WMFE • 31st January 2023

In the search for life in the universe, it's time to get nuclear

The agency’s administrator announced a partnership with DARPA for a demonstration by 2027. Simply put, nuclear-powered rockets use less mass than traditional liquid-fueled rockets. That means they can take missions farther and faster into our solar system -- including humans to Mars.

But it's beyond Mars where Florida Tech’s Manasvi Lingam envisions nuclear powered missions going. He’s an astrobiologist and says this technology might help us find signs of life well beyond our solar system -- an

WMFE • 25th January 2023

Oh the places we're going, for science!

We’re in for a busy year when it comes to planetary science missions. A handful of missions are set to leave this planet on missions to the moon, the clouds of Venus, and the moons of Jupiter. And a piece of a far-away asteroid is coming home.

Jake Robins, a space journalist and host of WeMartians podcast, joins us for a rundown of these exciting missions.

The Webb Space Telescope continues to beam back stunning images of our universe. It’s also discovering new planets orbiting distant stars.

WMFE • 17th January 2023

The planet is getting hotter. Here's how NASA is measuring Earth's changing temperature

Last year was the fifth warmest on record, according to new data released by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

It continues a trend of a warming planet. Global temperatures in 2022 were 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit above NASA's baseline period from 1951 to 1980.

We’ll hear from Karen St. Germain, NASA’s Earth Science Division Director, about this new data, and how space-based assets are helping us keep an eye on our warming planet.

Then, it’s already a busy year for rock

WMFE • 10th January 2023

Neil deGrasse Tyson on the search for life outside our planet

We’re on the hunt for life outside our own planet.

“Are we alone in the universe?” is one of the fundamental questions in science. New technology like planetary robots and massive space-based telescopes are getting us closer and closer to finally having an answer.

We’ll hear from astrophysicist and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson about those efforts -- and why he’s excited about getting an answer to that question.

And we’ll revisit a conversation from August 16, 2022 with University

WMFE • 3rd January 2023

Making space accessible for all

Last month, 14 disabled crew members took a trip on a Zero-G flight from Houston, Texas, experiencing weightlessness while flying parabolic arcs.

Their mission: conduct research in microgravity. Their goal: make space accessible for all.

The research included testing new safety and communication equipment, demonstrated that passengers with visual and hearing impairments could safely fly in space, and other experiments utilizing microgravity.

We speak with Anna Voelker, Executive Director, Mis

WMFE • 20th December 2022

Inflatable space is bursting at the seams

To sustain a long-term human presence on places like the moon or Mars, engineers are looking at inflatable habitats. They’re lightweight, easy to transport, and can be used to house astronauts and equipment.

But in order to test these habitats, engineers at Lockheed Martin are pushing them to the limits.

We'll hear from Kirk Shireman Vice President of Lunar Exploration Campaigns at Lockheed Martin about how blowing these things up will help prepare them for deep space exploration.


NASA’s In

WMFE • 14th December 2022

Artemis I is back on Earth. What's next?

NASA’s Artemis One mission splashed down Sunday, ending the 25.5 day mission around the moon and back.

It’s a big step in NASA’s new moon program -- so what’s ahead? We’ll chat with Washington Post reporter Christian Davenport about the successes of the mission and next steps.

Then, the images Orion beamed back were breathtaking, and especially significant to scientists. We’ll speak with UCF’s Addie Dove about lunar science and how Artemis I is helping us learn even more about the moon.

Wrapp

WMFE • 6th December 2022

Seeing the clouds of Titan

The Webb Space Telescope has captured weather on Titan, one of the moons of Saturn.

It’s an incredible observation, made possible by the telescope’s massive mirror, its orbit and the use of near-infrared sensors.

And it shouldn’t be the only image of clouds on other worlds. We’ll talk with planetary scientist Paul Byrne about how this is just the beginning, and how the Webb telescope will help us peer into the atmospheres of planets outside our solar system.

Then, as NASA’s Orion spacecraft m

WMFE • 30th November 2022

To the moon, for good?

NASA’s Artemis I mission is past its halfway mark -- the uncrewed Orion capsule slinging past the far side of the moon. The next big step is making it back to Earth safe.

The mission ushers in a new era of lunar exploration with astronauts making the trip next. NASA wants to establish a permanent base at the moon -- are we any closer to that goal now? We’ll chat with Laura Forczyk, a space policy analyst, about the sustainability of the moon.

Then, scientists are already preparing for long-ter

WMFE • 22nd November 2022

From the moon to Mars

NASA’s Artemis I mission has made it to the moon. The milestone mission launched last week from Kennedy Space Center, ushering in a new chapter of lunar exploration.

We’ll hear from NASASpaceflight.com assistant managing editor Chris Gebhardt about that historic launch and what’s ahead for the space capsule Orion now that it’s reached the moon.

Then, a robot exploring Mars was only expected to last 90 days -- instead, it made it 15 years. Now, a new documentary is chronicling the incredible jo

WMFE • 15th November 2022

Artemis I, take three

NASA’s next moon mission could take flight this week. Artemis I is poised to launch from Kennedy Space Center as early as Wednesday morning. The mission has faced a handful of obstacles, from engine issues, a gas leak, to riding out a hurricane.

We’ll speak with Philip Metzger, a former NASA engineer and now researcher at the Florida Space Institute about the challenges of launching a new vehicle -- and what’s at stake during this launch attempt.

Then, we’ll speak with a retired NASA astronaut

WMFE • 3rd November 2022

The Pillars of Creation in a brand new light

The Pillars of Creation image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope has captivated space fans for decades.

Now, we’re getting a fresh new look at this cosmic nursery thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope.

We’ll hear from Florida Tech's Eric Perlman about this stunning new set of images and how JWST will continue to blow our cosmic minds.

