Space Podcasts I'm Hooked On

Original photo by NASA

I’m hooked on podcasts. I subscribe to 45 of them, mostly space podcasts. I enjoy listening when I’m doing work with my hands such as cooking and cleaning. Working from home, I also enjoy hearing the intelligent discussions about topics of interest to me.

With a lot of us working from home and staying in these days, I thought I’d share some of my favorite space podcasts.

Are We There Yet?

This weekly podcast by radio journalist Brendan Byrne also airs on public radio in Orlando, Florida, 90.7 WMFE. The title refers to the long road to get humans to Mars. In 28 minutes, Brendan gives quick space news updates at the start, followed by an interview with a space expert, followed by a segment with three UCF professors on space topics of interest.

Astro, Esq.

This space law podcast by Nathan Johnson, still on break from its first season in 2019, features interviews with various experts involved in space law and policy in 40 minute segments.

Constellations

This space security podcast by Kratos, published approximately twice per month, gives updates about new satellite technologies in 20 – 25 minute segments.

Gravity Assist

This NASA podcast by NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green, still on break from its third season in 2019, published 10 to 15 episodes per year. It features 20 – 25 minute interviews on NASA science missions.

Houston We Have a Podcast

This NASA weekly podcast produced at Johnson Space Center features hour-long interviews about NASA missions and technology, occasionally by astronauts.

Liftoff

This biweekly podcast by Stephen Hackett and Jason Snell of Relay FM, ranging from 30 to 75 minutes long, gives an overview of the space news topics of the moment.

Main Engine Cut Off (MECO)

This weekly podcast by Anthony Colangelo, alternates between shorter space news updates (10 – 20 minutes long) and longer interviews with experts (30 – 60 minutes long).

Mission Eve

Still on break from its first season in 2019, this weekly podcast by Meagan Crawford of the Center for Space Commerce & Finance features 30 – 60 minute interviews with women in the space sector.

NASA in Silicon Valley

This NASA podcast produced by Ames Research Center recently switched formats. It now features live recordings with multiple interviews per segment throughout the year.

Off-Nominal

This monthly podcast by Jake Robins and Anthony Colangelo features hour-long interviews with experts on various topics of interest, space-themed drinks, and space picks of the month.

On a Mission

This NASA podcast produced by JPL is still on break from its second season in 2019. This weekly podcast, 35 to 45 minutes long, features NASA science missions in a storytelling format.

On Orbit

This 30 – 60 minute weekly podcast by On Orbit features interviews by experts in themes such as “connecting the unconnected” and other satellite communications topics of interest.

Planetary Radio

Produced by the Planetary Society’s Mat Kaplan, this weekly podcast 45 – 75 minutes long features interviews with Planetary Society leaders and outside experts, news updates, an overview of what’s currently visible in the night sky, a trivia contest, and a monthly space policy edition.

Small Steps, Giant Leaps

This NASA podcast published once or twice per month looks back at the Apollo program and forward to NASA’s plans in the Artemis program.

Space Junk

This hour-long mostly weekly podcast by OPT Telescopes gives practical information about stargazing and astrophotography as well as featuring interviews with experts.

Space4U

This monthly podcast by the Space Foundation features 20 – 40 sometimes multi-part interviews with experts on a variety of space topics.

Spacepod

This monthly 15 - 30 minute podcast by Carrie Nugent features interviews with space scientists and unusual drinks.

SpaceQ

This formerly weekly podcast but now being produced a bit less often by Marc Boucher of SpaceQ features space topics of interest to the Canadian space sector, sometimes news updates, sometimes interviews, and sometimes audio recordings of events.

Supercluster

This mostly weekly podcast usually 30 – 60 minutes long features an overview of the space news of the moment plus occasional interviews with experts.

The Invisible Network

This weekly NASA podcast, currently on break, features interviews and stories about space communications and navigation in 15 – 40 minute episodes.

The Orbital Mechanics Podcast

This weekly 30 – 90 minute podcast by David Fourman, Ben Etherington, and Dennis Just features discussions on space news of the moment, a space trivia contest, and occasional interviews with experts.

The Rocket Ranch

This NASA podcast produced by Kennedy Space Center once or twice per month features 30 – 45 minute episodes on various NASA historic and current events topics in a storytelling format.

The Space Above Us

This biweekly podcast by by JP Burke gives an in-depth look of every historic NASA mission, one mission per episode, from Mercury to Space Shuttle (as of this writing, he’s up to STS-33), in 20 – 40 minute episodes.

The Space Angels Podcast (now Space Capital Podcast)

This 30-minute podcast by Chad Anderson, produced a few times per year, features interviews with companies in the Space Angels portfolio on various space technologies and other space experts on space entrepreneurism and the commercial space industry.

The Space Shot

This 15 – 30 minute weekly podcast by John Mulnix features a look back at historical space anniversaries of the week with occasional interviews with experts on a variety of space topics.

