Think you're having a hot summer? Try living on 55 Cancri-e, a super-Earth with daytime temperatures above 4000 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of these super-Earths orbit frighteningly close to their host stars and have long since had their atmospheres scraped away, leaving them baked, parched rocks. But some, like 55 Cancri, still have dense envelopes of air. How is that possible, when the planet is 20 times closer to its star than our own planet Mercury? Dr. Laura Schaefer explains how molten lava worlds defy the odds. Plus: Starship update, the first orbital data centers, and a new year on Mars.

Headlines:

• SpaceX's Starship Achieves First Full Orbital Flight With Satellite Deployments
• Google and Planet Labs Launch AI Data Center Satellite
• Multiple SpaceX Launches Within Hours Mark a New Operational Standard
• Cowboy Space Debuts Power-Beaming AI Data Center in Orbit
• Mars Celebrates a New Year on Its Extended Journey Around the Sun
• NASA Anniversary and Notable Space Birthdays Noted

Main Topic: Living on Lava Worlds—Atmospheres, Extreme Planets, and the Search for Life

• Early Exoplanet Detection Methods and Evolution of Exoplanet Surveys
• Cosmic Shoreline Concept: How Gravity and Stellar Radiation Shape Planetary Atmospheres
• Airless Valleys, Sandbars, and Other New Categories for Rocky Exoplanets
• Permanent Magma Oceans: Why Some Lava-covered Worlds Retain Atmospheres
• Volatiles, Atmosphere Loss, and The Soda-Bottle Effect on Hot Exoplanets
• Sandbar Regime: Superheated Planets Keep Atmospheres Longer Than Expected
• Case Study: 55 Cancri e and the Myth of the Diamond Planet
• K2-18b: Possibilities of a Water World or Another Magma-Lava Hybrid
• Redefining Goldilocks Zones With Atmospheric Survival Factors
• Tidal Heating, Volcanism, and Dynamics Shaping Exoplanet Atmospheres
• Future Directions: Webb Telescope, Habitable Worlds Observatory, and Prospects for Imaging True "Earths"

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Dr. Laura Schaefer

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This week it's Rod and Tariq working through the most important space headlines. The big story: Starship could launch test flight 14 as early as Monday the 28th. We've seen lots of tests, but this is the first attempt at an orbital flight, the success of which is necessary for the lunar landing system and eventual retirement of the Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon. Also: Vast starts up a lunar division, Isaacman's relief over delays to China's lunar program, concerns over announced discontinuation of SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon, and yet more money for Boeing's troubled Starliner. This and more on this episode of TWiS!

Headlines:

• SpaceX Prepares for Big Starship Flight 14 Launch
• Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon Proposed Wind-down Sparks Industry Jitters
• Starship's Role as Future Space Habitat Gains Traction
• Industry Faces Uncertainty as Falcon 9 Phaseout Looms
• Boeing Starliner and Alternative Crew Vehicles in Focus
• SpaceX's Massive Louisiana Expansion Announced
• Jared Isaacman Comments on China's Lunar Delays
• U.S. and China Jostle for Lunar Leadership
• Vast Unveils Lunar Habitat and Surface System Ambitions
• ESA's JUICE and Ramses Missions Headline Upcoming Science
• NASA Selects PRIMA Probe for Far-Infrared Astrophysics
• New Study Details Disastrous Global Ice Loss

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

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In the 1980s, as the US space shuttle was just starting operations, the UK embarked on an ambitious project called HOTOL—short for Horizontal Take Off and Landing, a radical, air-breathing spaceplane design. Political and funding shifts in the UK ultimately derailed the project, despite the promising technologies it pioneered. The idea was later restarted as Skylon, with key individuals and refined technologies at its core. This project, too, struggled, ultimately shuttering in 2024. Despite this, the promise of rapid, reusable spaceplanes that can launch and land at airports is still coveted by many countries, and efforts continue. Join Rob Coppinger, author of the definitive book on the topic and editor of the UK's "Spaceflight" magazine, as he tells this fascinating story.

