40 years ago, the six surviving Mercury 7 Astronauts (Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Walter Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton), Betty Grissom, William Douglas, M.D., and Henri Landwirth established the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF). Since its inception, the ASF had the mission of retaining the United States' world leadership in technology and innovation to support the best and brightest STEM scholars while commemorating the legacy of America’s pioneering astronauts. From the original 7 scholarships in 1984, $8.3 million Astronaut Scholarships have been awarded to 79 ..read more

Stephen Matier is the President and CEO of Maritime Launch Services. He is also the visionary behind Spaceport Nova Scotia, a world-class commercial space complex that will launch Canada into the global space industry. Steve and his team at Maritime Launch will carry the next set of stories about space INTO space later this summer (Mission 03, currently open for story submissions) through the STORIES of Space non-profit organization.   Today on the podcast, Steve explains how space exploration was always in his background AND backyard! Steve started as a mechanical engineer (Bachelor of S ..read more

Are you ready for the April 8 solar eclipse? Don’t worry, Tyler Nordgren is THE perfect guide, and he’s here to walk us through what to expect on the upcoming solar eclipse, along with other celestial events- Tyler is an artist, astronomer, and night sky ambassador. So tune in, and get ready for this incredible event with our friend and returning guest expert and guide, Tyler Nordgren!  More about Dr. Tyler Nordgren, from his website: https://www.tylernordgren.com/  “When I’m not creating and commissioning vintage space art, I’m a professional astronomer and lecturer with a Ph.D. in ..read more

Maureen Gibbons, MD, (known on social media as Dr. Moe), is a practicing physician, sports nutritionist and life coach who also held athletic trainer and triathlon coach credentials for many years. Her board certification is in emergency medicine, obesity medicine and lifestyle medicine. Dr. Moe founded and runs a remote lifestyle medicine practice called Active Medical Solutions.  As an author and speaker Maureen seeks to spread the word that we are all “Happy First” which is the title of her first book and relates that to finding gratitude in daily life. Her private consulting business ..read more

Why is space agriculture important, possible, and necessary? Daniel Tompkins believes the present and future of agriculture can be reimagined.  Daniel Tompkins is an expert in plant medicine and agriculture, with a unique doctorate from the University of Florida that combines practical problem-solving with a focus on agriculture- a perfect mixture to explore sustainable agricultural practices for future space habitats.  Learn more about GrowMars: https://sites.google.com/view/growmars/home?authuser=0  Contract information for GrowMars:  Email- GrowMars2@gmail.com LinkedIn ..read more

Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through? Kelly and Zach Weinersmith make their triumphant return to Casual Space sharing their new book, “A City on Mars.” Beth asks Kelly and Zach to spill the beans about everything they’ve learned and extensively researched regarding space settlements. In      doing their research Kelly attended numerous space conferences, while      Zach spent numerous hours reading memoirs.      Then they presented balanced serious content with humorous interjections, in perf ..read more

Our future in space is going to be radically different with the implementation of space solar power.  According to John Mankins, space solar power is an energy application that’s going to happen in the coming decade(s); the only question is, who will build it? John Mankins has made his case. It’s a case for space solar power. John’s more than qualified to make this case, too. He’s a leading international expert in the field of space solar power, the author of the book, "The Case for Space Solar Power,” and John worked at NASA for 25 years. While at NASA, he led NASA’s studies of space sol ..read more

We’re talking tacos on the shuttle. Pizza on the ISS. And we’re washing it down with a big glass (that’s not made of glass, but rather, a well-engineered pouch) of Tang on this episode of Casual Space with NASA food scientist Vickie Kloeris!  What I enjoyed most about talking with Vickie was her career journey that she’s shared in her book, “Space Bites.”  What started as an “impulsive decision” her senior year of college (guest lectures on seafood microbiology!) turned into an incredible career adventure as the leader of NASA’s food systems, where Vickie worked to feed the hungry as ..read more

Jan Spacek is an explorer both on Earth and beyond. He has worked in the fields of astrobiology, electrochemistry, nanoscience, genomics, and proteomics searching for life within our solar system. Jan is an astrobiologist working with renowned scientist Steven Benner on expanding the genetic alphabet.  In this episode of Casual Space, Jan discusses his transition to astrobiology, his work on projects related to the search for life on Mars and Venus, and the potential for private space missions. Jan explains the importance of planetary protection, the challenges of distinguishing between E ..read more

Astronomer and friend of the show John Read is back for our first episode of 2024!    John may be working on a capstone course for his Master’s Degree, but John joins us for what John does best- helping space explorers of ALL AGES learn and be easily inspired! Have you seen his latest YouTube Channel video, “How to use ANY telescope?” Discover John’s new books, new videos and more at https://learntostargaze.com/     Today, John walks us through what to see in the night sky during these winter months, what happens when you get a UFO sighting call while working at t ..read more