Episodes

It’s been a long time since the last episode of the podcast was posted. What’s going on? Fear not, dear listener, it’s all good news. Well, mostly good news. And really it’s more good for me than for you but– you know what, just give the supplemental a listen. [Click for more..]

On STS-98 it’s time for the ISS crew to meet its Destiny. Oh wait, does everyone make that joke? How about “Destiny is on the manifest”? No, I already used that in the title. [Click for more..]

On STS-97 the Space Shuttle is delivering its heaviest ISS payload yet: the P6 truss. We’ll climb high above the payload bay, consider some strange analogies, and both slack off and tense up. [Click for more..]

After a long wait for the crew (and audience!) STS-92 is finally here. We’ll be delivering the heart of the ISS external structure, the Z1 truss, as well as a new docking port, PMA-3. [Click for more..]

On STS-106, we finally get to meet Zvezda, the Russian service module for the International Space Station. We also meet some new faces, decrypt some mission designations, move a bunch of equipment, and perform an EVA that may or may not be a milestone. [Click for more..]

I think we can all agree that social media (and anything approaching it) was a mistake, but sometimes the internet decides to throw you a bone and you meet a NASA flight surgeon on Reddit. [Click for more..]

On STS-101 we’ve got a slick new cockpit to show off, a pile of launch delays, a ton or two of new equipment and supplies and some floppy disks in the payload bay. [Click for more..]

On STS-99 we’ll be studying the Earth in a whole new dimension, using fancy radar tricks to scan nearly the entire planet in 3D! Close and lock your visors and put on your 3D glasses now! [Click for more..]

The Hubble Space Telescope couldn’t wait until the year 2000 for a visit, while the Space Shuttle’s computers couldn’t handle the year 2000 at all. With the clock ticking, will the crew of STS-103 be able to save the new year for scientists everywhere? [Click for more..]

On STS-93 we’ve got a ton of stuff to do in a mission lasting less than five days. We’ll break another glass barrier, we’ll put the redundancy of the Space Shuttle Main Engines to the test, and we’ll explore the universe in a whole new part of the spectrum. [Click for more..]

On the first resupply mission to the ISS we’ve got tons of stuff to transfer, a disco ball to deploy, and a surprising number of quotations from Dan Barry! We’ll also celebrate the video games and websites of the late 1990s. [Click for more..]

The ISS era is upon us! Let’s learn about Zarya, the first module of the International Space Station, and bring it a buddy: Unity! With a Russian and an American module flying, the ISS will be born. [Click for more..]

On STS-95 we’ve got the return of SPARTAN, the return of SPACEHAB, and the return of.. John Glenn! Let’s do some science and learn how the 77 year old former astronaut found himself once again whizzing around in orbit. [Click for more..]

With the end of the Shuttle-Mir program upon us, we take a quick look back at how it started, what happened during it, and what the ultimate fate of Mir was. [Click for more..]

On STS-91 we’ll try out a new external tank, learn a little physics, and find out what Mir upper management thinks about the state of the space station. Oh, we’ll also bring Andy Thomas home and wave farewell to Mir forever. [Click for more..]

A brief programming note and some words of wisdom that have served me well in life. Thanks for all the support and understanding. I’ll see you all in a couple weeks. [Click for more..]

On STS-90 we’ve got dozens of nervous system experiments to get through, we’ll play some catch, take a whirl in the crazy chair, and we’ll wonder where NASA got 2000 crickets. [Click for more..]

Andy Thomas’ four month stay on Mir will close out the American presence on the Russian space station. We also wonder what that burning smell is, do a bunch of EVAs, and wave farewell to “Ol’ Stinky” [Click for more..]

On STS-89 we head up to Mir to retrieve Dave Wolf and drop off Andy Thomas. Along the way we’ll relax by looking at some fish, mind our checklists, and wonder why the airlock hatch is stuck again. [Click for more..]

On STS-87 we’ve got a bunch of material science in the payload bay, a free-flying satellite, a camera that fell out of Star Wars, and 645,500 friends! We also get to the bottom of a significant mishap. [Click for more..]

As Dave Wolf wraps up his stint on Mir we try to be efficient with our comms, try not to spill too much caffeine, and try not to get locked outside the station! [Click for more..]

After much deliberation on the ground, the verdict is that Dave Wolf will indeed remain on Mir for his full mission! So what does he do while he’s up there? And who’s that in the window? [Click for more..]

Dave Wolf didn’t think he was going to Mir for another six months, but when Russia decides Wendy Lawrence is too short, schedules change. Though if Congress has anything to say about it, Wolf might not be going anywhere after all. [Click for more..]