Headlines:

• New Crater Discovered on the Moon
• Boeing Starliner Gains New Life with NASA Support
• Starship Flight 14 Gears Up for Launch

Main Topic: British Spaceplanes – HOTOL and Skylon

• Rob Coppinger Shares Inspiration and Career Path
• Origins and Vision Behind HOTOL
• HOTOL vs. the Space Shuttle: Concepts and Challenges
• Funding Issues and UK Government Decisions
• Evolution from HOTOL to Skylon and Reaction Engines
• Technological Innovations: SABRE Engine and Reusability
• International Context: Other Spaceplane Projects
• Current Status and Future Prospects for UK Spaceplanes
• Lessons in Vision, Imagination, and Persisting with Big Ideas

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Rob Coppinger

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Hold onto your phasers, but it's been 60 years since Star Trek's debut, and the franchise is still going strong. For 40 of those years, Mike Okuda, working with a gifted team that included his wife Denise, has been central to the look, feel, and substance of the Star Trek universe. From the LCARS computer graphical system to alien languages to the designs and color schemes, and even the digital effects remastering of the original series, Mike has been the Cardinal of Canon when it comes to all things Trek. He has also been involved with many more space-related shows, books, and NASA projects. Join us for this very special episode.

Headlines:

• China Announces 2028 Mars Sample Return Mission
• U.S. Space Command Conducts First Orbital Dogfighting Test
• Reflections on the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 from Space

Main Topic: Star Trek at 60—Legacy, Design, and Influence with Mike Okuda

• Mike Okuda's Entry into Star Trek and Early Influences
• Defining Star Trek's Visual Identity Across Series
• Designing Control Panels and the Origin of LCARS
• Maintaining Continuity and Hidden Easter Eggs in Star Trek Sets
• Expanding the Design Language for Alien Cultures
• Collaboration on For All Mankind and Space/NASA Projects
• Challenges and Philosophy Behind Remastering The Original Series
• Favorite Episodes, Iconic Sets, and Preserving Star Trek Props
• The Enduring Core Message and Legacy of the Star Trek Franchise

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Michael Okuda

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Capitalism—and a strong profit motivation—has driven enterprise for centuries. Two notable examples are the East India Company and the US transcontinental railroad, and the various tycoons who built it. In neither case, by today's standards, were the operations fair or ethical on a number of fronts. Can we do better in space? Dr. Rainer Zitelmann joins us to discuss capitalism and the importance of extraterrestrial land ownership as an enabler of human expansion off-Earth. He's got a lot to say, and not all of it is what you might expect. Join us for this fascinating and informative look at one business case for newspace.

Headlines:
• NASA's Roman Space Telescope Launches to Explore Cosmic Mysteries
• SpaceX Falcon Heavy Returns to Action for Major NASA Mission
• Blue Origin Selected to Build Mars Communications Relay for NASA
• Japan and Europe's BepiColombo Mission Arrives at Mercury

Main Topic: Who Owns the Moon? — Capitalism in Space With Dr. Rainer Zitelmann
• Dr. Zitelmann Explains Market Forces Transforming the Space Industry
• Historical Parallels Between Economic Reforms and the Privatization of Space
• The Outer Space Treaty and Legal Uncertainty Around Private Ownership Off-Earth
• Potential for Stock Markets and REITs for Off-World Real Estate and Resources
• China's Rapid Advancement in Private Space and Market-Driven Innovation
• Safety Zones, Artemis Accords, and the Limits of Current Legal Frameworks
• First-Mover Advantage: How Initial Claims Might Play Out on the Moon and Mars
• Equity, Envy, and Ethical Debates Over Colonization and Space Ownership
• The Role of Commercial Incentive Versus Public Benefit in Expanding Humanity's Reach

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Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Dr. Rainer Zitelmann

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The mitigation of orbital debris is an increasingly serious problem that has not gotten enough attention, but this is changing. Commercial companies are addressing orbital debris, and one of them, KMI Space, has flown its experiments aboard the International Space Station, performing over 170 individual rendezvous-and-grab operations. The results are very promising, and the company is moving ahead with ever more ambitious designs. Adam Kall of KMI joins us to discuss their work on the ISS, the goals of the company, and how nature—via the humble octopus and gecko lizards—may have provided the answers for this vexing problem.

