
WeMartians Podcast (Jake Robins)
Explorez tous les épisodes de WeMartians Podcast
Date | Titre | Durée | |
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24 Aug 2021 | 105 - Icy Flows of Arcadia Planitia (feat. Shannon Hibbard) | 00:34:45 | |
Arcadia Planitia has attracted a lot of attention because of its potential as a human landing site on Mars. It's hidden water reserves, under the surface, are one of many reasons it may be ideal. Geologist Shannon Hibbard joins Jake to talk about the ice underground, and some of the interesting flows she's found. We talk Ice, Glaciers and Arcadia PlanitiaFollow ShannonFollow Jake & WeMartians
Immensely Complex and High RiskOur new design pokes fun at some of the criticism of SpaceX's Starship system. Wear it proudly! | |||
03 Nov 2022 | 131 - Juno at Europa (feat. Scott Bolton) | 00:43:30 | |
Juno has been exploring the Jupiter system since 2016, and has taught us a lot about the clouds, the magnetosphere, and the origin of the largest planet in our solar system. Now in its extended mission, it's exploring the Jovian moons in a series of flybys, including a recent pass by Europa. The mission's PI Scott Bolton joins Jake to talk about this flyby, the science results we've gotten, and what's ahead for this intrepid explorer. We talk Juno and EuropaFollow ScottFollow Jake & WeMartians
Horsepower DesignNASA's Space Launch system is shelved again until November, which means the horse is headed back to the barn, so to speak. But hey, maybe you like horses! If so, try on the new t-shirt design at the WeMartians shop today! Sometimes, a horse works just fine (space programs not included). | |||
03 Aug 2021 | 104 - The Gooey Centre of Mars (feat. Simon Stähler) | 00:40:31 | |
Over two years ago, NASA's InSight lander touched down on Mars and began listening for mars quakes. Now, scientists have used these data to reveal the interior structure of Mars. ETH Zurich's Simon Stähler joins Jake to talk about these results, how they help us understand Mars, and what we can do with this knowledge as we explore the rest of the solar system. We talk InSight and SEIS
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Tharsis Planetary ParkOur new design celebrates the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Mariner 9 mission, first spacecraft to orbit Mars. Get it on a shirt or a coffee mug today! | |||
20 Jul 2021 | 103 - Space Lasers on Mars (feat. Nina Lanza) | 00:40:19 | |
With the arrival of Perseverance at Jezero Crater, NASA now operates two space laser instruments - ChemCam and SuperCam. Together, they are exploring Mars' past by understanding the chemistry and mineralogy of the rocks. ChemCam's principal investigator Nina Lanza joins Jake to discuss the both instruments, what they're up to, and what we're learning from them. We talk ChemCam and SuperCamFollow Nina, ChemCam and SuperCamFollow Jake & WeMartians
Tharsis Planetary ParkOur new design celebrates the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Mariner 9 mission, first spacecraft to orbit Mars. Get it on a shirt or a coffee mug today! | |||
22 Mar 2022 | 117 - Back to Venus (LPSC 2022) | 00:33:56 | |
Since the last time the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference was held in person, the Venus community went from 0 to 3 missions on the books. Their energy at the conference was electric, and Jake catches up with people working on all three of the missions to find out how they're preparing for this sudden resurgence in study, and how VERITAS, EnVision, and DAVINCI will help us uncover the fascinating mysteries of the 2nd planet. We talk Venus, VERITAS, EnVision and DAVINCI.Follow Sue, Thomas and MargaretFollow Jake & WeMartians
Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Great Red Spot Planetary Park DesignCelebrate Pioneer 10's 50th launch anniversary with the Great Red Spot Planetary Park design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to cross the asteroid belt and explore Jupiter up close! | |||
10 Jan 2023 | 133 - The State of the Moon (feat. Brendan Byrne and Emilee Speck) | 00:42:37 | |
Last year saw a successful Artemis 1 flight, the launch of multiple lunar robotic missions, and the continued development of the CLPS program. What's ahead for 2023? Will it continue this string of exciting progress in lunar exploration? Friends of the show and space reporters Brendan Byrne and Emilee Speck join Jake to talk it through. Follow Brendan and EmileeFollow Jake & WeMartians
Horsepower DesignNASA's Space Launch system finally got the job done, that trusty old steed. Do you like horses as much as I do? If so, try on the new t-shirt design at the WeMartians shop today! Sometimes, a horse works just fine (space programs may or may not be included). | |||
09 Feb 2023 | 135 - A Farewell to InSight (feat. Bruce Banerdt) | 00:55:06 | |
NASA's InSight mission landed in 2018 and completed its primary mission two years later. From there it pursued an extended mission, gathering as much scientific data as it could before ultimately ending late last year as dust on the solar panels starved it of energy. Dr. Bruce Banerdt, the Principal Investigator for the mission, joins Jake to talk about its legacy and successes, and where we go from here. Follow BruceFollow Jake & WeMartians
Horsepower DesignNASA's Space Launch system finally got the job done, that trusty old steed. Do you like horses as much as I do? If so, try on the new t-shirt design at the WeMartians shop today! Sometimes, a horse works just fine (space programs may or may not be included). | |||
04 Oct 2022 | 129 - Sailing the Clouds of Venus (feat. Paul Byrne) | 00:45:30 | |
The clouds of Venus have long been a dream of humans to explore, and at last a mission concept called Phantom could be here to do it! But the road ahead for this idea is neither straight nor easy. Paul Byrne joins Jake to talk about how it will help us understand the solar system, and why it might not even get the chance to compete for a spot. We talk Phantom and New Frontiers 5Follow PaulFollow Jake & WeMartians
Horsepower DesignNASA's Space Launch system is shelved again until November, which means the horse is headed back to the barn, so to speak. But hey, maybe you like horses! If so, try on the new t-shirt design at the WeMartians shop today! Sometimes, a horse works just fine (space programs not included). | |||
15 Jun 2022 | 123 - A Moon-Sized Opportunity (feat. Brett Denevi) | 00:48:51 | |
NASA is headed to the Moon in more ways than one. A coalition of human spaceflight, planetary science, and commercialization advocates stand to make an exciting decade of Lunar exploration. But such a collaboration does not come easy, and there's lot of work to get done before we execute it. Planetary Scientist Brett Denevi joins Jake to talk about the opportunities, the challenges, and the incredible science that awaits. We talk NASA and the Moon
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Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Probe Uranus DesignLean in to the jokes and stand behind the Decadal Survey's recommendation to probe Uranus by picking up the new design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. Explore the mysteries of Uranus today. | |||
29 Jan 2023 | 134 - Blood, Sweat, and Rockets (feat. MG Lord) | 00:41:46 | |
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has a storied history of exploration, but if you go back far enough the stories get pretty wild. Its early days feature a gutsy team of rocket engineers blowing up engines in the hills around Pasadena while moonlighting as communists and occultists. This "Suicide Squad" is featured in a new podcast series by MG Lord, and MG joins Jake to talk about it. Follow MG LordFollow Jake & WeMartians
Horsepower DesignNASA's Space Launch system finally got the job done, that trusty old steed. Do you like horses as much as I do? If so, try on the new t-shirt design at the WeMartians shop today! Sometimes, a horse works just fine (space programs may or may not be included). | |||
24 May 2022 | 122 - Uranus Awaits (feat. Amy Simon) | 00:34:43 | |
Last month, the new Planetary Science Decadal Survey was released and recommended as its top flagship mission a Uranus Orbiter and Probe. It's been 36 years since we last visited the Ice Giant, and now the science community is ready to take a closer look. Dr. Amy Simon from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center joins Jake to talk about the mission, how it works, and why it's so important to understand the Ice Giants. We talk Uranus, Orbiters and Probes
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Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Probe Uranus DesignLean in to the jokes and stand behind the Decadal Survey's recommendation to probe Uranus by picking up the new design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. Explore the mysteries of Uranus today. Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to cross the asteroid belt and explore Jupiter up close! | |||
08 Mar 2022 | 116 - China and the Planets (feat. Andrew Jones) | 00:50:00 | |
China has recently released a white paper outlining the next five years in spaceflight and it includes some interesting plans for the exploration of the planets. From lunar ambitions to Martian ones, Jupiter and beyond, China has big sights set. Andrew Jones returns to the show to talk about these plans and what China hopes to accomplish. We talk Zhurong, Chang'e, and the Chinese National Space AdministrationFollow Andrew
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Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Great Red Spot Planetary Park DesignCelebrate Pioneer 10's 50th launch anniversary with the Great Red Spot Planetary Park design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to cross the asteroid belt and explore Jupiter up close! | |||
16 Feb 2021 | 92 - Hope Arrives at Mars (feat. Sarah Al Amiri) | 00:32:18 | |
The United Arab Emirates Space Agency became the first Arab nation to send an interplanetary probe to Mars this week. Minister of State for Advanced Sciences, UAE Space Agency Chair and Hope Science Lead Sarah Al Amiri joins Jake to talk about the spacecraft's arrival, what's next, and what it means for the UAE and the world. We talk Mars HopeFollow Sarah and the UAE Space AgencyFollow Jake & WeMartians