TMRO

This 45 – 75 minute weekly live recording video broadcast (which I listen after-the-fact in podcast format) features space news, interviews with experts, and space discussions.

Universe Today

This podcast by Fraser Cain publishes several episodes per week including hour-long live video question & answer sessions, 10-minute segments on a space topic, and 30-minute interviews with experts.

WeMartians

This biweekly podcast by Jake Robins features 30 – 45 minute interviews with experts on a variety of Mars-related topics.

All the above podcasts are presumably active. But I want to mention one limited-production podcast released last year:

Moonrise

This 12-part storytelling podcast series by The Washington Post’s Lillian Cunningham on the history of the Apollo program, starting from early science fiction to the Apollo 11 Moon landing, was excellently researched and produced. I learned a ton of space history from these accounts.

Since publishing this blog entry, I’ve received many great suggestions from readers! I’d like to add for your consideration:

13 Minutes to the Moon by BBC World Services

Casual Space by Beth Mund

Satellite Stories by SES

Terranauts by Iain Christie

This is not an extensive list. There are other space podcasts out there. What’s your favorite space podcast?

What it's Like to Talk about Space on a CNN TV Broadcast

My love of journalism goes back as far as high school when I really started paying attention to the news. CNN was always my favorite. Back before mobile technology made it easier, I had CNN videos streaming in the background on my school's library's computers during study periods. I still dream of meeting Christiane Amanpour.

At some point during my higher education, I considered becoming a space or science journalist. But as you may have gathered from how long it’s taking me to publish my book, I'm an exceedingly slow writer.

Five years ago over July 4th weekend, I visited my best friend who had recently relocated to Atlanta. The very first place I wanted to see was CNN Headquarters. Because it was a Friday, we were able to watch a live broadcast during the VIP tour. I hoped to someday see myself behind the camera.

CNN Center in Atlanta, July 4, 2014

(A few weeks later, my best friend and I became an official couple. We married the following year. He’s the reason I relocated to Atlanta nearly 3 years ago.)

Founding my own company gave me the opportunity and freedom to speak out and speak my mind more than I ever had before. My job became to analyze the space sector every day, living and breathing space news and progress. Journalists began reaching out to me as a source of information.

I have never been paid for a news interview. Journalism ethics doesn’t allow it and I’ve never expected it. There are great resources out there for people who want to negotiate compensation when being interviewed for documentaries and other entertainment productions, but I have yet to be asked and therefore have no personal experience regarding entertainment interviews. I speak with journalists and podcasters because I appreciate the work they do. And because it’s fun.

When I got the interview request, I dived into research. Not space research, TV broadcast research! I wanted to understand what clothing, jewelry, styles, colors, and patterns work best on camera. Blazer or no blazer? A simple necklace or no necklace? Earrings? I studied the women on CNN and noticed the current style seems to be solid colored boatneck dresses, but not owning one of those, I opted for my navy star-patterned wrap dress with simple jewelry.

Hello CNN! June 4, 2019

I arrived at the CNN Center 45 minutes early. I didn’t need to wait in the lobby long before an assistant producer picked me up and escorted me through the maze of hallways. My first stop was hair and makeup. Because I wasn’t sure about timing and expectations, I did my own makeup that morning. The friendly makeup artist said I looked all set and then proceeded to do my makeup for the next 20 minutes while the hairstylist worked behind me. I couldn’t even tell you what they did other than to add more of everything and then some. This was the first time I had gotten my hair and makeup done professionally since my wedding and I looked great!

Couldn't resist a selfie while I waited!

The assistant producer then led me to a small studio. I was positioned in a chair in front of a collection of fuzzy blue screens for background. Because the journalist I would be speaking with is based in New York City, I was directed to speak to a black screen. I had done this only once before being interviewed by HLN in a tiny Orlando studio in 2011 about NASA's planetary science budget, but admittedly I need practice. A woman clipped a microphone to my dress and adjusted the connection between Atlanta and New York.

Hello Rachel!

I know space current events backwards and forwards so I usually don’t need to prepare much for an interview. But because I am new to TV, I wrote up a script based on the type of questions I expected to be asked and did my best to repeat those thoughts in front of the camera. I had a lot to say! I took the advice I'd read about speaking in short soundbite statements to heart and made sure my prepared remarks fit within 12 seconds each, although I’m sure I spoke longer during the interview.

The gift at the end was what a CNN employee said after the interview. As he unclipped my microphone, he told me he was so excited about astronauts returning to the Moon and we should pour all our money into NASA! I advised him to tell that to his elected officials. This is the American taxpayers’ space program and every American has a say.

Of the approximately 20 minute interview, I get a few seconds of airtime during the 3 minute segment, enough for one line. I expected that, especially since one of the other interviewees was NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. It was a blast and I can’t wait to do it again someday!