It’s Kent Rominger’s birthday, so what better way to celebrate than launching into space? Along the way we’ll send CRISTA-SPAS out for one last adventure, try out a Japanese robot arm, take pictures of comets, and try to avoid Blue Screens of Death. [Click for more..]

The crew, payload, and orbiter of STS-94 have unfinished business in low earth orbit thanks to a busted fuel cell on STS-83. Let’s kick the tires, light the fires, and then light around 200 more fires, but carefully. [Click for more..]

New episode! In part 2 of our NASA-5 coverage, we’ll find out what the crew did next after surviving the immediate crisis following the Progress M-34 collision. Also, we’ll wonder why there’s so much water in Mir’s walls. [Click for more..]

New episode! Mike Foale’s stay on Mir for NASA-5 ended up being so eventful that I had no choice but to break it up into two parts. Thankfully, the same cannot be said for Mir after Progress M-34 comes knocking. [Click for more..]

New episode! Sort of! It’s a filler supplemental since I wasn’t able to get NASA-5 done and I’m on vacation next week. Oh well, there are some fun stories here. Please enjoy this terrible photo of me from 2012 outside a Waffle House at 5am. [Click for more..]

On STS-84 we’ll deliver Mike Foale to Mir and bring Jerry Linenger back to Earth. We’ll also wonder how much Elektron really weighs, enjoy the music in the base block, and contemplate the mystical powers of a shouting Marine. [Click for more..]

New episode! The crew of STS-83 is ready for a 16 day flight aboard Space Shuttle Columbia, with Spacelab packed full of materials science experiments. So why did the flight end up only being 4 days long? [Click for more..]

On STS-82 we’ve got another ground-up rendezvous on our hands. But instead of flying to Mir, we’ll be visiting our old friend the Hubble Space Telescope. It’s been a few years since STS-61 fixed its optical flaw, and it’s due for an upgrade! [Click for more..]

When we last left Jerry Linenger, we still had most of his mission to cover! On this episode we’ve got space-bound contraband, a LEO version of ‘crisscross crash’, and a historical EVA. [Click for more..]

Jerry Linenger’s long duration mission on Mir was so action-packed that I had to break it up into two parts! Even with two parts, this is a pretty long episode, so enjoy! [Click for more..]

On STS-81 we’ll deliver Jerry Linenger to his new orbital home, bring John Blaha back to Earth, throw some meat and cheese around in weightlessness, and try not to get lost in Mir’s darkened twist and turns. [Click for more..]

He’s flown on STS-59, STS-68, STS-80, and later on STS-98.. but today he’s flying on TSAU! Astronaut Tom Jones joined me for an interview covering topics such as the utility of stopwatches, travel advice, pranks on John Young and more! [Click for more..]

On STS-80 we’ve got free-flying payloads, troublesome EVAs, a bunch of rats, and a reentry to remember. Strap in for the longest flight of the entire shuttle program! Don’t worry, we’ll step outside for a breath of fresh vacuum. [Click for more..]

John Blaha will stay on Mir for four months and will encounter unexpected bubbles, limited communications, fourteen hour days, and the first ever NASA in-space handover. Let’s just hope his sanity survives the next few months. [Click for more..]

Shannon Lucid has been waiting for her ride home and John Blaha is ready to swap in as America’s next long duration spacefarer. We’ll also fix our SRBs, try to heat up some metal, and enjoy some barbecue in Atlantis. [Click for more..]

On STS-78 we’ve got a bunch of materials science, a bunch of muscles to study, and a bunch of wake-up songs to roll our eyes at. Let’s just hope we have enough fuel to make it to orbit in the first place! [Click for more..]

On STS-77 we’ve got some experimental technology to try out that if nothing else lead to some pretty wild visuals. We’ll also get some work done on SPACEHAB and wonder why Marc Garneau loves hanging out with Australians so much. [Click for more..]

During the previous episode, NASA introduced its largest ever astronaut class. Let’s hear about what life as a newbie astronaut is like from someone who was there: Dan Tani! Buckle up because this interview is over an hour long! [Click for more..]

Shannon Lucid is ready to spend 4 months on Mir! Or is it 6? We’ll learn the quirks of the Russian training system, the hazards of old Soviet batteries, and the value of Jell-O. [Click for more..]

On STS-76 the space shuttle finally shuttles someone to space, delivering Shannon Lucid to Mir. We’ll also goof off in the SPACEHAB tunnel, head outside, and have fun saying the word “MEEP”. [Click for more..]

On STS-75 we’ll take another try at the Tethered Satellite System. It didn’t work so great on STS-46, but with much of the same crew and it should be a snap. [Click for more..]