Perseverance Landing LivestreamJoin us for WeMartians Live on YouTube as NASA's Perseverance Rover lands on Mars! Co-host Tanya Harrison joins Jake with special guests Debarati Das, Dave Buecher and Mike Seibert. Learn more at www.wemartians.com/2020live WeMartians Season 5 Mission Patches Now AvailableCelebrate the arrival of Hope, Tianwen-1 and Perseverance with our Season 5 Mission Patch, featuring art by Beth Kerner. Available on the WeMartians Shop. | |||
20 Apr 2021 | 97 - The Future of Mars Exploration (feat. Bruce Jakosky) | 00:40:15 | |
As NASA embarks on a journey to return samples from Mars, the Mars Program faces a challenge maintaining a diverse portfolio of spacecraft alongside the cost of its flagship missions. Planetary Scientist and MAVEN Principal Investigator Bruce Jakosky chaired the Mars Architecture Strategy Working Group and was tasked with helping NASA figure out how to solve it. He joins Jake to talk about how we can keep exploring the whole planet while focusing so many resources into samples. We talk Mars Exploration Program at NASAFollow Bruce JakosksyFollow Jake & WeMartians
Ingenuity First Flight Commemorative Mug now available!Celebrate the first flight of the Mars Helicopter Ingenuity with this commemorative coffee mug, now available in the WeMartians Shop. Sticker Packs now available!Head over to the WeMartians shop and pick up our new Sticker Pack, featuring stickers of WeMartians, Off-Nominal, the JPL Parachute and Perseverance's wheel! | |||
23 Feb 2021 | 93 - WeMartians Live - Mars 2020 Perseverance Lands on Mars | 01:07:07 | |
We talk the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing
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WeMartians Season 5 Mission Patches Now AvailableCelebrate the arrival of Hope, Tianwen-1 and Perseverance with our Season 5 Mission Patch, featuring art by Beth Kerner. Available on the WeMartians Shop. | |||
23 Nov 2021 | 110 - The Ancient Floods of Mars (feat. Tim Goudge) | 00:44:21 | |
Mars' river valleys are an iconic feature, formed billions of years ago in a different climate. Planetary Scientist Tim Goudge joins Jake to talk about how they were formed, and how one such formation method may have been more important than we once thought. We talk Mars river valley networkFollow TimFollow Jake & WeMartians
Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Tharsis Planetary ParkCelebrate Mariner 9's 50th anniversary with the Tharsis Planetary Park design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. | |||
09 Aug 2022 | 127 - Checking in on CLPS (feat. Anthony Colangelo) | 00:46:50 | |
The Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program (CLPS) began in 2018 with the promise of bootstrapping a new, inexpensive lunar delivery economy; it was to be a pathway for lunar science to the Moon's surface. Since then, a handful of companies have been racing to get the first launches off, but it hasn't all been smooth sailing. Main Engine Cut Off's Anthony Colangelo joins Jake to talk about their progress, and what we should keep an eye on as the first launches approach. We talk Commercial Lunar Payload Services
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Artemis 1 Launch EventsArtemis 1 is coming! If you're in the Cape Canaveral area around launch, we should meet up! Add your name to this mailing list for updates. Probe Uranus DesignLean in to the jokes and stand behind the Decadal Survey's recommendation to probe Uranus by picking up the new design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. Explore the mysteries of Uranus today. | |||
22 Feb 2022 | 115 - Pieces of Mars (feat. Avi Okon) | 00:50:23 | |
The Perseverance rover has been exploring Mars for over a year now, and in that time it has collected six different rock cores. But these cores did not come easy, and Mars has thrown more than a couple curveballs at the rover operations team during this time. JPL's Avi Okon joins Jake to talk about these challenges, and how the sample caching system has performed throughout the first year. We talk Perseverance, Drills, and Rock Samples
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Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Dare Mighty Things DesignCelebrate Perseverance's landing anniversary with the Dare Mighty Things design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. | |||
16 Mar 2021 | 95 - Big Rocket Roundup (feat. Anthony Colangelo) | 00:50:05 | |
The next two years could see multiple new heavy lift rockets enter the space world, bringing with them the capability to send bigger and better payloads to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Main Engine Cut Off Podcast host Anthony Colangelo joins Jake to catch us up on the latest developments in SLS, New Glenn, Vulcan and Starship. We talk Big Rockets
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WeMartians Season 5 Mission Patches Now AvailableCelebrate the arrival of Hope, Tianwen-1 and Perseverance with our Season 5 Mission Patch, featuring art by Beth Kerner. Available on the WeMartians Shop. Sticker Packs now available!Head over to the WeMartians shop and pick up our new Sticker Pack, featuring stickers of WeMartians, Off-Nominal, the JPL Parachute and Perseverance's wheel! | |||
08 Jun 2021 | 101 - SmartSuit (feat. Ana Diaz Artiles) | 00:40:32 | |
Today's space suits get the job done, but come with drawbacks that slow astronauts down, cause fatigue and injury, and introduce risks to the mission. Engineer Ana Diaz Artiles joins Jake to talk about her NASA-funded SmartSuit concept, which could solve many of these problems for future astronauts. We talk SmartSuit and space suitsFollow Ana & The Bioastronautics Lab
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Tharsis Planetary ParkOur new design celebrates the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Mariner 9 mission, first spacecraft to orbit Mars. Get it on a shirt or a coffee mug today! | |||
27 Apr 2021 | 98 - Ingenuity Takes Flight (feat. Teddy Tzanetos) | 00:45:19 | |
NASA made history this week as it flew Ingenuity, the Mars Helicopter, for the first time. The small technology demonstrator is the first powered aircraft to fly on another planet. JPL engineer Teddy Tzanetos joins Jake to talk about how it works, how it came together, and what he hopes its success does for space exploration. We talk Ingenuity the Mars Helicopter
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Ingenuity First Flight Commemorative Mug now available!Celebrate the first flight of the Mars Helicopter Ingenuity with this commemorative coffee mug, now available in the WeMartians Shop. Sticker Packs now available!Head over to the WeMartians shop and pick up our new Sticker Pack, featuring stickers of WeMartians, Off-Nominal, the JPL Parachute and Perseverance's wheel! | |||
12 Jul 2022 | 125 - Spiralling Down to Mercury (feat. Lina Hadid) | 00:36:56 | |
BepiColombo, a joint mission between ESA and JAXA, is on a long meandering journey to Mercury. Last month, it made its 2nd of six flybys of the innermost planet, spiralling its trajectory down to a place where it can enter orbit. Lina Hadid, a space plasma physicist from the Laboratoire de Physique des Plasma in Paris, joins Jake to talk about the flyby campaigns, what science we can do on them, and how we're warming up for the big show. We talk Mercury and BepiColomboFollow LinaFollow Jake & WeMartians
Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Probe Uranus DesignLean in to the jokes and stand behind the Decadal Survey's recommendation to probe Uranus by picking up the new design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. Explore the mysteries of Uranus today. | |||
13 Oct 2021 | 107 - Perseverance in Conjunction (feat. Vivian Sun) | 00:43:00 | |
The Perseverance Rover has been operating for over 200 sols already. It's travelled far with the help of the Ingenuity helicopter and is already delivering great science, including acquiring its first rock sample. NASA JPL's Vivian Sun joins Jake to talk about the mission's successes and failures, and what we can expect from it next. We talk Perseverance Rover
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Wheels DownPick up your Perseverance Wheels Down design at the WeMartians shop today! | |||
27 Jul 2022 | 126 - Ten Years of Being Curious (feat. Abigail Fraeman) | 00:42:27 | |
Curiosity landed on Mars ten years ago and has been exploring Gale Crater ever since. After achieving its primary mission, it's embarked on a series of extended missions to continue to unravel mysteries in the rocks. Deputy Project Scientist for the mission Abigail Fraeman joins Jake to talk about her favourite moments and to discuss what comes next for the impressive rover. We talk Curiosity and MarsFollow Abby and CuriosityFollow Jake & WeMartians
Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Probe Uranus DesignLean in to the jokes and stand behind the Decadal Survey's recommendation to probe Uranus by picking up the new design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. Explore the mysteries of Uranus today. | |||
19 Jan 2021 | 90 – Volcanos on Mars (feat. Davitia James) | 00:35:26 | |
Much like Earth, Mars is a volcanic world and is home to the largest volcanos in the solar system. But it's activity has quieted since its early eras and volcanism on Mars today is quite different than what we have here on Earth. Planetary Vulcanologist Davitia James joins Jake to talk about the similarities and differences of these volcanos, and what else we need to learn about them. We talk volcanos on MarsFollow Davitia
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13 Dec 2022 | 132 - Artemis Ahead (feat. Eric Berger) | 00:35:26 | |
The Artemis I Orion capsule splashed down in the Pacific this week, a triumphant finale to a mission that faced so many challenges getting to launch. With Artemis I behind us, what's ahead for the Artemis program and the road to a lunar landing? Ars Technica journalist Eric Berger joins Jake to talk about the future of the program and the challenges it will face. We Orion, SLS, Starship and Artemis