The segment airs live on CNN this afternoon at 3:50 Eastern. You can watch the video on CNN’s website: https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2019/06/21/moon-2024-artemis-mission-scn.cnn

Thank You Space Journalists & My List of Space News Sources to Follow

I have a great deal of respect for journalists and the independent press. I have admired journalists since childhood, watching Murphy Brown (don't laugh) and mourning the death of Daniel Pearl. I applaud Time Magazine's 2018 Person of the Year: Jamal Khashoggi, The Guardians, and The War on Truth.

In college when I was Editor-in-Chief of the student newspaper, I considered becoming a space journalist. But I am a very slow writer and I'm not great at the objective reporting writing style. I did get mistaken for a journalist twice at space events in college and grad school, paying attention and taking notes. Even now, I occasionally get mistaken for a journalist even though I'm just an analyst who is active on Twitter.

Upon creating my own company nearly 3 years ago, I realized my freedom to represent myself and to speak my mind had significantly increased. And not only did some people want to hear my opinions, a few were paying me for it. This gave me courage to create a professional goal: contribute to space news. At the time, I didn't know if that meant I should be writing articles myself, being interviewed, or contributing to stories in some other way.

I had done both previously, minimally. Once year or so I would be contacted for a story, leading to some cool opportunities such as being interviewed at HLN studios in Orlando for a piece on NASA's planetary science budget, being featured in Florida Today's One To Watch, and writing an op-ed in favor of a new Florida spaceport. I wanted to do more but I didn't know what or how.

I signed up for a couple databases that promote female professionals as sources, though nothing ever came from that. I subscribed to an email newsletter Help a Reporter Out (HARO) that sends me a list of requests for sources from reporters three times every weekday. Requests for space sources on HARO is rare, but I was able to connect with a few opportunities. I am not really sure how the ball got rolling, but one opportunity led to another and soon reporters were contacting me (usually on Twitter) out of the blue. It helps that I follow and interact with all my favorite reporters on social media.

I didn't realize the number of times I had been interviewed or quoted in publications this year until I tallied it up. In the first year of my company, 2016: twice. In 2017: 11 times. In 2018: 31 times as of today. And two interviews done this year should be published in 2019.

I've been asked which space news sources I follow. I highly recommend looking these individuals and publications up:

Print

Alan Boyle, GeekWire

Anatoly Zak, RussianSpaceWeb.com

Andrew Jones, The Planetary Society & Space News

Brian Berger, Space News

Bryan Bender, Politico

Caleb Henry, Space News

Chabeli Herrera, Orlando Sentinel

Chris Bergin, NASASpaceFlight.com

Chris Gebhardt, NASASpaceFlight.com

Christian Davenport, The Washington Post

Doug Messier, Parabolic Arc
Elizabeth Howell

Emre Kelly, Florida Today

Eric Berger, Ars Technica

Irene Klotz, Aviation Week

Jacqueline Klimas, Politico

James Dean, Florida Today

Jason Davis, The Planetary Society & Rocketgut!

Jason Rhian, Spaceflight Insider

Jeff Foust, Space News & The Space Report

Jonathan O’Callaghan

Keith Cowing, NASA Watch & SpaceRef
Kenneth Chang, the New York Times

Leah Crane, New Scientist

Loren Grush, The Verge

Marcia Smith, SpacePolicyOnline.com

Marina Koren, The Atlantic

Michael Sheetz, CNBC

Sandra Erwin, Space News

Tim Fernholz, Quartz

Podcast/Radio/TV

Anthony Colangelo, Main Engine Cut Off

Brendan Byrne, WFME Orlando & Are We There Yet?

Carrie Nugent, Spacepod

Chad Anderson, Space Angels

David Livingston, The Space Show

Emilee Speck, News 6 WKMG Orlando

Gary Jordan, Houston We Have a Podcast

Gene Mikulka, Talking Space

Jackie Wattles, CNN

Jake Robins, WeMartians

Jim Green, Gravity Assist

Joshua Santora, The Rocket Ranch

Mat Kaplan, Planetary Radio

Michelle Thaller, Orbital Path
Rachel Crane, CNN

The Orbital Mechanics (Ben Etherington, David Fourman, & Dennis Just)

A few weeks ago during Thanksgiving week, I posted a thank you on Twitter to our fabulous space journalists for the job they do and letting them know I appreciate them and their work. The response from one journalist: we don't hear that often! If you appreciate the space news you read every day, thank the journalists who do the work to bring you that news.

My top three tips to help a journalist who contacts you:

1) Say yes. It's frustrating for journalists (and analyst) to find a source, take the time to contact them, and have them decline.

2) Respond as quickly as you can. They are on a deadline.

3) Recommend other sources if you are able. Especially if you declined the interview.

Once again, thank you to those who cover the space beat. I look forward to working with you and reading/watching/listening to your work even more in 2019.