Episode 87 of SfS is now Live! “The Space Race: Part II”

Episode 87 of SfS is now Live! “The Space Race: Part II”

This week’s episode is the second installment in the Space Race. In the previous installment, we examined how the American and Soviet space programs were locked in a competition to “get there first.” This included sending the first satellites, animals, and astronauts/cosmonauts to space, in which the Soviets obtained an early lead. By the mid-60s, with the Gemini program, NASA surpassed its Soviet counterparts and was poised to make the Moonshot!

From 1966 onward, both NASA and the Soviets pursued the same goal: sending crewed missions to the Moon. While NASA’s efforts were bold and public, the Soviets developed their own plans in secret. In 1969, history was made when Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the lunar surface. They would be followed by no less than six more Apollo missions and twelve astronauts.

With the Space Race officially over, both NASA and the Soviet space program began to set their sights on more long-term goals. They also entered into a new era of cooperation in space, which was demonstrated in the famous “handshake in space” and would eventually lead to the International Space Station (ISS).

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Episode 86 of SfS – The Space Race – is now Live!

Episode 86 of SfS – The Space Race – is now Live!

Welcome back! This week’s episode is all about the origins and evolution of the American and Soviet space programs—in other words, the Space Race! As I mentioned in previous episodes, these programs began as an effort to research rocket technology to deliver nuclear warheads. However, a parallel struggle began as both the U.S. and the Soviets realized the benefits of reaching space. Considering the atmosphere of the Cold War, which was as much about ideology as it was about weapons, they also considered it a matter of national prestige to “get their first!”

The Soviets achieved an early lead, sending the first satellite to space (Sputnik-1) in 1958. They also got their first with the first man to space in 1963 (Gagarin) and the first woman to space in 1964 (Valentina Tereshkova) with the Vostok Program. NASA caught up with the Mercury program, which sent the first American astronauts to space (the Mercury Seven), but the Soviets were still maintaining an early lead. That would change as NASA launched the Gemini program, demonstrating that they could spend extended periods there.

The stage was set for the Apollo Program, which would decide the Space Race once and for all and forever alter the course of history. Of course, that epic story has to wait for Part II of the episode, coming soon!

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Episode 85 of SfS – India’s Space Program – is now Live!

Episode 85 of SfS – India’s Space Program – is now Live!

Hello again! In keeping with the theme of non-western space programs, this week’s episode was dedicated to the Indian space program – the India Space Research Organization (ISRO). Much like China’s space program, which was covered in a previous episode, India’s progress was incremental between the 1960s and 1980s. Nevertheless, the progress they made was foundational and allowed for many impressive developments by the turn of the century.

In addition, like other national space programs, India’s road to space was tied to the development of nuclear technology and weapons. Like China, India has also been forced to develop a number of technologies independently due to non-proliferation agreements and sanctions associated with the country’s nuclear testing. Last but not least, the steps they are currently taking parallel those of NASA and the Soviet space program during the “Space Race.”

This includes the development of heavier and heavier launch vehicles, the deployment of satellites, and sending robotic explorers to the Moon through the Chandrayaan program (“Moon vehicle”) and to Mars through the Mangalyaan program (“Mars vehicle”). All of this has served as a build-up to the creation of a crewed space program.

In the coming years, the ISRO will attempt to send “vyomanauts” to orbit for the first time as part of the Gaganyaan (“celestial vehicle”) program. They intend to follow this with the deployment of a space station, the Bharatiya Antariksha Station, which will facilitate their ultimate goal: sending crewed missions to the Moon and beyond by 2040. Follow the links below to learn more…

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Episode 84 of SfS – Islamic and Hindu Astronomers of the Middle Ages – is now Live!

Episode 84 of SfS – Islamic and Hindu Astronomers of the Middle Ages – is now Live!

Hello all! This week’s episode is part of a new segment that is semi-related to the Indigenous Astronomers series. It takes a look at major contributions and innovations that came from non-Western astronomers—i.e., those who lived outside of Greece, Rome, or Europe. Specifically, this episode deals with the astronomical traditions of Arab, Persian, and Indian astronomers from the 5th to the 16th century. Regretably, this aspect of history is often downplayed or overlooked in Western circles.

Not only were these polymaths and scholars responsible for preserving knowledge from Classical Antiquity that had been lost to Europeans. They also expanded on it greatly and brought their own traditions to the table. Such notable figures include Aryabhata, Al Sijji, Al Biruni, Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazan), and Al-Biṭrūjī (Alpetragius), all of whom challenged Ptolemy’s geocentric model of the Universe generations before their European counterparts.

Alongside Classical Hellenic scholars like Aristarchus of Samos and Seleucus of Seleucia, their works would go on to inspire 16th-century Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus to develop his heliocentric model of the Universe. In fact, it would be no exaggeration to say that the birth of modern astronomy would not have been possible without the work and innovations brought by astronomers from the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and South Asia.

Check out the links below to learn more…

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Episode 83 of Stories from Space – China’s Space Program – is now Live!

Episode 83 of Stories from Space – China’s Space Program – is now Live!

This week’s episode was dedicated to one of the fastest-growing space programs in the world. I’m talking about the China National Space Agency (CNSA), which has made several big strides in recent years. Like all major space programs, China’s was conceived amid the Cold War and was related to the development of nuclear weapons. A further incentive was provided when the Soviets and the U.S. began sending satellites and crewed missions to space.

Progress was slow during the latter half of the 20th century due in large part to the chaos caused by the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). By the 1990s, with the Tiananmen Square Massacre and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Chinese Communist Party instituted many reforms to ensure its survival. By the 2000s, this extended to its space program, and many bold programs were launched. This included a crewed space program, a robotic exploration program, and plans for a series of space stations.