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Horsepower DesignNASA's Space Launch system finally got the job done, that trusty old steed. Do you like horses as much as I do? If so, try on the new t-shirt design at the WeMartians shop today! Sometimes, a horse works just fine (space programs may or may not be included). | |||
09 Nov 2021 | 109 - Remembering Mariner 9 (feat. William K. Hartmann) | 00:55:26 | |
Fifty years ago this month, the Mariner 9 mission became the first spacecraft to orbit another planet beyond Earth. It created the first global map of Mars and set the course for Martian exploration for the next five decades. Dr. William K Hartmann was a co-investigator on the mission and wrote the book The New Mars: Discoveries of Mariner 9, and he joins Jake to talk about the impact this mission has, even today. We talk Mariner 9Follow BillFollow Jake & WeMartians
Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Tharsis Planetary ParkCelebrate Mariner 9's 50th anniversary with the Tharsis Planetary Park design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. | |||
02 Feb 2021 | 91 - Canadarm3 (feat. Ken Podwalski) | 00:43:31 | |
NASA's Lunar Gateway is an international partnership that plans to put a small station in orbit around the Moon in 2024. Canada, the first country to join the program, will contribute a next-generation robotic arm to facilitate the station's work - Canadarm3. Ken Podwalski, Gateway Program Manager at the Canadian Space Agency, joins Jake to talk about the arm, it's role at Gateway, and Canada's plans for the future in space. We talk Canadarm3 and Gateway
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30 Mar 2021 | 96 - LPSC 2021 | 00:36:15 | |
This year, the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference goes virtual, and Jake reports "live" to catch up on mission updates and science themes. Scientists Sabrina Khan, Alyssa Pascuzzo, and Eva Scheller join Jake to report some interesting results from Mars. We talk Mars Planetary Science
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WeMartians Season 5 Mission Patches Now AvailableCelebrate the arrival of Hope, Tianwen-1 and Perseverance with our Season 5 Mission Patch, featuring art by Beth Kerner. Available on the WeMartians Shop. Sticker Packs now available!Head over to the WeMartians shop and pick up our new Sticker Pack, featuring stickers of WeMartians, Off-Nominal, the JPL Parachute and Perseverance's wheel! | |||
18 Oct 2022 | 130 - Voyager at 45 (feat. Linda Spilker) | 00:38:08 | |
Voyagers 1 and 2 have been exploring our solar system for over 45 years now. Despite the age of their instruments and computers and power source, they continue to deliver scientific data and contribute to present day discovery. Dr. Linda Spilker, who worked on Voyager since its launch, joins Jake to talk about its value today and its legacy tomorrow. We talk Voyager 1 and 2Follow LindaFollow Jake & WeMartians
Horsepower DesignNASA's Space Launch system is shelved again until November, which means the horse is headed back to the barn, so to speak. But hey, maybe you like horses! If so, try on the new t-shirt design at the WeMartians shop today! Sometimes, a horse works just fine (space programs not included). | |||
14 Dec 2021 | 2021 Holiday Content | 00:04:34 | |
Hi there, Martians! The holidays are here and we're on our break until the new year, but I don't want you to be without content! Listen in to some info about two other shows you can check out: Off-Nominal and Red Planet Review. ContentFollow Jake & WeMartians
Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Tharsis Planetary ParkCelebrate Mariner 9's 50th anniversary with the Tharsis Planetary Park design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. | |||
08 Feb 2022 | 114 - New Beginnings for MAVEN (feat. Shannon Curry) | 00:46:39 | |
NASA's MAVEN spacecraft is about to embark on its 5th extended mission observing the atmosphere of Mars, at a time when the sun's activity reaches a peak. The new PI for the mission, Dr. Shannon Curry, joins Jake to talk about this new mission, why it's so exciting, and how the work MAVEN is doing contributes to the overall exploration of our solar system. We talk MAVEN, Mars, and the SunFollow ShannonFollow Jake & WeMartians
Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Tharsis Planetary ParkCelebrate Mariner 9's 50th anniversary with the Tharsis Planetary Park design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. | |||
11 Jan 2022 | 112 - Artemis in 2022 (feat. Brendan Byrne and Emilee Speck) | 00:43:06 | |
NASA's flagship human spaceflight program Artemis got through a tough 2021 and has a challenging 2022 ahead of it. Space reporters Brendan Byrne and Emilee Speck join Jake to talk about these challenges, and what we're excited to cover in the year to come. We talk Artemis, SLS, Starship, and Astronauts
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Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Tharsis Planetary ParkCelebrate Mariner 9's 50th anniversary with the Tharsis Planetary Park design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. | |||
08 Dec 2021 | 111 - Space Genes (feat. Chris Mason) | 00:31:20 | |
Space is a dangerous and challenging environment for the human body, but we're not completely helpless against it. One way to adapt ourselves to space is to unlock the power of the human gene. Geneticist Dr Chris Mason joins Jake to talk about his book The Next 500 Years where he lays out the science behind gene therapy and how it can help us leave Earth to Mars and beyond. We talk humans, genes and spaceFollow ChrisFollow Jake & WeMartians
Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Tharsis Planetary ParkCelebrate Mariner 9's 50th anniversary with the Tharsis Planetary Park design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. | |||
02 Mar 2021 | 94 - Guiding Perseverance to the Ground (feat. Swati Mohan) | 00:42:19 | |
NASA landed its 9th successful surface mission and 5th rover on Mars, Perseverance. To place is safely in the treacherous Jezero Crater, Perseverance used two new technologies: Range Trigger and Terrain Relative Navigation. Mars 2020 Guidance, Navigation and Controls Operations Lead Swati Mohan joins Jake to talk about these technologies and how they did their job so well. We talk Perseverance Entry, Descent, and LandingFollow Swati and Mars 2020Follow Jake & WeMartians
WeMartians Season 5 Mission Patches Now AvailableCelebrate the arrival of Hope, Tianwen-1 and Perseverance with our Season 5 Mission Patch, featuring art by Beth Kerner. Available on the WeMartians Shop. Dare Mighty Things Parachute DesignHead over to the WeMartians shop and pick up the Dare Mighty Things t-shirt design, fashioned after the Perseverance parachute. | |||
26 Oct 2021 | 108 - Space, UAE, and the World (feat. Sarwat Nasir) | 00:34:10 | |
The UAE started their space agency in 2014 and have accelerated at a remarkable pace since then, including putting their first orbiter around Mars this year. The work continues with new mission announcements, astronaut selections and more. Dubai-based space journalist Sarwat Nasir joins Jake to report on Expo 2021 and IAC 2021, two back to back space conferences happening in the UAE. We talk UAE, Space and the World
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Wheels DownPick up your Perseverance Wheels Down design at the WeMartians shop today! | |||
30 Jan 2023 | Goodbye, for now | 00:04:41 | |
After seven years of exploring the solar system, Jake is ready to move on to new projects. Hear his final thoughts on WeMartians. Stay in Touch | |||
01 Jan 2022 | Red Planet Review - Jan 1, 2022 | 00:10:49 | |
In this free episode of Red Planet Review, Jakes keeps you up to date on Perseverance's new sample, Curiosity's holiday break, and the regulatory process for SpaceX big new rocket. Headlines
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Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Tharsis Planetary ParkCelebrate Mariner 9's 50th anniversary with the Tharsis Planetary Park design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. | |||
03 May 2022 | 120 - The Decadal Survey Part 1 (feat. Casey Dreier) | 00:58:45 | |
Every ten years, the National Academies convenes an extraordinary survey of the planetary science community to produce a recommendation for NASA on what to prioritize in planetary exploration for the next decade. It's a remarkable endeavour to scientifically and democratically determine a consensus on questions, priorities and methods used to explore the planets. Casey Dreier, Chief Advocate of the Planetary Society, joins Jake in an epic two part podcast series to discuss everything the report contains and how it will affect planetary science to come. We talk Findings and Recommendations of the Planetary Science Decadal Survey
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Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Probe Uranus DesignLean in to the jokes and stand behind the Decadal Survey's recommendation to probe Uranus by picking up the new design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. Explore the mysteries of Uranus today. | |||
05 Apr 2022 | 118 - Planetary Exploration at Rocket Lab (feat. Peter Beck) | 00:35:12 | |
Rocket Lab is about more than just rockets. With their Photon bus, they can provide an end to end platform service to enable low-cost planetary exploration to multiple destinations. With flights coming up to the Moon, Venus and Mars, they've become an important player in the planetary exploration space. CEO Peter Beck joins Jake to talk about their approach and why it's important. We talk Rockets, Planets, and More
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Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Great Red Spot Planetary Park DesignCelebrate Pioneer 10's 50th launch anniversary with the Great Red Spot Planetary Park design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to cross the asteroid belt and explore Jupiter up close! | |||
03 May 2022 | 121 - The Decadal Survey Part 2 (feat. Casey Dreier) | 00:49:20 | |
