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.
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In Extenso
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Are We There Yet?
The Space Exploration Podcast
Háblame de Ciencia
¡En este podcast hacemos que la ciencia se vuelva divertida! Liz y Aldo entrevistan a expertos académicos de la Universidad de Guadalajara sobre las inquietudes más cotidianas de las personas, pero específicamente aquello que a las y los jóvenes nos interesa para nuestro presente y futuro. Dale play y acompáñanos a descubrir la ciencia en nuestro día a día y a desenmascarar los más grandes y absurdos mitos que nos alejan del conocimiento.
39 – LPSC 2018
Every year, upwards of 2,000 planetary scientists descend upon a suburb of Houston to discuss the latest findings, share the work, and learn something new at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC). A lot of Mars happens at these conferences, so WeMartians decided to attend it in person! Jake catches up with old friends, makes some new ones, and explores Mars like never before. This year, we explore the fascinating use of Earth Analogs to help us better understand the science happening on Mars. We discuss #LPSC2018, Earth Analogs and their value at Mars What a Sinuous Ridge looks like on Earth What a Sinuous Ridge looks like on Mars Ben Cardenas’ Abstract for his LPSC talk Dante Lauretta’s Abstract – Pretending Earth was another world Jordan Knuth’s abstract on Cold Springs in Utah Paul Knightly’s abstract for his poster on Mars 160 experiments Paul tours the Mars Society Habitat in Devon Island Canada (FMARS) VIDEO Apollo 17 45th Anniversary Live Stream NASA BASALT Video Catheryn Ryan’s Poster Abstract on LIFS Past coverage of LPSC Episode 21: LPSC2017 (March 2017) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) Learn about the Orbiter Level ($1/month) Learn about the Lander Level ($3/month) Learn about the Rover Level ($5/month) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Facebook (@wemartians) Instagram (@wemartians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) WeMartians music is “RetroFuture” 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/
38 – Martian Mission Control (feat. Sophie Gruber and Reinhard Tlustos)
Behind every successful space mission is a talented team of support staff back on Earth, guiding the astronauts along the way. When we go to Mars, it will be much the same. But how can we practice these valuable skills? Mars analogues are a great way, and recently, the Austrian Space Forum completed a three week simulation called AMADEE 18. Project Manager Sophie Gruber and Flight Director Reinhard Tlustos join Jake to talk about the mission to the Oman Desert, and what it takes to get the astronauts to succeed. We Discuss Habitats, Science, and International Collaboration The Austrian Space Forum Twitter Instagram AMADEE 18 Website AMADEE 18 Press Kit Other Analogue Coverage Episode 7 – Sitting in a Tin Can (feat. Casey Stedman), covering the NASA HERA Analog mission Episode 12 – Mission to sMars (feat. HISEAS IV), covering the NASA HISEAS IV year-long mission in Hawai’i New Products in the WeMartians Shop Opportunity’s 5000 sols celebration design, EXTRA NOMINAL The Falcon Heavy TWENTYSEVEN design, now in a pullover hoodie! Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) Learn about the Orbiter Level ($1/month) Learn about the Lander Level ($3/month) Learn about the Rover Level ($5/month) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Facebook (@wemartians) Instagram (@wemartians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) WeMartians music is “RetroFuture” 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/
37 – Red Car for the Red Planet
After years of delays, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket has finally flown, sending a test payload of a Tesla Roadster with a mannequin called Starman to interplanetary space. With the launch, it becomes the most powerful rocket in the world. Jake, along with Anthony from the Main Engine Cut Off podcast, travelled to Florida to watch the launch from the Kennedy Space Center Press Site and returns to talk about the history, development and future of this fantastic launch vehicle. We Discuss SpaceX, Falcon Heavy and BFR SpaceX launches Falcon Heavy Rocket James Corden talks SpaceX on the Late Late Show Launch of STS-114, Return to Flight Early SpaceX Press Release, announcing Falcon 9 Heavy (2005) Space.com article (by past guest Leonard David) covering the SpaceX announcement Official Falcon Heavy Press Conference (2011) The Original Falcon Heavy Animation (2011) Robert Zubrin adapts Mars Direct Red Dragon Discovery-class Mission Proposal The first announced delay Delay Tracking Chart from Reddit ViaSat trades in launch for Ariane Musk talks at ISS R&D about development difficulties Post-Launch Press Conference Making Life Interplanetary SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launch Video Jake and Anthony reaction video of the launch Other Coverage of Falcon Heavy Episode 31: The Interplanetary Business Case (feat. Chantelle Dubois) Off-Nominal Podcast 5: The Volume of Anti-Starmanism Get the Falcon Heavy T-Shirt from our Shop TWENTYSEVEN T-Shirt for Men and Women 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) WeMartians music is “RetroFuture” 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/ Additional clips from the Walt Disney Corporation, RCA Records, CBS & SpaceX used under Fair Use. Clips from NASA used under public domain.