Then, from birth to mid-life crisis: how can you tell the age of stars? Turns out, it’s really difficult. But researchers at Embry Riddle Aeronautical Un

90.7 WMFE • 5th April 2022

What it’s like when black holes collide

Some nine billion light years away, a pair of black holes are on a collision course. It’s a cosmic waltz that could come to an end in 10,000 years which will shake space and time. It’s now the second possible observation of two massive black holes colliding — and scientists are eager to watch the destruction.

It sounds terrifying. So why are physicists so excited for this cosmic crash? Are We There Yet’s intern Beatrice Oliveira reached out to Michele Vallisneri, a physicist at NASA’s Jet Propu

90.7 WMFE • 29th March 2022

A new era of space science takes flight thanks to private civilian missions

SpaceX is set to launch another crew of private astronauts from Kennedy Space Center — this time on a ten-day mission to the International Space Station.

A former NASA astronaut will command the mission, chartered by private company Axiom, and will fly to space with three other space tourists — an American, Canadian and Israli.

Each of those seats for the space tourist crew cost tens of millions of dollars each — and despite the out of pocket cost, those crewmembers will still have to work in

90.7 WMFE • 22nd March 2022

NASA’S new moon rocket has left the building & UAE’s Hope probe tracks a year of Martian weather | Start time: 1:30

NASA’s mega-rocket the Space Launch System has left the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center and made its way to a launch pad, ahead of an uncrewed mission around the moon and back later this year. It’s the first time a moon-class rocket has seen Launch Complex 39B since the days of Apollo and marks the start of NASA’s newest moonshot missions called Artemis.

But before it can embark on its first mission to the moon, SLS must go through a critical test called the wet dress rehearsal.

90.7 WMFE • 15th March 2022

A Florida couple heads to space on Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft

Next week, Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket is set to take 6 people to the edge of space and back. Central Florida married couple Sharon and Marc Hagle will be on the flight from West Texas.

Sharon Hagle is the founder and CEO of SpaceKids Global, a non-profit organization aimed at getting kids, especially girls, interested and excited about STEM learning. She hopes to share her experience in space with future explorers — and highlight all the different career paths that lead to space.

We’ll t

90.7 WMFE • 8th March 2022

"Becoming Off-Worldly" & the hunt for moon water | Start time 18:25

UCF assistant professor, Dr. Kerri Donaldson Hanna, is a part of the lunar trailblazer team. She is a co-investigator, where she studies the precise measurements of the lunar light to understand the surface of the moon. Lunar trailblazer is making 2 satellites that will be sent to the Moon and it will be able to identify different forms of water, mineralogy and temperature. This is expected to launch around 2025.

90.7 WMFE • 1st March 2022

Can the U.S. and Russia partnership in space last despite growing tensions here on Earth?

Tensions between the U.S. and Russia are high as the U.S. imposed strict sanctions in the wake of the Russian military’s invasion of Ukraine, but some 150 miles above Earth an important partnership between the U.S. and Russia remains: the International Space Station. Historically, the partnership between the two countries has transcended political tension here on Earth. But how long will that last?

We’ll speak with two guests with unique perspectives on the current partnership and future collab

90.7 WMFE • 22nd February 2022

Taking art to new heights. A conversation with Dr. Sian Proctor about creating a space for inspiration

Dr. Sian Proctor was one of four civilians to head to space last year thanks to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule. The mission called Inspiration 4 sent the crew on a three-day orbital trip and back. Those of us here on Earth were able to follow along with the crew through a documentary airing in near real time on Netflix.

Dr. Proctor was the pilot of that mission, becoming the first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft. In her downtime she took to art, bringing a set of watercolors to space and writin

90.7 WMFE • 15th February 2022

A year on Mars & the gift of space

NASA’s Perseverance rover is celebrating one year on Mars. The robot explorer arrived last year after a seven month journey from Cape Canaveral in Florida. It’s on the hunt for evidence of ancient life on Mars and is tasked with selecting and preparing samples of Martian rocks to send back to Earth.

While it has spent a year on the red planet, its work is only just beginning. We’ll speak with Briony Horgan, a planetary scientist at Purdue who is also working on the Perseverance mission about it

90.7 WMFE • 8th February 2022

"Alexa, take me to the moon."

NASA’s Orion space capsule will soon head on a mission to the moon and back, launching from Kennedy Space Center later this year. There won’t be a crew on board, but there will be a familiar voice. Lockheed Martin partnered with Amazon to install Alexa voice assistance on the capsule.

Engineers are also installing video conferencing tools from WebEx. It’s part of an effort to make astronauts traveling some 250,000 miles away from Earth feel more connected to the crew and their families while th

90.7 WMFE • 1st February 2022

A curious carbon finding on Mars & the long wait for James Webb Space Telescope’s first science campaign

This past year, all eyes have been on NASA’s Perseverance rover as it explores Mars during its first year on the red planet. But a robotic explorer that landed there nearly a decade ago has made a curious finding — carbon.

Specifically, the Curiosity rover found a type of carbon that, here on Earth, is associated with biological processes. So does that mean this carbon is evidence of life on Mars? We’ll speak with University of Florida astrobiologist Dr. Amy Williams about the findings and the

90.7 WMFE • 25th January 2022

The great Pluto debate reignites once more

Back in 2006, a science organization changed the classification of Pluto as a planet, sparking a debate in both the astronomical community and pop culture. More than 15 years later, a new paper is reigniting that debate.

The International Astronomical Union is responsible for classifying and naming celestial bodies. By changing the definition of planet back in 2006, the organization essentially downgraded Pluto from planet to dwarf planet.

Florida Space Institute planetary scientist Philip Met