Every ten years, the National Academies convenes an extraordinary survey of the planetary science community to produce a recommendation for NASA on what to prioritize in planetary exploration for the next decade. It's a remarkable endeavour to scientifically and democratically determine a consensus on questions, priorities and methods used to explore the planets. Casey Dreier, Chief Advocate of the Planetary Society, joins Jake in an epic two part podcast series to discuss everything the report contains and how it will affect planetary science to come. We talk Findings and Recommendations of the Planetary Science Decadal Survey
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Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Probe Uranus DesignLean in to the jokes and stand behind the Decadal Survey's recommendation to probe Uranus by picking up the new design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. Explore the mysteries of Uranus today. | |||
19 Sep 2022 | 128 - Time Travelling | 00:32:11 | |
NASA's SLS rocket has been in development for over a decade and at last was ready to take off from the Space Coast. But leaks and other technical problems thwarted it on its first attempts. Jake travelled to Florida to see it and reports on how it went, and how weaknesses in the program's architecture don't end at lift off. We talk the Space Launch System
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Probe Uranus DesignLean in to the jokes and stand behind the Decadal Survey's recommendation to probe Uranus by picking up the new design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. Explore the mysteries of Uranus today. Used under fair use: | |||
19 Apr 2022 | 119 - Cryovolcanism on Pluto (feat. Kelsi Singer) | 00:36:07 | |
New Horizons flew past Pluto in 2015 but work continues on discovering its secrets. One area of study is the activity of so called cryovolcanoes, icy mounds spewing liquidy water and reshaping Pluto's surface. Dr. Kelsi Singer, deputy project scientist for New Horizons, joins Jake to talk about her recent paper on the subject. We talk Pluto, cryovolcanoes and subsurface oceansFollow Kelsi and New HorizonsFollow Jake & WeMartians
Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Great Red Spot Planetary Park DesignCelebrate Pioneer 10's 50th launch anniversary with the Great Red Spot Planetary Park design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to cross the asteroid belt and explore Jupiter up close! | |||
22 Jun 2021 | 102 - Bus Stops to the Moon (feat. Paul Bookout) | 00:36:45 | |
The Orion spacecraft isn't the only payload flying on the Artemis 1 launch. NASA's new SLS rocket is also taking 13 secondary payloads to deep space, from science missions to tech demonstrations. Paul Bookout from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center joins Jake to talk about these payloads and how they integrate with the main mission. We talk Artemis 1 SLS secondary payloadsFollow Paul and SLSFollow Jake & WeMartians
Tharsis Planetary ParkOur new design celebrates the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Mariner 9 mission, first spacecraft to orbit Mars. Get it on a shirt or a coffee mug today! | |||
11 May 2021 | 99 - A SpaceX Moon Lander for Artemis (feat. Casey Dreier) | 00:48:01 | |
NASA has selected SpaceX's Starship to receive the sole award to take NASA astronauts to the surface of the Moon for the Artemis program. It's a non-traditional choice for NASA, and The Planetary Society's Chief Advocate Casey Dreier joins Jake to talk about what this means going forward for NASA and space exploration. We talk SpaceX Starship and ArtemisFollow Casey Dreier
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Ingenuity First Flight Commemorative Mug now available!Celebrate the first flight of the Mars Helicopter Ingenuity with this commemorative coffee mug, now available in the WeMartians Shop. Sticker Packs now available!Head over to the WeMartians shop and pick up our new Sticker Pack, featuring stickers of WeMartians, Off-Nominal, the JPL Parachute and Perseverance's wheel! | |||
28 Jun 2022 | 124 - The Future of the Mars Program (feat. Scott Hubbard) | 00:46:01 | |
For two decades, the modern Mars program has been sending spacecraft almost every launch window to Mars, and we have Scott Hubbard to thank for much of that. As the first director of the Mars Program, he instituted much of the paradigm we have today. But with Mars Sample Return on the horizon, Scott joins Jake to talk about how things are changing and what it means for the future. We talk Mars Sample Return and the Mars ProgramFollow ScottFollow Jake & WeMartians
Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Probe Uranus DesignLean in to the jokes and stand behind the Decadal Survey's recommendation to probe Uranus by picking up the new design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. Explore the mysteries of Uranus today. | |||
05 Jan 2021 | 89 – Five Years of WeMartians (feat. Brendan Byrne and Emilee Speck) | 00:43:34 | |
Five years ago, WeMartians debuted its first episode. We've learned a lot since then, both in how the space world works, and how podcasts work, too! Space reporters and friends of the show Brendan Byrne and Emilee Speck join Jake to have a bit of a humorous look back at the first podcast and how far everything has come. We talk Five Years of the WeMartians PodcastFollow Brendan and Emilee
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Going Pro Phase TwoIt’s the end of the year, and traditionally around this time we ask for support from you, the listener, as we continue to produce space content on this podcast every month! WeMartians is entirely listener-funded, and as I noted about year ago this month, I’ve begun #GoingPro by making changes in my life in pursuit of creating space content full time. None of that is possible without you! See some of the special limited time offers for new Patrons! | |||
25 Jan 2022 | 113 - What Makes a Planet (feat. Phil Metzger) | 00:50:48 | |
In 2006, the IAU voted to define "Planet" in a way that had a profound impact on planetary science, most notably with regards to Pluto. But what is the story behind this decision, and why is it important to the field of exploration? Dr Phil Metzger joins Jake to talk about his new paper covering the very subject, and explains the context behind culture and science's different views on the subject. We talk Pluto, Planets, and Taxonomy
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Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Tharsis Planetary ParkCelebrate Mariner 9's 50th anniversary with the Tharsis Planetary Park design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. | |||
07 Sep 2021 | 106 - Sulfate Curious (feat. Ashwin Vasavada) | 00:41:09 | |
Curiosity recently celebrated its 9th birthday on Mars and is exploring a new area of Gale Crater rich in sulphates. NASA JPL's Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity's project scientist, joins Jake to talk about this new area, the dramatic landscapes it holds, and what it can tell us about past life on Mars and the history of Mars' climate. We talk Curiosity Rover and the Sulfate-bearing UnitFollow AshwinFollow Jake & WeMartians
Immensely Complex and High RiskOur new design pokes fun at some of the criticism of SpaceX's Starship system. Wear it proudly! | |||
04 Jan 2022 | There's More to Explore | 00:04:40 | |
Jake talks about the decision to start covering more than just Mars in 2022. Follow Jake & WeMartians
Marsti.meLearn about time on Mars! See live mission clocks, learn about sols and Mars years and solar longitude, and discover your Martian birthday! Visit Marsti.me, a new site from Jake. Tharsis Planetary ParkCelebrate Mariner 9's 50th anniversary with the Tharsis Planetary Park design at the WeMartians shop today! You can get it in a t-shirt or on a coffee mug. | |||
25 May 2021 | 100 - Zhurong Rover on Mars (feat. Andrew Jones) | 00:39:39 | |
The Chinese National Space Administration's Tianwen-1 mission made history this month when its Zhurong rover landed safely in Utopia Planitia, Mars. Space journalist Andrew Jones joins Jake to talk about the landing process, the surface operations, and what effect this mission's success will have on space domestically in China and abroad. We talk Tianwen-1 and Zhurong RoverFollow AndrewFollow Jake & WeMartians
WeMartians 100 Sale Event!Celebrate our 100th episode! Almost everything is on sale in the WeMartians Shop. Use the code WM100 to get free shipping on all orders of 2+ items. Discounted pricing on Mission Patches, Stickers and Discontinued shirt designs! Event lasts until June 6th, 2021! Join Patreon, get a free Sticker Pack!Join our Patreon at the $5 level or higher before June 6th and get a free Sticker Pack in the mail! Tharsis Planetary ParkOur new design celebrates the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Mariner 9 mission, first spacecraft to orbit Mars. Get it on a shirt or a coffee mug today! | |||
20 Jan 2016 | 1 – The Waxing Interest in Mars | 00:57:57 | |
In this first episode of the WeMartians podcast, we explore the fundamental question facing all space exploration but especially those seeking to travel to Mars – why go? Why spend the money and take the risk on this important endeavour? We’ll hear from industry experts and visionaries as well as my own opinions. Then we explore a 2015 Year in Review, covering topics from NASA’s Evolvable Mars Campaign (using the Orion capsule, Space Launch System rocket, and more) as well as efforts from the private industry including Elon Musk and SpaceX. We’ll talk about pop culture influences like Mars One and The Martian and ultimately show that 2015 was an amazing year for Mars – we want to go, and we’re making real progress to get there! Audio Links from the show:
NASA audio used under public domain. All others used under fair use policy. WeMartians Cover Art Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | |||
05 Feb 2016 | 2 – Every Twenty-Six Months | 00:31:56 | |
In the second episode of the WeMartians Podcast, we explore the topic of Launch Windows, answering questions like “why do they happen?”, “when do they happen?”, and “are any windows more important than others?” From there, we’ll talk about Mars’ windows specifically. Then follow along as we explore the two mission profiles in the upcoming launch windows in March – the delayed InSight mission from NASA and the European Space Agency’s ExoMars 2016 mission, including the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and Schiaparelli Entry and Landing Demonstrator. Audio links from the show