36 – Systems Engineering InSight (feat. Farah Alibay)
This year is a Mars launch window, and NASA is taking full advantage of it with their Discovery-class InSight mission. This little lander will launch in May and land on Mars in November. Farah Alibay is a Payload Systems Engineer on this mission, and she joins Jake to talk about InSight’s objectives, integrating the instruments with the spacecraft, and the MarCO technology demonstrator. We Discuss NASA InSight and MarCO NASA’s InSight Landing Page InSight’s Wikipedia InSight unfurls its solar panels ahead of launch Past Coverage of InSight Episode 2: Every Twenty Six Months (February 2016) Episode 18: The State of Mars 2017 (January 2017) Episode 35: The State of Mars 2018 (January 2018) Follow Farah and JPL NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Twitter and Instagram Farah’s Instagram 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) 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/
35 – The State of Mars 2018 (feat. Brendan Byrne & Emilee Speck)
It’s a new year, and another trip around the sun exploring Mars. Emilee Speck & Brendan Byrne return to the show to continue a new tradition of covering the year that passed and the year that will be. From robotic exploration of Mars rovers and spacecraft to the endless saga of NASA’s human spaceflight program, we take a step back and examine everything going on. Miss last year’s Sate of Mars 2017? Check it out here! We discuss Mars, Robotic, Human and Otherwise Methane Bursts on Mars (The Verge) Opportunity survives 8th winter (Space.com) Recommended Episode to learn more: Episode 29: A Teenage Rover (feat. Mike Seibert) Curiosity’s Wheels Breaking Down (Space.com) Curiosity celebrates 5 years, rock drill still out (Space.com) Recommended Episode to learn more: Episode 28: Five Years of Being Curious (feat. Emily Lakdawalla) InSight launching in 2018 (nasa.gov) SLS Delayed (The Verge) Mars is very expensive (Ars Technica) Recommended Episode to learn more: Off the Cuff “Should SLS Be Cancelled?” (for $1+ Patrons) Deep Space Gateway Plans Announced (Ars Technica) Recommended Episode to learn more: Off the Cuff “NASA’s Roadmap to Mars” (for $1+ Patrons) NASA Pivots to the Moon (Inverse.com) Recommended Episode to learn more: Episode 34: From the Moon to Mars (feat. Laura Forczyk) National Geographic’s MARS series renewed (Deadline.com) 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) WeMartians Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Facebook (@wemartians) Instagram (@wemartians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) 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/
Introducing the Red Planet Review
Hello Martians! Last month we announced some changes to our Patreon goals and rewards. One of the exciting new things we announced was the Red Planet Review, a short new weekly series that will cover the Mars headlines of the week. It’s a fun way for Jake to explore more topical things happening at Mars without filling up the intros of the main episodes with updates. Going forward, RPR will be available exclusively to our Patrons who contribute $3 or more per month on Patreon. But for the first episode, we’d like to share it with everyone and give them the chance to see what being a Patron is like. So for this one time, you’ll hear it here in the main podcast feed. So go ahead, check it out and let us know what you think! If you like it, consider joining the dozens of others who help keep this show going by contributing financially. Headlines for January 5th 2018 NASA to train astronauts in Mexican Desert (Riviera Maya News) Methane on Mars continues to spur questions (Science Magazine) ExoMars CaSSIS to get upgrade image compression software (@ExoMars_CaSSIS on Twitter) Curiosity exits its holiday plan to continue exploring Vera Rubin Ridge (AGU Blog) Opportunity waits for Orbital data at a fork in the road (NASA) American Girl releases “Girl of the Year”, 11-year old Chilean Luciana Vega who wants to go to Mars (azcentral) Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) (Remember, $3+/month gets you weekly access to more Red Planet Review) Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Facebook (@wemartians) Instagram (@wemartians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit)
BONUS – New Year, New Patreon, New Shop
Hopefully everyone is having a great holiday break. I wanted to take the opportunity during this downtime to share some of the cool stuff we just launched! This podcast is the audio version of the blog posts we put out early this week for the listeners who don’t follow along on the website or our social media. We think the message is too important to wait, and this way we don’t have to clutter up our first episode with 10 minutes of housekeeping! New Patreon Rewards and Goals Introducing the WeMartians Shop Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) Shop (shop.wemartians.com) Twitter (@we_martians) Facebook (@wemartians) Instagram (@wemartians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) Happy Holidays! WeMartians music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
34 – From the Moon to Mars (feat. Laura Forczyk)
The US Vice President Mike Pence announced that the United States would be returning to the Moon. But for NASA, this is a change from the “Journey to Mars”. So what does this mean for human spaceflight, especially for the goal of getting people on the Red Planet? Space Consultant Laura Forczyk, founder of Astralytical, joins Jake to discuss the moving goal posts of the space community and what it means for Mars. Hopefully, we’ll get to the bottom of this ever-present debate. We discuss the Moon and Mars NASA’s switch from Mars to Moon, after Vice President Mike Pence’s announcement at the first National Space Council meeting The response from space companies, like SpaceX and Blue Origin The role of international partners like ESA, CNSA, Roscosmos and more What’s next for Mars and what to look for in the future Follow Laura Laura’s Twitter Account Astralytical’s website Follow Jake & WeMartians Website (www.wemartians.com) Patreon (www.patreon.com/wemartians) Twitter (@we_martians) Facebook (@wemartians) Instagram (@wemartians) Jake’s Twitter (@JakeOnOrbit) WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