Headlines:

• SpaceX to Build Major Starbase Louisiana with Ambitious Launch Plans
• Falcon 9 Retirement Looms as Starship Prepares to Take Over
• Recovery and Future of Starship Flight 13 Discussed
• Roman Space Telescope Launch Previewed
• Lunar Eclipse Recap and Next Major Eclipse Forecast
• Trump Announces New US Space Academy

Main Topic: KMI Space's REACH Technology and In-Orbit Relocation

• KMI Space's Origin Story and Path to the Space Industry
• The REACCH Gripper: Gecko and Octopus-Inspired Robotic Arms
• How REACCH Grips and Moves Tumbling Satellites and Debris
• Real-World ISS Demonstrations and Operational Challenges
• Pivot from Debris Removal to Satellite Relocation as a Service
• Business Model: Transparent Pricing and Customer Targeting
• Future Vision: In-Orbit Collection, Refueling, and Recycling Stations
• National Security Implications and Force-Appropriate Applications
• Technical Details: Materials, Propulsion, and Size Consideration

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Adam Kall

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It has been said that the Moon is a harsh mistress, and nowhere is this more apparent than at the lunar south pole. That is, however, where the Artemis program is headed, and we need to figure out how to best explore the region. Dr. David Kring of the Universities Space Research Association's Lunar and Planetary Institute joins us to explore the where, whys, and hows of the Artemis Program's lunar exploration plans, and the answers--and risks--that await us.

Headlines:

• Starship Flight 12 Survives Indian Ocean Landing nd Long Sea Journey
• China's Chang'e 7 Lunar Hopper Mission Targets Permanently Shadowed Terrain
• US National Space Transportation Policy Aims for 1,000 Launches Per Year by 2030

Main Topic: The Science and Planning of the Artemis Lunar Program

• Criteria and Studies for Selecting Artemis Landing Sites
• South Pole Resource Advantages: Continuous Solar Power and Potential Volatiles
• Scientific Promise of the Schrödinger Impact Basin vs. South Pole Mandate
• The Value of Lunar Sample Return for Transformational Science
• Unique Terrain and Operational Challenges of the Lunar South Polar Region
• Training, Mobility, and the Role of Human Exploration versus Robotics
• Impact Cratering's Role in Life's Origins and Earth's Early History
• Considerations for Lunar Base Location and Hazards
• Training Programs for Scientists and Astronauts Preparing for Artemis

Host: Rod Pyle

Co-Host: Fredrick (Rick) Jenet

Guest: Dr. David Kring

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We're headed for a space renaissance, and it will be focused on the Moon. The US, China, and international partners of both are vying to land people there and construct a permanent lunar base. Meanwhile, NASA is evolving to embrace commercial enterprise unlike any time in its past, and American lunar efforts are lagging. What are the stakes? Does it matter who returns humans there first? What does the future of lunar commerce look like? Dr. Scott Pace, the Director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, joins us.

Main Topic: The Evolving Lunar Domain and US Space Policy
• Dr. Scott Pace's space policy background and legacy
• Policy continuity from Trump to Biden and the focus on implementation
• Artemis program direction and geopolitical influences
• The importance of commercial and international partnerships
• NASA's commercial contract successes and limitations
• Need for an off-ramp from SLS as commercial heavy lift matures
• Differentiating between short-term wins and long-term infrastructure goals in lunar strategy
• Tension between NASA centers and commercial LEO station development
• Challenges and prospects for lunar landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin
• Recommendations for NASA's future focus: tough technical problems, integration, and talent
• The cultural and inspirational necessity of human presence in space despite advancing AI and robotics

Host: Rod Pyle

Co-Host: Dale Skran

Guest: Dr. Scott Pace

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We've all seen the movies... the aliens come to Earth, the aliens overcome the inferior humans, and the aliens fall prey to something dumb they overlooked, like microbes, Windows 95, or most absurdly, water. From the 1950s through yesterday, some of the best movies we've seen were about the invasion of our planet. They can be clever, scary, or even downright dumb, but they are all fun. Veteran space writer Rich Edwards joins us to give advice on how to repel the invaders!

Headlines:

• Department of Defense drops new batch of UFO/UAP files
• Blue Origin traces New Glenn rocket explosion to faulty oxygen valve
• SpaceX's first public earnings call reveals key financials and hints at Starship's future
• Total solar eclipse set to cross Europe; safety tips and gear recommendations

Main Topic: How to Invade Earth in Sci-Fi—22 Dos and Don'ts with Rich Edwards

• The enduring appeal and adaptability of War of the Worlds
• Why alien invaders always go for major landmarks (and why it's all for show)
• Critique of aliens with impractical invasion strategies—water allergies and cocky attitudes
• Pop culture's obsession with alien disguises, conspiracy plots, and gradual infiltration
• Deep dive into Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Day of the Triffids, and the power of slow, stealthy takeovers
• Starting small: Alien invasions in isolated towns and subtle conquests
• The strategic use of time travel in alien invasion movies, with Star Trek: First Contact
• Why James Cameron's Aliens remains a sci-fi invasion classic decades later
• What makes a satisfying alien invasion ending—and the pitfalls of lazy resolutions

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Richard Edwards

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Rod Pyle is out this week, so Rick Jenet of the National Space Society joins Tariq Malik this week to talk about SpaceX's Starship Flight 13, which deployed new Starlink V3 satellites and stunned viewers when the ship survived reentry intact enough to float in the ocean for days afterward. They also discuss NASA's Roman Space Telescope, now just a month from launch, and an in-progress emergency effort to save the ailing Swift Space Observatory using a servicing spacecraft that is itself now experiencing technical trouble. Finally, they look into Boeing's continued Starliner delays and India's first successful private orbital launch via Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket. Tune in!

Headlines:

• SpaceX Starship Flight 13 Splashdown and Recovery Efforts
• Starlink V3 Satellite Deployment Updates
• SpaceX Wins $1.6 Billion Space Force Contract
• NASA's Roman Space Telescope Countdown and Origin Story
• Urgent Swift Space Observatory Rescue Mission Faces Technical Setbacks
• Boeing Starliner Faces More Delays and Uncertainty
• India's First Commercial Rocket Launch Enters Global Market
• Artemis II Astronaut Questions South Pole as Lunar Landing Target
• Astronomers Detect Possible First-Ever Exomoon
• Upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9 Impact Experiment on the Moon
• Preview: August Almost Total Solar Eclipse and Night Sky Events

Host: Tariq Malik

Co-Host: Fredrick (Rick) Jenet

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This week, we cover how Starship Flight 13 finally prepares to launch amid a legal battle over SpaceX's proposed land swap at Starbase, plus a Chinese Long March 3B rocket gets struck by lightning during liftoff, yet still delivers its satellite safely. Then, guests Dr. Pascal Lee and astrobiologist Dr. Penny Boston join the show to mark the 50th anniversary of Viking 1's landing on Mars and revisit the mission's groundbreaking life-detection experiments and the decades-long controversy over what they actually found. The conversation traces Mars exploration from the earliest Mariner flybys through Viking's ambiguous, still-debated results—later explained by perchlorates in the Martian soil—and the fierce scientific rivalry the findings sparked. Join us!

Headlines:

• SpaceX Starship Flight 13 faces engine and weather delays ahead of launch
• SpaceX land swap proposal sparks conservation group lawsuit over Rio Grande Valley wildlife preserve
• Chinese Long March rocket survives dramatic lightning strike during launch

Main Topic: 50th Anniversary of Viking Mars Landers—Search for Life on Mars

• The evolution of Mars exploration from telescopes to Viking lander
• Early Mars missions: Mariner flybys, Soviet attempts, and breakthroughs in orbital imaging
• Viking 1 and 2: Ambitious design, life-detection experiments, and landing impact
• Mixed public and scientific reactions to Viking's first iconic Mars surface images
• Technical overview of the Viking biology experiments and their controversial results
• The unresolved debate: Did Viking detect life or chemical reactions on Mars?
• Personal accounts of key scientists, scientific disputes, and the "Wolf Trap" experiment that never flew
• Lessons from Viking: Limitations of technology, extremophile discoveries, and shifting strategies for detecting life
• The scientific case for seeking life in Martian caves and subsurface environments
• Critique of current and future Mars missions: Perseverance rover findings and value of Mars Sample Return
• Exploring planetary protection, contamination risks, and the challenges of certifying Martian samples=
• Key takeaways for future missions—bold searches, new technologies, and the ongoing quest for answers

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guests: Pascal Lee and Dr. Penelope Boston

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