Other links NASA audio used under public domain. All others used under fair use policy. | |||
29 Mar 2016 | 3 – Go! Go! Go! Exomars! (feat. Michael Coarezza) | 00:36:12 | |
In the third episode of the WeMartians Podcast, we learn a little bit about the 1877 perihelic opposition of Mars, during which many famous astronomers, Giovanni Schiaparelli included, made crucial discoveries about the Red Planet. Then, we’ll explore how this affects us today and for the launch of ExoMars. To help explain the massive process that goes in to building and launching a spacecraft, we’re joined by Assembly Integration and Test Engineer Michael Coarezza of Thales Alenia. He shares some stories about meeting deadlines, working with the historical Proton rocket, and the importance that international collaboration plays in space exploration today. Audio Links from the show:
Other Links WeMartians Theme Song is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
03 Apr 2016 | 4 – Citizen Science on Mars (feat. Michael Aye) | 00:52:19 | |
In the fourth episode of the WeMartians podcast, we explore the growing problem in Planetary Science – there’s too much data! With the dawn of the digital age, the volume of data coming back to Earth from planetary missions is increasing exponentially. We’ll talk with Michael Aye, project scientist for Planet Four. Planet Four is a Citizen Science project which lets everyday people participate in planetary science by classifying features on the surface. It helps scientists like Michael get through the massive amounts of imagery from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and lets people like you do science on Mars! Audio Links from the show: Other Links
WeMartians Theme Song is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
28 Apr 2016 | 5 – Space Habitats and the Story of Bigelow | 00:39:57 | |
Habitation in space will become a very important topic as we venture out into deep space and eventually to Mars. Turning space from a place to travel through to a place to live will be a prime objective of technology development in the near term. In this episode we’ll explore the history of habitation, from the earliest Skylab and Salyut stations to the modular Mir and ISS designs. Then we’ll talk about Bigelow Aerospace, its NASA roots, and the commercial impact on the industry as it sets its sights on Mars. Audio Links from the show:
NASA Audio provided under Public Domain. All others used under Fair Use. Other Links for further info
WeMartians Theme Song is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
30 May 2016 | 6 – Mars; God of War (feat. Kyle Dally) | 00:38:16 | |
Mars reached opposition (when it, Earth and the Sun form a straight line) on May 22nd. It’s closest approach (today, May 30th) is another important astronomical event. All of these work on a 26-month cycle. Astronomers around the world have their eyes trained on the blood-coloured planet, tracking its retrograde motion, supreme brightness, and near-approach with great interest. We went on site with Kyle Dally of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada to learn about what these events mean, why they are important, and how someone like you or me can get involved with amateur astronomy without spending thousands of dollars on equipment and training. Links
WeMartians Theme Song is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
10 Jun 2016 | 7 – Sitting in a Tin Can (feat. Casey Stedman) | 00:40:51 | |
NASA and other space organizations have used mission analogues to simulate various aspects of space travel since the dawn of the space age. As humanity steps closer to deep space and eventually Mars, new analogues are being developed to represent the new challenges we’ll face. HERA (Human Exploration Research Analogue) is one such mission, and crew member Casey Stedman gives us an inside look at the exciting challenges he faced while stuck inside a habitat for 30 days. Audio Links from the show Other links and further info WeMartians Theme Song is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
01 Jul 2016 | 8 – Gullies on Mars (feat. Tanya Harrison) | 00:33:03 | |
Increasingly, Mars is appearing to us as a living, breathing world with dynamic features. One such feature that has captivated planetary scientists around the world is the occurrence of Martian Gullies, channels carved into the surface as if by water, in a world where flowing water is not exactly common. We talk with Tanya Harrison, a planetary scientist and geologist from the University of Western Ontario. She tells us all about gullies on Mars, how they might be formed, and what scientists are doing about it to learn more in the search for life on Mars. Links WeMartians Theme Song is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
21 Jul 2016 | 9 – Riding Ions (feat. Joe Cassady) | 00:38:15 | |
Electric vehicles aren’t just taking over our roads – they’re taking over our orbits, too! Solar electric propulsion is a cutting edge technology that allows spacecraft to change velocity up to an order of magnitude more efficiently than traditional chemical rockets. Joe Cassady from Aerojet Rocketdyne and Explore Mars talks with us about how this propulsion works, it’s power requirements, the development status, and how we’ll use it to eventually send cargo to Mars in support of human exploration. Links
WeMartians Theme Song is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
02 Aug 2016 | 10 – Science meets Engineering on the 2020 Rover (feat. Sarah Milkovich) | 00:42:58 | |
NASA’s next flagship Mars mission will put the generation of their rovers on the surface of Mars. With the working title of Mars2020, the rover will improve upon the Curiosity design that so far has been wildly successful. But putting together a rover, even one with a borrowed design, is not easy. Sarah Milkovich, a Science Systems Engineer with JPL, tells us about the challenges of bridging the gap between science and engineering on a $2 billion rover. Links WeMartians Theme Song is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
23 Aug 2016 | 11 – Mad About Manganese (feat. Nina Lanza) | 00:35:47 | |
The Mars Curiosity Rover has an impressive suite of instruments, but none incite as much excitement as ChemCam, a laser/camera combo that vaporizes rocks and analyzes their components. ChemCam is firing more than it ever has before, and Nina Lanza, a staff scientist on its team, is helping make some pretty remarkable discoveries with it. On this episode, Nina tells us about a high concentration of manganese recently uncovered that tells us a lot about Mars’ past, and suggests that it might have been complete with a lot more oxygen than we initially thought. Links
WeMartians Theme Song is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
20 Sep 2016 | 12 – Mission to sMars (feat. the crew of HI-SEAS IV) | 00:48:51 | |
Understanding human social behaviour under conditions of remote isolation, close quarters, and constrained resources will one day be critical to successfully executing a crewed mission to Mars. Analogues and simulations provide a useful tool to learn these tactics. HI-SEAS IV (Hawaii Space Exploration Analogue and Simulation) is one such experiment, and six crewmembers recently exited after an entire year in a dome on the slopes of a Hawaiian volcano. We spoke with all six members of the crew and learned a lot of valuable lessons, not least of which is the power of the human spirit and ability to make anything possible. This special episode features interviews with all six members of the HI-SEAS IV crew, who recently completed a 1 year simulated Mars mission on the slopes of Mauna Loa. Crew members include Sheyna Gifford, Carmel Johnston, Cyprien Verseux, Christiane Heinicke, Andrzej Stewart and Tristan Bassingthwaighte. Links Crew Twitter Accounts
WeMartians Theme Song is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Additional sound effects by Sentuniman, caquet, jandrasounds, breyenkatz, lolamadeus, klankbeeld, and bewagne, all licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
04 Oct 2016 | 13 – Making Humans Multiplanetary (feat. Anthony Colangelo) | 00:47:54 | |
Elon Musk has now bore his heart (of gold) to the world. His plans for making humans multiplanetary have been shared with us, including his incredible 42-engine reusable booster, his 100-person interplanetary spaceship, and his vision for colonizing Mars. Together they form the SpaceX Interplanetary Transport System, and they are nothing if not bold. I’m joined by Anthony Colangelo from the Main Engine Cut Off Podcast to talk more about this vision, including some of the realities of making it possible, the challenges they’ll face, and how to bring partners like NASA on board for the ride. Links
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01 Nov 2016 | 14 – Methane in Stereo (feat. Nicolas Thomas) | 00:39:23 | |
The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter’s primary mission is to hunt down sources of trace gasses in the orbiter and characterize them. Chief among these chemicals is Methane, and when it is isolated on the surface, we’re going to want to know what that place looks like. Enter the Colour and Stereo Surface Imagine System, a state of the art instrument that can take stereo images of the surface, allowing us to see Mars in 3D. Nicolas Thomas, Principal Investigator of the instrument, joins us to tell us all about this fascinating device, including its operations, how it targets science and why finding methane is so important. Links
WeMartians Theme Song is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
15 Nov 2016 | 15 – The Frosty Plains of Utopia Planitia (feat. Cassie Stuurman) | 00:32:12 | |
Some call water the “oil of the solar system” because of its importance in our eventual exploration of other planets. Finding new sources and learning about how to access it plays a key role in our future. Using the SHARAD instrument on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Cassie Stuurman and a team at University of Texas at Austin discovered a massive deposit of ice in the northern plains of Utopia Planitia. Cassie joins us to tell the tale of its discovery, characterization and importance. Links
