Wild initiative, visit www.scienceinthewild.com.

 

Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged

Bill Gattle – President of Space Systems, L3Harris Technologies

In this episode:

 

We meet Bill Gattle, the President of Space Systems for L3Harris Technologies, Space and Airborne Systems Segment, which covers an extensive portfolio of solutions in intelligence, surveillance, small satellites, electronic warfare, and avionics. Previously, Bill was President of Space and Intelligence Systems for Harris Corporation prior to their merger with L3 Technologies last year. He is also a board member of the Space Foundation, the University of Florida’s Dean’s Advisory Board, and the Astronauts Memorial Foundation.

 

In this episode, Bill explains what inspired him to go into the space industry in 1987, some of the early projects he worked on, lessons learned in the Harris Corporation-L3 Technologies merger, the growing importance of small satellites, protecting our assets in space, how the creation of the Space Force is changing the space industry, as well as his thoughts on mentorship and the skills that companies like L3Harris will look for in their future employees. 

 

In discussing the steps teachers should take to get their students interested in the STEM workforce of the future, Bill said, “It used to be that we’d have a wonderment about space, so we’d just love the aspect of learning about it. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the mechanics of what we’re learning, we don’t see the wonder of what we’re creating, and what we’re doing. With the world changing so fast, I think we’ve got to create that wonder in students again.”

 

For more information on L3Harris Technologies, visit their site at l3harris.com.

 

Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged

Dr. Tanya Harrison - Professional Martian

In this episode:

 

We meet Dr. Tanya Harrison, who describes herself a “professional Martian.” She has spent the last decade working as a scientist on mission operations on multiple NASA Mars missions, including the Curiosity and Opportunity rovers. 

 

Tanya specializes in geomorphology, the study of a planet’s evolution based on its surface features. Before her Mars work, Tanya had her head in the stars as an astronomer studying the metal content of star clusters and recurring novae systems. 

 

She tells us about how she developed a passion for space and science and explains more about geomorphology. Tanya shares the detective work she does when looking at a photo of Mars and how she uses her knowledge to help further our studies of the red planet. Tanya is also an advocate for advancing the status of women in science and for accessibility in the geosciences.  She also talks about being one of the organizers of the annual Women in Space conference.

 

Tanya tells us about her new book For All Humankind, a collection of true stories based on interviews with people who watched the Apollo 11 Moon landing live but from outside the U.S. The book is available on Amazon and at ForAllHumankind.Space. 

 

You can follow her on Twitter @tanyaofmars.

 

Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged

Alan Ladwig - Author, Part Two

In this episode:

 

We continue our conversation with Alan Ladwig, the author of “See You in Orbit? Our Dream of Spaceflight.” Between 1981 and 1990, Alan held a variety of positions at NASA Headquarters, including Director of Special Projects for the Office of Exploration and Manager of the Shuttle Student Involvement Program. Alan was also Manager of NASA’s Space Flight Participant program in the 1980s, which included the “Teacher in Space” project, most famously known for its selection of Christa McAuliffe as the first teacher and civilian to be chosen to participate in spaceflight.

 

In this second part of our conversation, Alan discusses how Russia played an early role in paving the way for civilian passengers to travel to the International Space Station, the plans that four companies currently have to develop commercial space stations for civilian use, how the arts are regarded within the space community, and how the prohibitive cost of space travel hinders the democratization of space.

 

In discussing how high costs prevent more access to space, Alan said, “We want space to be an environment that is experienced by a wider range of people. Not just scientists, engineers... Not trained astronauts and cosmonauts, but people from all walks of life. Because … space is just an extension of who we are.”

 

For more information on Alan and his current pursuits, visit his website at toorbitproductions.com, and visit his Facebook page to view his space-inspired artwork. Alan’s book is available for purchase at amazon.com.

 

Click here for Part One of this conversation.

 

Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged

Duane “Digger” Carey – Former NASA Astronaut, Part Two

In this episode:

 

We continue our conversation with former NASA astronaut Lt. Col. Duane "Digger" Carey, USAF (Ret.) and current owner of One-Eighty Out, Inc. Among Digger’s accomplishments was piloting the Space Shuttle Columbia on the STS-109 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope in 2002.

 

In this second part of our conversation, Digger discusses the process of being selected by NASA, the supporting tasks that filled his years in NASA leading up to piloting the Space Shuttle Columbia, his memories of working Mission Control when the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy occurred in 2003, and the STEM education efforts he’s dedicated himself to since he retired from NASA.

 

Discussing his passion for space exploration, Carey says, “I flew in space and I saw the Earth without borders, and it sounds trite, but it’s a life-changing experience to see what the Earth really looks like from low Earth orbit, and you realize that human beings — if we put our minds to it, and we make the hard decisions, and we challenge ourselves — we can make all of these dreams come true.”

 

To learn more about Digger’s current efforts with One-Eighty Out Inc., visit the website at http://www.astronautbiker.com or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/astronautbiker/

 

Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged

Duane "Digger" Carey – Former NASA Astronaut, Part One

In this episode:

 

We meet former NASA astronaut Lt. Col. Duane "Digger" Carey, USAF (Ret.), and current owner of One-Eighty Out, Inc. Among Digger’s accomplishments was piloting the Space Shuttle Columbia on the STS-109 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope in 2002.

 

In part one of this two-part conversation, Digger talks about his humble beginnings as a kid who grew up in the housing projects of St. Paul, Minnesota, disliking school and how, against those odds, he transformed himself into who he is today. He also discusses how, during his years motorcycling and train-hopping across the country, he became inspired to pursue a college education so he could join the U.S. Air Force — setting into motion the events that led him to become an astronaut.

 

Citing the importance of confidence and determination in the pursuit of achieving one’s goals, Carey says, “The whole philosophy has to be: You see something you want to do, and you go after it, and if people laugh at you, or think that you’re not very smart, or think that you’re unprepared — let them laugh and stuff like that, because you’re going to show them in the long run, because you’re never going to give up.”

 

To learn more about Digger’s current efforts with One-Eighty Out Inc., visit the website at http://www.astronautbiker.com  or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/astronautbiker/

 

Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged

Ashlie Smith - Physical Science Teacher

In this episode:

 

We meet physical science teacher, Ashlie Smith from Cranbrook Kingswood Middle School for Girls. Ashlie was the recipient of the 2017 Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award, as presented by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation (AMF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Space Foundation. 

 

Ashlie is also a member of the Space Foundation Teacher Liaison program, a group of extraordinary educators who use space-related education programs and principles in the classroom to act as advocates for space-based education in their schools and districts. 

 

Ashlie tells us about her teaching style and how she strives to show young women the amazing careers and opportunities available to them in the space and science industries. 

 

Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged