The WeMartians Podcast delves into all aspects of the exploration of Mars, including robotic/human spacecraft and rocket engineering, planetary science, astronomy and other upcoming technology. Our episodes are research-supported and feature topical audio clips and special guests.
80 – The Summer of Mars
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.
79 – Preparing for a Martian Launch (feat. Tory Bruno)
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/
78 – The Quest for a Piece of Mars (feat. Chris Herd)
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/
77 – Persevering through ATLO (feat. Christina Hernandez)
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/
76 – A New Science Paradigm (feat. Elizabeth Frank)
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/
75 – Virtual LPSC (Part 2)
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/
74 – Virtual LPSC (Part 1)
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/
73 – Moving ExoMars (feat. Natalie Panek)
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/
72 – Taking Stock of Planetary Protection (feat. Wendy Calvin)
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/
Ask me Anything! – Patreon Milestone Episode
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/
71 – Martian Dust Towers (feat. Nick Heavens)
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/
70 – The State of Mars 2020 (feat. Brendan Byrne & Emilee Speck)
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/
Red Planet Review – #GoingPro Edition
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/
69 – Looking for Life on Mars on Earth (feat. Teresa Fornaro)
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/
68 – The Case of the Inexplicable Oxygen (feat. Melissa Trainer)
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/