Space4U

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

Laura Gehl - Children's Book Author

In this episode:

 

We meet children's author and neuroscientist Dr. Laura Gehl, who's written a biography of Dr. Nancy Grace Roman, the "Mother of Hubble." Titled Always Looking Up: Nancy Grace Roman, Astronomer, the book tells the inspiring story of Nancy Grace Roman who overcame weak eyesight and gender discrimination to become Chief of Astronomy at NASA and lead the team that built the Hubble Space Telescope.

 

In addition to Always Looking Up, Laura has published a series of books introducing babies to scientific careers. Baby Astronaut was released in 2019. 

 

In addition to being a prolific children's book author with seven books from major publishers in 2019 alone, Laura Gehl is the mother of four and has a Ph.D. in neuroscience.

 

Laura tells us what it is like transitioning from a neuroscientist to a children’s book author, and how she chooses the topics and themes of her books, including the story of how Always Looking Up came to be. The idea was a suggestion from former Space4U podcast guest, Stephen Garber!

 

Laura also shares what it was like working with Dr. Roman. In the course of their conversations, Dr. Roman shared much of her schoolwork, including an essay on Galileo, an essay on the Moon, and a perfect score on a math test. These endearing elements helped to shape the book into a story children can relate to. Nancy Grace was told that math and science were "masculine" subjects, that calculations and facts were best left to men, and she should study literature or history instead.

 

We hear about Laura’s love of science and the first-ever science fair at Casablanca American School in Morocco, organized by Laura. Hear all this and more in this episode of Space4U.

 

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

Devon Greco - Narbis Founder & CEO

In this episode:

We meet Devon Greco, Founder and CEO of Narbis. Devon is an entrepreneur, product engineer, and patented inventor focused on brain-machine interfaces and neurotechnology while specializing in human enhancement technologies.

He has 18 years' experience developing neurotechnology and neurofeedback with a focus on clinical and consumer applications. Narbis was recently named the latest Space Foundation Space Certification Partner.

Devon tells us about the NASA technology used in the Narbis glasses, a complex algorithm that uses three sensors on the head to monitor brain activity and help users learn the skills needed to stay focused on a certain task.

Devon also shares a little bit about his father who inspired him to do this type of work and his passion for helping others. Finally, Devon gives us a sneak peek at the upcoming plans for his company.

Learn more about the Narbis glasses by visiting narbis.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

Richard Green - Space Artist

In this episode:

 

We meet Richard Green, an accomplished digital artist who brings his passion for aerospace and technology to life in his award-winning work. Over the course of three decades, he has created a portfolio that has inspired and awed with technically accurate illustrations and 3D models, as well as fantastic, futuristic 3D graphics, and animations.

 

His work for the Space Foundation began in 2009 as the featured artist for the 25th Space Symposium. He also created poster art for the Space Symposium in 20012, 2013, and 2019.

 

In 2009, Richard was awarded the “Neutrino Prize” in CERN/ATLAS worldwide animation competition and his work has been published in Popular Science and Scientific American. He has worked with such industry leaders as the U.S. Air Force Space Command, Paccar, Loctronix, LucasArts Entertainment & Lucas Learning, Ltd., Sony Online Entertainment, Activision, and 2K Games.

 

Richard earned a degree in Industrial Design from ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California, and his favorite (real and fictional) spaceships are the Saturn V rocket and the Millennium Falcon.

 

In this podcast, Richard walks us through his career and how he remained open to new ideas and types of work. He also tells us about his experience competing for the annual Space Symposium poster design. As the 2019 winner, Richard attended the 35th Space Symposium where he signed posters and met a future client for an exciting new project.

 

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

Chris Falk - Heatsheets President

In this episode:

 

We meet the president of Space Foundation Certification Partner, Chris Falk. Chris purchased Heatsheets with a partner from its founder, David Deigan, in 2013. Chris is an avid endurance athlete with multiple Ironman, marathon and long biking events. 

 

Chris talks about his experience as an endurance athlete and why he wanted to purchase the company. He explains what makes Heatsheets different from other mylar blankets and the space technology used to create it. We learn about the applications of the Heatsheet, not only in endurance sports but its use in emergency situations and military applications as well. 

 

Chris tells us about how veteran amputee Kirstie Ennis, recipient of the 2019 Pat Tilmann ESPY Award, used a Heatsheet in an attempt to conquer the seven summits. He explains the joy that comes from stories like hers, as well as giving Heatsheets to exhausted marathoners post-race and from hearing from military members telling stories of using the product in times of need.

 

We also hear about the benefits of the Space Foundation Certification Seal. The Certification Seal is special recognition for successfully bringing the benefits of space technology to everyday lives on Earth. 

 

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

Bob Walker - Space Policy Advisor

In this episode:

 

We meet Bob Walker, former U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania’s 16^th Congressional District, former chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Science, Space and Technology, former chairman of the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry, and current founder/CEO of Moonwalker Associates.

 

As a longtime advisor to presidents from Reagan to Trump, policymakers, and industry members on space exploration, Walker discusses topics that include: The changing landscape of the industries involved in the space program since the Moon landing 50 years ago, the advances that commercial space has made in the ensuing years, who the United States’ international competitors and allies in space are, and what his ideal personal space mission would be.

 

In covering the strengths of commercial space, Walker says, “Nowadays, people are beginning to realize that the commercial sector brings a lot of innovation, they bring a lot of new ideas, they bring more efficient technologies in many cases.”

 

To learn more about Walker’s current efforts with Moonwalker Associates, visit www.moonwalkerassociates.com or follow @moonwalkerassoc on Twitter.

 

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

Glen Asner & Stephen Garber - Historians & Authors

In this episode:

 

We meet historians and authors, Glen Asner and Stephen Garber from the Historical Office, Office of Secretary of Defense and NASA’s History Division. Glen and Stephen share insights into their new book, Origins of 21st Century Space Travel: A History of NASA’s Decadal Planning Team and the Vision for Space Exploration, 1999-2004 (NASA 2019).

 

Glen and Stephen detail the challenges and lessons learned in space exploration. This includes changes following the Shuttle Columbia accident; ongoing budget constraints and battles; the role played by politics in space exploration; and the rise and impact of the commercial development of space. As the historians they are, both Glen and Stephen also share who they wish they could interview from days of aerospace past.

 

The book is available for free on NASA.gov under the "E-Books" tab.

 

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

Shawn Cochran - Civil and Environmental Space Manager

In this episode:

 

We meet Shawn Cochran, a senior manager for Civil and Environmental Space in Raytheon’s Space Systems, a mission area within Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems. Prior to joining Space Systems, Shawn was the chief scientist for the Joint Polar Satellite System Common Ground System and the head of the Mission Data Services program for Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services. 

 

Shawn tells us about Raytheon's role in the Apollo missions 50 years ago and about Earth observation systems, in particular, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). VIIRS data supports a broad and diverse range of applications, some of which are still being discovered. In addition to providing highly detailed information on emerging global storm patterns, VIIRS generates high-fidelity sea, land and atmospheric data for a variety of other applied products, including monitoring of wildfires, drought, flooding, vegetation health, algal blooms and nighttime phenomena.

 

Shawn provides the following advice to our listeners, "Ask, for help. Never be afraid." He explains how mentorship is a key to growing and developing in your skillset.

 

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