AstronomyCast 199: The Voyager Program

Astronomy Cast Ep. 656: Smashing Asteroids for Science! by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live Oct 3rd. This week we saw the incredible image of DART smashing into asteroid Dimorphous. Beyond avenging the dinosaurs, what can we learn scientifically from this and other asteroid/comet impact missions.

10 Okt 202227min

Astronomy Cast Ep. 655: 65 Years of Space: Sputnik 1 Anniversary by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Sep 26, 2022. It's been about 65 years since the Soviets launched the first orbital satellite into low Earth orbit: Sputnik 1. Now there are thousands of satellites in orbit, with tens of thousands on the way. Let's look at the impact that Sputnik had on the history of spaceflight.

3 Okt 202228min

Astronomy Cast Ep. 654: The Side Effects Of Clean Energy by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay To battle climate change, we'll need to rapidly move to carbon-free sources of energy. But this technology isn't a free lunch. They require metals, generate waste and deplete the environment. What's the best way to balance this shift?

26 Sep 202230min

Astronomy Cast Ep. 653: Climate Change: Looking at the Variables by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Climate change is on our mind these days with increasing wildfires, droughts and floods. What are the variables that play into a planet's changing climate and what can this teach us about the search for habitable planets in the solar system and across the Milky Way?

19 Sep 202230min

Astronomy Cast Ep. 652: The Rocket Race Towards Reusability by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Last week we talked about how single-use rocketry has changed over time, and the role it still plays in launching payloads into orbit and beyond. Today we'll address the stainless steel elephant in the room and talk about the shift to reusability.

12 Sep 202230min

Astronomy Cast Ep. 651: Artemis & The Decline of Single Use Rockets by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Season 16 opener. On the day that we're recording this, NASA's Space Launch System is about to blast off. But everyone is expecting it'll be delayed to October. When it does launch, it'll be the most powerful rocket on Earth. Well, until Starship blasts off. So are we about to see the end of single-use rockets and enter the era of reusable rocketry?

7 Sep 202231min

Astronomy Cast Ep. 650: Did JWST Work? by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Sign up through wren.co/astro to make a difference in the climate crisis, and Wren will plant 10 extra trees in your name! Well, this is it. We're FINALLY going to talk about the James Webb Space Telescope. After decades of development, delays, budget creep, the powerful infrared observatory is at its final home at the L2 Lagrange point. Yesterday (at the time we're recording this) we saw the first scientific images from the telescope and according to Pamela's rules, we're finally allowed to talk about it.

20 Juli 202230min

Astronomy Cast Ep. 649: Highlights From NASA's Holiday Ruining History by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Have you ever noticed that significant space and astronomy events seem to happen during the holidays? It's not a coincidence. There's actually a reason why. Today we'll talk about some of the key events that happened during holidays and the underlying rationale.

11 Juli 202228min