After checking in with it for years, Galileo has finally arrived at Jupiter. For the 150th episode of The Space Above Us, let’s find out what the Galileo orbiter and probe did while they were out there and why it was worth the wait. [Click for more..]

On STS-72 we’re going to deploy one spacecraft but retrieve two! We’ll also test out some new EVA techniques, bid farewell to a frequent flyer, and spin Koichi Wakata around until he stops smiling. [Click for more..]

We’ve docked at Mir before, but moving the Kristall module around is such a hassle. What if we could just make it a little longer so the shuttle could dock with it in its usual location? [Click for more..]

Columbia is back from the shop and is sporting some new upgrades, but seems reluctant to leave Earth on its 18th voyage. Once on orbit, we’ll do some science, learn why TV is good, and perform some magic tricks! [Click for more..]

Endeavour is back on the launch pad with two payloads to both deploy and retrieve. One of those payloads looks a whole lot like a gigantic frisbee, something that would be sure to get the attention of any dog (or dog crew) nearby. [Click for more..]

On STS-70 it’s time to complete the TDRSS constellation! Or at least the first generation. We’ll also resist putting fish eggs on crackers, buy some decoy owls, and wonder why so many people from Ohio are trying to escape Earth. [Click for more..]

Norm Thagard is about to become America’s first Cosmonaut. What challenges will he encounter during his four months on the Russian space station Mir? And why are they bringing so much juice? [Click for more..]

Twenty years after the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, four years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and around a hundred days after the launch of Norm Thagard, it’s time to finally see a space shuttle dock with Mir. [Click for more..]

ASTRO-1 was a huge success, shining new light (more or less literally) on the universe with its ultraviolet observatory. But that was almost 30 flights ago. It’s time for the new and improved ASTRO-2 to see what’s out there. [Click for more..]

After all this talk about the Russian space station Mir, how about we take a close up look for ourselves? A REALLY close look. Space Shuttle Discovery won’t be the first Shuttle to dock with Mir, but it’ll come close! [Click for more..]

On STS-66 we welcome Atlantis back from its long maintenance period, further probe the upper atmosphere, test out a new rendezvous technique, and discover what is perhaps the worst payload name of all time. [Click for more..]

No, it’s not a glitch in the Matrix, we’re flying the same experiment on the same shuttle! Don’t worry, we still find plenty to say. Oh, and Jupiter’s about to explode, so that’s pretty cool. [Click for more..]

Space Shuttle Discovery is all loaded up with a grab bag of shuttle program favorites. Rendezvous, tech demonstrations, even an untethered EVA! Just be careful for the ghosts in the bathroom. [Click for more..]

Space Shuttle Columbia is flying for the 17th time, carrying the International Microgravity Laboratory 2 payload. With fish, newts, and bubbles, it sounds more like a witch’s brew than an advanced research laboratory. [Click for more..]

We’ve got a giant radar in the payload bay, bubbles in the water, and we’re ready to learn about somebody’s favorite type of lizard. We’ve also got a whole bunch of cameras, and what sure looks like over 150 VHS tapes. [Click for more..]

Space Shuttle Columbia has been packed full of so many experiments you might think there are two different payloads back there.. and you’d be right! Let’s learn about fake-metal dendrites, how to stop the orbiter from glowing, and why the NASA ground crews think Pierre Thuot smells like garbage. [Click for more..]

Look out! There’s a Russian on the space shuttle! Oh, we invited him? Well alright then. On STS-60 we’re going to push some atoms out of the way, begin the partnership that would lead to the ISS, and wonder what it takes to get a Coke in Russia. [Click for more..]

The Hubble Space Telescope is in trouble. With the fate of the orbiting observatory, and maybe NASA itself, on the line, can the crew of STS-61 save the day? We’ll ride along in the latest episode of The Space Above Us. [Click for more..]

On the latest episode of The Space Above Us, we learn about the major systems of the Hubble Space Telescope and take a deep dive on what was wrong with the mirror, how it happened, and how it wasn’t caught. [Click for more..]

Columbia is on the launchpad and we’ve got a whole bunch of life science to get through. And just when you thought it was safe to drop the word “otolith” from your vocabulary. [Click for more..]

On STS-51 we’ve got a packed flight with an advanced communciation satellite, a new kick stage, the return of SPAS, an EVA and a sassy air traffic controller. I hope you don’t mind a little debris in the payload bay! [Click for more..]

I started working on this fancy new website around Episode 169, since it apparently took me six years to get around to adding show notes and photos and such. The site is working great but it turns out it takes a lot of work to add the back episodes, so I’m slowly plugging my way through them. [Click for more..]