This Week in Space (Audio)

TWiS 183: Lunar Lander Wanted! Apply Within - Artemis III Contract Opening Up?Lander, lander, who's got the lander? Last week, acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy announced that the agency would be re-opening the contract for the Artemis III lunar lander, which had previously been let to SpaceX to be fulfilled by their Starship Human Landing System. Unfortunately, that effort is well behind schedule, and the Trump administration has made landing astronauts on the moon, before China does, a national priority. With multiple refuelings and landing tests required, there is concern that SpaceX may not be able to fulfill their commitment before China's announced landing date of 2030. Elon Musk responded to the announcement with characteristic tack, with phrasing like "Sean Dummy" and him having a two-digit IQ. Mike Wall of Space.com joins us to dive into this rapidly evolving story. Headlines: • Texas vs. the Smithsonian: The Fight Over Space Shuttle Discovery Heats Up • Artemis II Moon Rocket Fully Assembled, Awaits Rollout • California Senator Pushes State Funding to Support JPL Amid Federal Cuts • SpaceX Sets Record with 139 Launches, ULA Struggles to Keep Up • New Super-Earth Discovered Just 20 Light Years Away Near Gemini Main Topic: The Lunar Lander Dilemma for Artemis III and Beyond • NASA Acting Chief Sean Duffy Announces Reopening Artemis III Lunar Lander Contract • SpaceX's Starship Faces Orbital Refueling Challenges and Timeline Doubts • Blue Origin Lurking in the Wings: Can They Deliver a Lander On Time? • Political Pressures: China's Moon Plans Drive US Urgency • Spacesuit Development Delays Threaten Artemis Timelines • NASA's Budget Woes and Layoffs Cloud Roadmap for Future Moon Missions • Speculation on Jared Isaacman's Potential Leadership of NASA • Broader Uncertainty Over Artemis IV, V, and Long-Term Lunar Strategy Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Mike Wall Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

1 h 10 min

TWiS 176: Beyond the Solar System - With Dr. Alan Stern, PI for New HorizonsWhat's next in deep space exploration? Dr. Alan Stern, planetary scientist and the Principal Investigator for the New Horizons mission to Pluto, joins us to discuss what we learned about Pluto, the prospects for a future Pluto orbiter, the news from the Kuiper Belt, and to talk about his experiences as a commercial suborbital astronaut. Oh, and he might just mention that he was short-listed to fly on the space shuttle! Alan is one of those people that just has one adventure after another... did I mention that he dove on the Titanic? Yeah, that kind of guy. Join us for an hour of deep space adventure. Headlines: • U.S. Faces Warnings of Losing Lunar Race to China • NASA Selects a New Associate Administrator • Third Interstellar Comet Spotted With Unusual CO2 Cloud Main Topic: Pluto, the New Horizons Mission, and the Future of Planetary Exploration • Why Pluto Was Chosen as a Prime Target for Exploration • Building and Launching New Horizons: Team Effort and Challenges • Emotional Moments as Pluto Data Arrived on Earth • Precise Navigation: Getting New Horizons Safely to Pluto • Pluto's Surprising Geological Activity and Complexity • Major Discoveries at Pluto's Moon Charon • Exploring Arrokoth: Insights into Planetary Formation • The Search for a Possible Third Flyby Target in the Kuiper Belt • The Importance of Long-Term Funding for New Horizons • NASA Budget Threats Could End Multiple Key Space Missions • The Possible Role of Kuiper Belt Objects in Delivering Organics to Earth • How Flybys at Pluto and Arrokoth Reshaped Theories of Planetary Systems • Prospects for Future Pluto Orbiters and Human Spaceflight • Advocacy for Continued U.S. Leadership in Deep Space Exploration Host: Rod Pyle Co-Host: Fredrick (Rick) Jenet Guest: Alan Stern Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

57 min

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