33 – Camping at Mars (feat. Danielle Richey & Steve Jolly)
Mission designs for human trips to Mars are common, but Lockheed Martin’s “Mars Base Camp” is something fresh. That’s because it’s a collaborative, orbit-first, science-focused approach, so it means the plan is a realistic path forward from NASA’s Deep Space Gateway. Complete with a habitat, a laboratory, propulsion, power and two Orion capsules, it’s a complete beachhead for a human trip to the red planet. It’s even got a lander! Listen to engineers Danielle Richey & Steve Jolly join Jake to talk about the idea and how it might become real. Links Key Twitter Follows Danielle Richey (@dmrichey) Rob Chambers (@marsbasecamper) Tim Chichan (@timcichan) Lockheed Martin (@lockheedmartin) Mars Base Camp Hashtag (#marsbasecamp) You can reach Steve via Email if you have questions Official Lockheed Martin Content The Mars Base Camp site Some high-res B-roll video of the concept Lockheed Martin’s Mars Base Camp Flickr The IAC Update White Paper Promo Video for Mars Base Camp The IAC Presentation Video WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
32 – The Four Winds of Mars (feat. Lori Fenton)
The plains of Meridiani Planum, where the Opportunity Rover is currently exploring, is home to many surface features, but none are as stunning and the wind-formed dunes and ripples. How do these features form, and what significance do they have on the overall climate and history of Mars? The SETI Institute’s Lori Fention, an aeolian geomorphologist, joins Jake to talk all about these sandy structures and share the beauty of their past and present. Links Lori’s Twitter Acount (@LoriKFenton) Lori’s Blog @ Cosmic Diary The SETI Institute (website) SETI Institute Twitter (@SETIInstitute) SETI Institute Facebook (@SETIInstitute) Big Picture Science Podcast Lori’s SETI Talk on Dunes Below: Dunes, TARs then Ripples. WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
31 – The Interplanetary Business Case (feat. Chantelle Dubois)
On Friday, September 29th in Adelaide, Australia, Elon Musk presented SpaceX’s new update to the Interplanetary Transport System. The update to last year’s presentation focused on how to make this concept more real and specifically how to fund it. To get some fresh perspective on the business case, the University of Manitoba’s Chantelle Dubois joins Jake to discuss rocket stockpiles, fleet consolidation, and how this plan plays out across government and commercial space. Links The IAC Talk by Elon Musk Chantelle’s Twitter Account (@IamNotChantelle) SEDS Canada Canadian Space Society Space Generation Advisory Council WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
30 – Keeping Track of Curiosity (feat. Fred Calef)
Without GPS, keeping track of our Martian explorers is no easy task. Data management for the thousands of photos, especially their locations, is in fact a full time job. Fred Calef, JPL’s “Keeper of the Maps” joins Jake to talk all about how we build a base map for Curiosity to help scientists get the right context for their geologic studies. Links Fred’s Twitter Account (@cirquelar) JPL’s Mars Site The Mars Orbiting Laser Altimeter dataset from USGS WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
29 – A Teenage Rover (feat. Mike Seibert)
For over 13 years, NASA’s Opportunity Rover has been exploring Meridiani Planum on Mars. The determined spacecraft has faced a lot of challenges through its mission, not least of which is continuing to operate in the harsh Martian environment. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Mike Seibert joins Jake to talk about all the intricacies of operating a spacecraft another world away. Links Mike’s Twitter Account (@mikeseibert) Opportunity’s 13th Birthday Video Planetary Society’s latest update on Opportunity Breakdown of Curiosity’s Sampling Subsystem, which Mike works on now WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
28 – Five Years of Being Curious (feat. Emily Lakdawalla)
It’s been five years since NASA’s Curiosity Rover touched down on the surface of Mars, and it’s been doing all kinds of science as it climbs the slopes of Mt. Sharp ever since. Taking a step back, what have we learned from this flagship mission so far? The Planetary Society’s Emily Lakdawalla joins Jake to discuss how Curiosity has pushed the limits of spacecraft engineering, operations, and science. Links Emily’s Twitter Account (@elakdawalla) Emily’s Profile on the Planetary Society 7 Minutes of Terror Video JPL’s 5 year review of Curiosity WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
27 – The Policy of Mars (feat. Casey Dreier)
Despite a growing influence of private organizations in the space industry, government still holds a lot of power in the direction of exploration. Space policy is a messy, complicated and mysterious affair. The Planetary Society’s Casey Dreier, Director of Space Policy, joins Jake to talk about the current affairs of Mars exploration, from the robotic side to the human side. Links The Planetary Society Become a member Casey’s profile Casey Dreier’s Twitter Account (@CaseyDreier) “Mars In Retrograde” – White Paper on the state of Robotic Exploration of Mars WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/