WeMartians Theme Song is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
29 Nov 2016 | 16 – Closed Ecological Systems (feat. Morgan Irons) | 00:44:00 | |
Living and working in a remote place requires more than just food, water, shelter and air. If we’re serious about maintaining the health of our future Martian astronauts, we’ll need to pay close attention to the mental health, and we’ll need to figure out a way to make food sustainable. The idea of farming on Mars isn’t new, but the ideas of Morgan Irons, founder and Chief Science Officer of Deep Space Ecology, certainly push them forward. Her “three-zone model” promises to create a closed ecological system that won’t collapse under pressure. Morgan joins us to tell us all about her startup and the way she sees future habitats working. Links
WeMartians Theme Song is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
13 Dec 2016 | 17 – Canada CanMars, too! (feat. Eric Pilles) | 00:41:45 | |
NASA currently operates two rovers on the surface of Mars, but in the next five years that population could more than double as JPL prepares its third rover, and space agencies in Europe and China look to create their own footholds. That’s why creating a pipeline of talent that can plan, target, drive and otherwise operate these rovers is so important. Enter CanMars – an anlogue mission run by the Canadian Space Agency using real rovers here on Earth. I caught up with Eric Pilles, the planning lead for CanMars 2016, to find out how he and his team of scientists from universities across Canada are learning the ins and outs of rover ops, and how the science drives their goals. Links
WeMartians Theme Song is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
24 Jan 2017 | 18 – The State of Mars 2017 (feat. Brendan Byrne & Emilee Speck) | 00:49:02 | |
The year 2016 was a big one for Mars, and 2017 might be even bigger yet. We’re joined by two space reporters from Orlando to talk about the highlights of last year in Mars exploration, and look ahead to 2017, which promises to take us closer to the Red Planet. Brendan Byrne is a reporter from WMFE Orlando and the host of “Are We There Yet?”, a podcast about space exploration. Emilee Speck is a reporter from WKMG with a passion for planetary missions. LINKS
WeMartians Theme Song is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
14 Feb 2017 | 19 – Dome Sweet Dome (feat. Kelsey Lents and Jeffrey Montes) | 00:52:10 | |
A surface mission to Mars will involve a lengthy stay in a harsh environment. Many have argued that this could be a psychologically draining experience as astronauts are forced into confined spaces with no light, perhaps underground away from harsh radiation. But architects Kelsey Lents and Jeffrey Montes don’t believe that’s necessary. They and their teams helped design the Mars Ice House, a 3D-printed ice dome that caught the eye of NASA and became a feasibility study to build a surface habitat. LINKS (Mars Ice House)
LINKS (Mars Ice Home)
LINKS (Clouds AO) LINKS (SEArch+) WeMartians music is “RetroFuture” and “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
07 Mar 2017 | 20 – Mars2020 Landing Site Candidates | 00:34:23 | |
Ahead of the science, the surface operations, the tricky landing, interplanetary cruise, & launch of a NASA flagship class rover like Mars2020, the difficult decision of where to send the mission must be made. For the successor of Curiosity, this process is nearing completion as the 3rd workshop has narrowed the remaining candidates to three. Jake takes a long look at the mission requirements, landing site criteria, and Mars mapping techniques before exploring Jezero Crater, North East Syrtis and Gusev Crater to see what secrets might lie beneath the regolith. Links The Mars2020 Mission
Mapping Mars The Landing Sites
Jezero Crater
North East Syrtis Gusev Crater/Columbia Hills WeMartians music is “RetroFuture” and “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
28 Mar 2017 | 21 – LPSC 2017 | 00:48:24 | |
Every year, upwards of 2,000 planetary scientists descend upon a suburb of Houston to discuss the latest findings, share the work, and learn something new. A lot of Mars happens at these conferences, so WeMartians decided to attend it in person! Jake catches up with old friends, makes some new ones, and explores Mars like never before. Links History Pre-Conference Oral Session Highlights
NASA Night Poster Sessions Human Exploration WeMartians music is “RetroFuture” and “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
11 Apr 2017 | 22 – The Orbital Martians (feat. Ben Etherington & David Fourman) | 01:38:58 | |
In a mashup episode that combines the formats of The Orbital Mechanics, a great weekly spaceflight podcast, and WeMartians, Jake, Ben and David explore a variety of Mars topics. Delve in to history as we mark the 37th anniversary since Viking 2’s batteries gave out and learn about the spacecraft and its mission. Ben walks us through NASA’s new Road Map to Mars, a flight plan for SLS and Orion leading all the way to the 2030s. Then, we explore SpaceX’s Red Dragon mission and learn about the four candidate landing sites being considered when the Hawthorne-based company makes its first landing on the Red Planet in 2021. You’ll also hear some of the great segments from The Orbital Mechanics, like #ThisWeekSF, upcoming spaceflight events, and space news. Note: If you are already a subscriber of The Orbital Mechanics, their episode 104 will be mostly the same content with some different introductions, ie. the same episode appears in both feeds. LinksThe Orbital Mechanics (subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher) #ThisWeekSF (This Week in SpaceFlight History) – Viking 2
Spaceflight News Questions, Comments and Corrections Red Dragon & its Landing Sites
WeMartians music is “RetroFuture” and “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
02 May 2017 | 23 – Esker Questions (feat. Frances Butcher) | 00:34:12 | |
On Earth, geologists are pretty familiar with the concept of an esker, a snake-like ridge formation left behind by a receding glacier. Across our planet they can be found in areas where glaciers once dominated the landscape. The same is true on Mars, but eskers also require a time when glaciers could melt. Frances Butcher, a PhD student from the Open University, talks with Jake about these special kinds of Martian eskers that indicate a warmer, wetter environment than we once thought. Links
Further Listening
WeMartians music is “RetroFuture” and “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
23 May 2017 | 24 – Risks and Rewards (feat. Leonard David) | 00:50:40 | |
All the obstacles in spaceflight can theoretically be broken down in to subsets of risk. Whether personal risk, programmatic risk, financial risk or professional risk, these are the things holding back individuals and organizations from accomplishing goals. What does this mean for Mars and how can we overcome it? Jake sits down with award-winning journalist Leonard David to explore this topic and try to understand what steps must be taken next to continue towards the objective of putting people on the Red Planet. Links
WeMartians music is “RetroFuture” and “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
13 Jun 2017 | 25 – Building a Rover (feat. Abbie Hutty) | 00:37:45 | |
Europe’s ExoMars program has already kicked off with the Trace Gas Orbiter, currently manoeuvring downward to its final science orbit. But ExoMars is not limited to a single mission. By 2020, ESA hopes to launch the first European rover to the Red Planet. Abbie Hutty, a Lead Spacecraft Structures Engineer, comes on to talk about what it takes to design, test and build a rover chassis, from wheels to mast, and what this rover means in the broader view of Mars exploration and international cooperation. Links
WeMartians music is “RetroFuture” and “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
04 Jul 2017 | 26 – Remembering Pathfinder | 00:45:26 | |
On July 4th, 1997, NASA’s Mars Pathfinder mission touched down on Mars, ending a 15 years period where no spacecraft operated in the Red Planet. Twenty years later, the mission’s impact on our understand of Mars is still felt. Jake is joined by Matt Golombek (Project Scientist), Brian Muirhead (Flight Systems Manager & Deputy Project Manager), Donna Shirley (Mars Exploration Program Manager), and Tanya Harrison (Planetary Scientist) who recount the story and explain why the mission plays such an important role in the last two decades of Mars exploration. Links
WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle”, “We Got Trouble”, “Aretes” and “Heartwarming” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Additional sound effects by Sentuniman licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
25 Jul 2017 | 27 – The Policy of Mars (feat. Casey Dreier) | 01:09:36 | |
Despite a growing influence of private organizations in the space industry, government still holds a lot of power in the direction of exploration. Space policy is a messy, complicated and mysterious affair. The Planetary Society’s Casey Dreier, Director of Space Policy, joins Jake to talk about the current affairs of Mars exploration, from the robotic side to the human side. Links
WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
15 Aug 2017 | 28 – Five Years of Being Curious (feat. Emily Lakdawalla) | 00:47:07 | |
It’s been five years since NASA’s Curiosity Rover touched down on the surface of Mars, and it’s been doing all kinds of science as it climbs the slopes of Mt. Sharp ever since. Taking a step back, what have we learned from this flagship mission so far? The Planetary Society’s Emily Lakdawalla joins Jake to discuss how Curiosity has pushed the limits of spacecraft engineering, operations, and science. Links
WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
05 Sep 2017 | 29 – A Teenage Rover (feat. Mike Seibert) | 00:53:55 | |
For over 13 years, NASA’s Opportunity Rover has been exploring Meridiani Planum on Mars. The determined spacecraft has faced a lot of challenges through its mission, not least of which is continuing to operate in the harsh Martian environment. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Mike Seibert joins Jake to talk about all the intricacies of operating a spacecraft another world away. Links
WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
19 Sep 2017 | 30 – Keeping Track of Curiosity (feat. Fred Calef) | 00:49:56 | |
Without GPS, keeping track of our Martian explorers is no easy task. Data management for the thousands of photos, especially their locations, is in fact a full time job. Fred Calef, JPL’s “Keeper of the Maps” joins Jake to talk all about how we build a base map for Curiosity to help scientists get the right context for their geologic studies. Links
WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
03 Oct 2017 | 31 – The Interplanetary Business Case (feat. Chantelle Dubois) | 00:39:27 | |
On Friday, September 29th in Adelaide, Australia, Elon Musk presented SpaceX’s new update to the Interplanetary Transport System. The update to last year’s presentation focused on how to make this concept more real and specifically how to fund it. To get some fresh perspective on the business case, the University of Manitoba’s Chantelle Dubois joins Jake to discuss rocket stockpiles, fleet consolidation, and how this plan plays out across government and commercial space. Links
WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
24 Oct 2017 | 32 – The Four Winds of Mars (feat. Lori Fenton) | 00:49:22 | |
The plains of Meridiani Planum, where the Opportunity Rover is currently exploring, is home to many surface features, but none are as stunning and the wind-formed dunes and ripples. How do these features form, and what significance do they have on the overall climate and history of Mars? The SETI Institute’s Lori Fention, an aeolian geomorphologist, joins Jake to talk all about these sandy structures and share the beauty of their past and present. Links
Below: Dunes, TARs then Ripples.WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
15 Nov 2017 | 33 – Camping at Mars (feat. Danielle Richey & Steve Jolly) | 00:57:09 | |
Mission designs for human trips to Mars are common, but Lockheed Martin’s “Mars Base Camp” is something fresh. That’s because it’s a collaborative, orbit-first, science-focused approach, so it means the plan is a realistic path forward from NASA’s Deep Space Gateway. Complete with a habitat, a laboratory, propulsion, power and two Orion capsules, it’s a complete beachhead for a human trip to the red planet. It’s even got a lander! Listen to engineers Danielle Richey & Steve Jolly join Jake to talk about the idea and how it might become real. LinksKey Twitter Follows
Official Lockheed Martin Content
WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
21 Aug 2018 | 46 – Keeping Mars Alive (feat. Rick Davis) | 00:51:45 | |
NASA may have pivoted to the Moon, but Mars remains a horizon goal. Keeping the different departments at the Agency focused and working together towards this goal is no small task. Jake is joined Rick Davis, Assistant Director for Science and Exploration, to talk about how NASA is working to send Humans to Mars. We Talk Humans to MarsPrevious Coverage of NASA & Humans to Mars
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WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle”, and “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
18 Sep 2018 | 47 – Recovering Opportunity (feat. Mike Seibert) | 00:39:25 | |
The Opportunity Rover hasn’t been heard from since June 10th, and things are starting to look dire. NASA recently released a new plan to recover the intrepid Mars explorer but the plan hasn’t convinced everyone of its merit just yet. Engineer and former rover driver Mike Seibert returns to the show to talk about the plan, how it compares with Spirit’s recovery, and why some may not be as excited about it as others. We talk NASA’s Opportunity Recovery Plan
Previous Coverage of Opportunity
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Our SponsorWeMartians is sponsored by MOVA Globes. Visit the site and use the code WEMARTIANS for 10% off your order of one of these really great looking pieces shipping to the Americas. They rotate without cords or batteries! Patrons, check your Patreon account for a special Patron-only discount code. Thanks to MOVA Globes for helping us explore Mars together. WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle”, and “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
02 Oct 2018 | 48 – Zooming in on Mars (feat. Melissa Rice and Elsa Jensen) | 00:54:01 | |
NASA’s upcoming flagship mission Mars2020 will send a state of the art rover to the surface of Mars. Along for the ride will be an impressive camera called Mastcam-Z which will unveil Mars in a way never seen before. Planetary scientist Melissa Rice from Western Washington University and instrument operations manager Elsa Jensen from Malin Space Science Systems join Jake to talk all about the new camera, how it’s put together and what questions it might help us answer. We talk Mastcam-Z and NASA’s Mars2020 RoverPrevious Coverage of Mars2020
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Our SponsorWeMartians is sponsored by MOVA Globes. Visit the site and use the code WEMARTIANS for 10% off your order of one of these really great looking pieces shipping to the Americas. They rotate without cords or batteries! Patrons, check your Patreon account for a special Patron-only discount code. Thanks to MOVA Globes for helping us explore Mars together. Learn how MOVA worked with Marc Rayman from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to put together the Vesta globe using data from the Dawn Mission! WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle”, and “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
23 Oct 2018 | 49 – Moon to Mars (feat. Laura Forczyk) | 00:41:41 | |
NASA continues to advance it’s Moon-first strategy, and commercial companies are starting to hop on board. Along with international interest, it all forms the backbone of NASA’s Moon to Mars strategy. Space consultant and founder of Astralytical Laura Forczyk returns to the show to talk with Jake about what this all means for Mars. We talk Moon and Mars
Previous Coverage of Mars StrategyFollow Laura
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13 Nov 2018 | 50 – The Journey to Mars is Hyperbolic (feat. Mark Wallace) | 00:53:46 | |
NASA’s InSight lander arrives on Mars on November 26th. It is an exciting event that ends the 7 month cruise phase since its launch on May 5th. But how did it get there? NASA JPL’s Mark Wallace, the Lead Trajectory Analyst for InSight’s, joins Jake and explains how to plan a journey across the solar system. We Talk InSight’s TrajectoryPrevious Coverage of InSight
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New Merchandise!We’ve got a whole bunch of new merchandise in our shop! Check out the new designs, including Off-Nominal gear! Our SponsorWeMartians is sponsored by MOVA Globes. Visit the site and use the code WEMARTIANS for 10% off your order of one of these really great looking pieces shipping to the Americas. They rotate without cords or batteries! Patrons, check your Patreon account for a special Patron-only discount code. Thanks to MOVA Globes for helping us explore Mars together. Check out their Moon globe! They did a great blog post featuring five of its prominent features, and also a sweet eclipse-primer last year that has the best GIF ever. WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle”, and “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
04 Dec 2018 | 51 – Entry, Descent, and Landing | 00:35:53 | |
On November 26th, 2018, NASA successfully landed the InSight spacecraft on the surface of Mars. It was their 8th successful landing, went picture-perfect, and seemed to defy the common thought that Mars landings rarely work. Jake recounts the landing, provides historical context to the events, and asks the question of whether NASA’s entries, descents, and landings are as failure-prone as some make it out to be. We Talk InSight and Entry, Descent, and Landing
Previous Coverage of InSight
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New Merchandise!We’ve got a whole bunch of new merchandise in our shop! Check out the new designs, including Off-Nominal gear! Our SponsorWeMartians is sponsored by MOVA Globes. Visit the site and use the code WEMARTIANS for 10% off your order of one of these really great looking pieces shipping to the Americas. They rotate without cords or batteries! Patrons, check your Patreon account for a special Patron-only discount code. Thanks to MOVA Globes for helping us explore Mars together. Check out this antique celestial globe! It’s a reprint of Globo Celeste, by Giovanni Cassini in 1792 (no, not that Giovanni Cassini). WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle”, and “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
11 Dec 2018 | 52 – Comin’ up Jezero (feat. Tim Goudge) | 00:55:03 | |
NASA has selected the next landing site for its future Mars rover, Mars 2020. Jezero Crater is an incredible ancient river delta spilling in to the side of a crater. But what really makes it special, plus how and why did NASA pick it? Jake is joined by planetary scientist Tim Goudge, who led the advocacy of Jezero through the process, to explain its charm. We talk NASA’s Mars 2020 rover and Jezero CraterPrevious Coverage of the Mars 2020 Rover
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New Merchandise!We’ve got a whole bunch of new merchandise in our shop! Check out the new designs, including Off-Nominal gear! Our SponsorWeMartians is sponsored by MOVA Globes. Visit the site and use the code WEMARTIANS for 10% off your order of one of these really great looking pieces shipping to the Americas. They rotate without cords or batteries! Patrons, check your Patreon account for a special Patron-only discount code. Thanks to MOVA Globes for helping us explore Mars together. We wanted to feature a cool globe this episode. Given that Voyager 2 made the news this week when it entered the Interstellar Medium, we thought it appropriate to feature the Neptune design. Neptune has only ever been visited by Voyager 2! Check out that Small Dark Spot!
WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle”, and “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
26 Dec 2018 | WeMartians 2019 Update | 00:11:53 | |
In a quick holiday update, Jake shares an update on the podcast announcing the WeMartians Travel Grant, looking ahead to our next Patreon Goal and content for 2019, as well as two upcoming conferences and Podcast Meetups! We talk 2019 Podcast NewsFollow Jake & WeMartians
New Shirt Design!In support of the WeMartians Travel Grant, you can pick up our new PLANETARY T-Shirt design. 100% of the proceeds of this shirt support an early career scientist travelling to LPSC to share their work about Mars. We also accept direct donations to the grant through the store link. ![]() WeMartians music is “RetroFuture”, “Electrodoodle”, and “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
11 Jan 2019 | Red Planet Review – Anniversary Episode | 00:19:46 | |
Happy New Year Martians! It’s been 1 year since we launched the Red Planet Review weekly news roundup for our $3+ Patreon supporters. To celebrate, we thought we’d kick off 2019 with a fresh new show that’s available to ALL listeners. If you like what you hear today, consider joining the hundreds of other listeners over at Patreon. With a pledge of $3 or more, you can get a show like this every Friday, a great way to keep up on the news! Plus, you’ll help support things like the WeMartians Travel Grant, for which applications are now open! ![]() Headlines this Week
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Get your own Red Planet Review Shirt!![]() Support the show by wearing the RPR logo loud and proud! Get one today at the WeMartians Shop! | |||
22 Jan 2019 | 53 – The State of Mars 2019 (feat. Brendan Byrne and Emilee Speck) | 00:46:18 | |
The fourth season of WeMartians has begun, and we bring in our friends and regular guests Brendan Byrne and Emilee Speck to talk about rockets, rovers, and Mars in pop culture. We talk Mars in 2018 and in to the futurePrevious Conversations with Brendan and Emilee
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Come have a beer with meI will be at McFate Brewing Company (South location) in Scottsdale, Arizona at 6PM on Friday, Feb 8th. It’s an open invitation to any listeners in the area who want to hang out! More details here! | |||
11 Feb 2019 | 54 – Women In Space 2019 (feat. Mallika Sarma and J.A. Grier) | 00:29:41 | |
WeMartians visits Arizona to attend the 2019 Women in Space Conference, an interdisciplinary event covering science, engineering, and policy with a reimagined, humanized perspective. Jake and guests discuss some of the science as well as the social challenges women and other marginalized groups face as they try to explore space. We talk the Human side of Exploration
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Rosalind FranklinESA recently announced that the upcoming ExoMars 2020 rover will be named for the pioneering British DNA scientist, Rosalind Franklin. Just as Franklin sought to understand the smallest signs of life, so too will her titular rover as it explores Mars. We’re celebrating this announcement with a new t-shirt design, which you can get in our shop now! ![]() ![]() WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
05 Mar 2019 | 55 – Glen Torridon (feat. Kristen Bennett) | 00:36:43 | |
Curiosity recently drove down from the Vera Rubin Ridge, its home for the last year and a half, into a new clay-rich area called Glen Torridon. Planetary Scientist Kristen Bennett joins Jake to talk about what this new area is like and what questions we hope to answer in the next chapter of this rover’s mission. We Talk Curiosity and Glen Torridon
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Rosalind FranklinESA recently announced that the upcoming ExoMars 2020 rover will be named for the pioneering British DNA scientist, Rosalind Franklin. Just as Franklin sought to understand the smallest signs of life, so too will her titular rover as it explores Mars. We’re celebrating this announcement with a new t-shirt design, which you can get in our shop now! ![]() ![]() WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
27 Mar 2019 | 56 – LPSC 2019 (The Legacy of Apollo) | 00:42:36 | |
Jake is on-site at the 50th annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference to report on Mars science results and the shift to the Moon. Fifty years from Apollo’s first landing, lunar samples are still having an incredible impact on all planetary science, and as we look to the future, we have so much more to be excited about. Three special guests join Jake to talk about this exciting topic. We Talk Mars and Apollo Lunar Science
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Our Travel Grant Winner
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Introducing the WeMartians 2018 Mission Patch![]() This is the Season 3 (2018) commemorative WeMartians Mission Patch. We’ve partnered with space fan and talented graphic artist Beth Kerner to put together a custom, 4-inch, sew-on embroidered patch. It’s limited edition, with a print-run of just 100. And you can get one for yourself starting today! They’re just $17 USD, and shipping is free anywhere on Earth (Mars is extra, though). If you’re a Station-level or higher patron, your permanent store discount applies, too! The patch captures the broad narratives of our third season of podcasts. It includes the Falcon Heavy inaugural flight, the InSight launch and landing, and the global dust stormthat ended the Opportunity mission. | |||
16 Apr 2019 | 57 – How to do EVAs on Mars (feat. Stan Love) | 00:35:58 | |
NASA’s BASALT program (Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains) has been working on understand how to do real science on an EVA since 2016. Jake is joined by NASA Astronaut, planetary scientist and program participant Stan Love to learn the challenges imposed by a Red Planet Spacewalk and what kinds of things the agency is trying to overcome them. We Talk Mars, EVAs, and ScienceFollow Jake & WeMartians
The WeMartians 2018 Mission Patch![]() This is the Season 3 (2018) commemorative WeMartians Mission Patch. We’ve partnered with space fan and talented graphic artist Beth Kerner to put together a custom, 4-inch, sew-on embroidered patch. It’s limited edition, with a print-run of just 100. And you can get one for yourself starting today! They’re just $17 USD, and shipping is free anywhere on Earth (Mars is extra, though). If you’re a Station-level or higher patron, your permanent store discount applies, too! The patch captures the broad narratives of our third season of podcasts. It includes the Falcon Heavy inaugural flight, the InSight launch and landing, and the global dust stormthat ended the Opportunity mission. WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
07 May 2019 | 58 – Calling Home from Mars (feat. Michael Staab) | 00:42:36 | |
Getting data back from our Mars spacecraft requires some pretty robust communications technology. But the infrastructure that rovers like Curiosity relay their images through is aging, and scientists are starting to worry about what would happen if they fail. NASA JPL’s Michael Staab joins Jake to talk about a new idea to reinforce that infrastructure and keep those data flowing back each and every sol. We Talk Mars CommunicationsFollow MichaelFollow Jake & WeMartians
The WeMartians 2018 Mission Patch![]() This is the Season 3 (2018) commemorative WeMartians Mission Patch. We’ve partnered with space fan and talented graphic artist Beth Kerner to put together a custom, 4-inch, sew-on embroidered patch. It’s limited edition, with a print-run of just 100. And you can get one for yourself starting today! They’re just $17 USD, and shipping is free anywhere on Earth (Mars is extra, though). If you’re a Station-level or higher patron, your permanent store discount applies, too! The patch captures the broad narratives of our third season of podcasts. It includes the Falcon Heavy inaugural flight, the InSight launch and landing, and the global dust stormthat ended the Opportunity mission. WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | |||
06 Jun 2019 | 59 – Artemis (feat. Casey Dreier) | 00:45:23 | |
NASA is sending people back to the Moon, or so they say. A human deep space program is easier said than done. The Planetary Society’s Casey Dreier returns to the show to talk about politics, policy, and balancing skepticism with excitement. We Talk NASA’s Moon Plan, Artemis
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The WeMartians 2018 Mission Patch![]() This is the Season 3 (2018) commemorative WeMartians Mission Patch. We’ve partnered with space fan and talented graphic artist Beth Kerner to put together a custom, 4-inch, sew-on embroidered patch. It’s limited edition, with a print-run of just 100. And you can get one for yourself starting today! They’re just $17 USD, and shipping is free anywhere on Earth (Mars is extra, though). If you’re a Station-level or higher patron, your permanent store discount applies, too! The patch captures the broad narratives of our third season of podcasts. It includes the Falcon Heavy inaugural flight, the InSight launch and landing, and the global dust stormthat ended the Opportunity mission. WeMartians theme music is “RetroFuture” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and arranged by Jake Robins with Public Domain NASA audio and WeMartians interview samples. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |