Updates
Granular updates about the state of each episode will be posted here, along with general updates about the state of the show. This is almost certainly safe to ignore, but if you really want to get into the nitty gritty of what’s going on with The Space Above Us, you’ve come to the right place.
You can also expect this space to meander into ‘blog’ territory from time to time.
STS-101 - Update #1 - Reading mostly done
Reading’s mostly done. I’ve gotten through the main stuff that focuses on the primary mission as well as some interesting info about the cockpit upgrades (and some cockpit upgrades that never happened). [Click for more..]
STS-99 - Update #4 - Script rough draft done
Just finished the rough draft of the script! It clocks in at around 7700 words so I don’t know what the heck I was talking about when I said it was probably going to be a short episode. [Click for more..]
STS-99 - Update #3 - Outline done
The outline’s done! Now I just need to write out the actual episode.
Also, fun fact, the day that the week long cold snap broke, ushering in temperatures in the upper 60s fahrenheit, is the same day that I got my furnace repaired! [Click for more..]
STS-99 - Update #2 - Collecting notes
Right now I’m at the part of making an episode where I’m just going back through all my sources looking for highlights and writing notes directly into the script outline. So things are moving. [Click for more..]
STS-99 - Update #1 - Primary reading's done
I thought I had the reading done for STS-99 but then a friend helped me find a really promising looking paper about synthetic aperture radar interferometry, which is what this mission is all about. [Click for more..]
STS-103 - Update #9 - Finally done!
Well, it’s finally done! The episode is scheduled to go up in an hour at midnight. In a fun coincidence, that’s the 24th anniversary of STS-103’s launch, so that’s something. [Click for more..]
STS-103 - Update #9 - Recorded!
Episode’s recorded! Kind of took a lot out of me though so I’m going to edit it tomorrow. I’m a little nervous that my microphone posture was off and I might have to deal with a lot of plosives but I guess we’ll see soon! [Click for more..]
STS-103 - Update #8 - The Wawa Office
There are a lot of reasons to not like COVID but I have one that’s sort of unusual. It forced me to admit to myself that no matter how much I want to believe the opposite, I don’t really do great with working from home. [Click for more..]
STS-103 - Update #7 - Script Progress
Just figured I’d make good on the promise of this section being overly detailed updates and provide an overly detailed update. As of tonight, I’ve got the detailed outline done for the entire episode and have written everything leading up to the launch, including the crew biographies which always take me a surprisingly long time. [Click for more..]
STS-103 - Update #6 - Now we're rolling
Every time I write an episode there is a supremely satisfying moment where I hit a tipping point and suddenly I not only know I’ve got the plan for the episode, I know exactly how I want to approach it, I just need to write it out. [Click for more..]
STS-103 - Update #5 - More Traveling! But also progress
Jeez, I don’t know what the universe has against STS-103, but this episode has (clearly) been a challenge to get out the door. I already mentioned the first round of travel, and subsequent first round of COVID earlier. [Click for more..]
STS-103 - Update #4 - Back to work
Done with COVID! At least, I’m done with the most severe symptoms and I’m able to get back to work on things again. Still can’t smell yet, but a sense of smell rarely comes up in work for the podcast. [Click for more..]