This culminated in the deployment of the Tiangong modular space station (aka. Tiangong 3), several crewed missions to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), the Chang’e missions reaching the Moon, and the first Chinese mission to Mars (Tianwen-1). In the near future, China plans to create a permanent base in the Moon’s south pole region – the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). In the coming decades, they also plan to send crewed missions to Mars.

Follow the links below to learn more…

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Episode 82 of SfS – Where is Everybody? The SETI Paradox – is now Live!

Episode 82 of SfS – Where is Everybody? The SETI Paradox – is now Live!

This week’s episode was the final installment in the Fermi Paradox series. For the finale, we examine the “SETI Paradox,” a proposed resolution that asks the question, “What if everybody is listening, but no one is transmitting?” This theory reflects humanity’s own conundrum when it comes to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI): should we continue to conduct “passive SETI” (listening) or engage in “active SETI” (messaging)?

In recent years, the latter has given rise to a new field known as Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence, or METI. While most efforts to make contact with an extraterrestrial species have been in the form of SETI, a few METI experiments have been conducted over the years. The most well-known example is the Arecibo Message, which was transmitted from the venerable Arecibo Observatory in 1974. Other examples include the Pioneer Plaques and the Voyager Golden Records. There have been other examples, but they don’t begin to rival the time or resources committed to SETI.

While METI has become a field in its own right, those who are passionate about it understand that there are necessary concerns. After all, we have no idea what’s out there. What if we broadcast our existence to the Universe and it leads to an invasion by a hostile civilization? It makes sense that other civilizations would be preoccupied with the same concerns, so perhaps this is why we aren’t hearing from anyone. As you might have guessed, there is some crossover with the Dark Forest Hypothesis here.

Follow the links below to learn more about this hypothesis and the controversy surrounding SETI vs. METI:

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Talking About Grief and Trauma

Talking About Grief and Trauma

This is not something I’ve spoken publicly about much for obvious reasons. It’s painful and difficult to discuss the things in life that have traumatized us, especially when we are still dealing with the aftermath. While I addressed this in a previous post, it’s something I have not talked about on my site since. Suffice it to say, this past year has been the worst year of our lives here—that includes my wife, our Boy Jasper, our families, and myself.

Continue reading “Talking About Grief and Trauma” →

Episode 81 of SfS – An Interview with Sir Peter Beck – is now Live!

Episode 81 of SfS – An Interview with Sir Peter Beck – is now Live!

This week’s episode was special. By chance, I was able to secure an interview with Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck (yes, he was knighted!). For those unfamiliar, Rocket Lab is a New Zealand-based commercial space company poised to challenge SpaceX’s near-monopoly over commercial launches. Their first launch happened in 2009 and involved the sounding rocket (a test launch vehicle) Ātea-1 launching from their launch facility on the Māhia Peninsula in New Zealand.

This launch made them the first commercial space company in the southern hemisphere to reach space. Since then, Rocket Lab has launched over 50 smallsat missions using its small-launch Electron rocket and expanded its operations to the U.S. In the coming years, it will introduce the Neutron rocket, a medium-lift launch vehicle that will give them the capability to launch satellite constellations. Check out the links below to hear the full interview:

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Episode 80 of SfS – Indigenous Astronomy: The Aztecs – is now Live!

Episode 80 of SfS – Indigenous Astronomy: The Aztecs – is now Live!

In this week’s episode, I returned to the ongoing series on Indigenous Astronomy with a look at the Aztec Empire and its traditions. Like all Mesoamerican cultures, the Aztecs had a rich astronomical and cosmological tradition that was as complex as anything created by the Babylonians, Greeks, Indians, Chinese, and others. In fact, their traditions demonstrate the type of universality that observations of the heavens inspire.

To the Aztecs, the movements of the Sun, the Moon, and the visible planets were seen as evidence of a cosmic order. Every activity they performed during the year was dictated by this order and even influenced their urban planning. In addition, they followed two calendars: a 365-day solar calendar (xiuhpōhualli) and a 260-day ritual calendar (tōnalpōhualli). Every 52 years, these calendars would coincide, which was seen as the end of a historical cycle.

What is also very interesting is the number of ignorant misconceptions about the Aztecs that have endured until this day. These include but are not limited to the belief that the Aztecs were an illiterate culture, that they lacked the wheel, and that they engaged in ritual cannibalism. This last myth has been especially hard to shake and seems to have been assumed about many Indigenous cultures all across the Americas – including the Anasazi, Inca, and most cultures in North America.

In any case, I hope this episode proves enlightening to all who hear it and inspires them as it inspired me while researching and recording it. Check out the links below to learn more…

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Episode 79 of SfS – What is a Habitable Zone? – is now Live!

Episode 79 of SfS – What is a Habitable Zone? – is now Live!

This week’s episode focuses on something that is central to the whole search for life in our Universe (aka. astrobiology). To put it in the form of a question: “How do we know if a planet beyond our Solar System can support life?” For many decades, this question was entirely academic, with scientists assuming that systems like our own represented the standard for “habitability.” But with the explosion in exoplanet discoveries in the past decade and a half, the question has been revisited in force!

The traditional definition of a “potentially habitable” planet is based on the orbital distance where a planet could receive enough light and heat from its star so that liquid water could exist on its surface. However, astronomers and astrobiologists have come to question this limited definition based on what we have observed in other star systems and the types of exoplanets discovered. Check out the links below to learn more…

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