This Week in Space (Audio)

• TWiS 180: NASA is Closed for Business - And Other Top Space Stories

  This week we cover the headlines, from the shutdown of NASA, to the risky dismantling of the space shuttle Discovery (because Texas insists), to a rogue exoplanet's weird weather, and much more. Should we be worried about China investing in SpaceX? How about those close-up shots of the interstellar visitor 3I/Atlas? And are asteroids hiding out near Venus a threat to Earth? All this and more on episode 180 of This Week in Space. Headlines: NASA Suffers Major Disruption Amid Government Shutdown Shuttle Discovery Faces Potential Forced Dismantling for Texas Move China Might be Eying Perseverance Mars Samples in Race to Retrieve Martian Rocks Near-Venus Asteroids Pose Hidden Threats to Earth Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Gets Close-Up for Mars Orbiters Concerns Over Chinese Investments in SpaceX China Fast-Tracks Lunar Landing Systems and Rocket Tests James Webb Telescope Delivers First Rogue Exoplanet Weather Report Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

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• TWiS 179: The New Crew of Artemis II - Who Will Fly to the Moon in 2026?

  It's almost time for Artemis II to fly to the moon! We got together with Space.com writer Josh Dinner, who joined our own Tariq to attend the "astro unveiling" of NASA's newest class of astronauts and a major press event surrounding the crew of Artemis II. The mission is currently scheduled to loop the moon in early 2026. Join us for the newest details! Headlines: NASA's Escapade Mission Gears Up for Mars Launch Rocket Lab Prepares for First Interplanetary Mission Dream Chaser Space Plane's ISS Debut Delayed, Contract Adjustments Announced Simulated Universe Creates 3.4 Billion Digital Galaxies Reflections on the Evolution of Space Missions—From Apollo to Artemis Main Topic: Artemis II Updates and NASA's Next Generation Astronauts Our Reporters Go Behind the Scenes at Johnson Space Center Artemis II Launch Windows Announced for Feb-April 2026 Overview of Artemis II Crew and Their Spaceflight Experience Mission Profile: Free Return Trajectory, Timeline, and Unique Features Naming of Orion Capsule as "Integrity" NASA Preps for Extensive, Real-time Media Coverage During Artemis II Discussion of Public Enthusiasm and Challenges for Engaging a Modern Audience Artemis II Crew Details, Training, and Scientific Goals Addressing Orion Heat Shield Issues and Design Updates Training for Artemis III: Simulating Lunar Gravity and EVA Preparation NASA Unveils New Astronaut Class with Diverse Backgrounds Discussion of Astronaut Demographics, Public Messaging, and International Partners Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Josh Dinner Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

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• TWiS 178: Tell It to the Mountain - Astronaut and Senate Hopeful Terry Virts Says NASA Needs a Major Rethink

  There's a very elite club in astronaut circles, one in which former astronauts go on to political careers. The most elite are senators, and so far, John Glenn, Harrison Schmitt, and Mark Kelly have been members, and may soon be joined by Terry Virts, a former shuttle and ISS astronaut. He's got a lot to say about today's NASA, the budget, the Artemis program (he was the astronaut embedded with the SLS rocket program back in 2011), and much more. Col. Virts is also an author and filmmaker, among his other pursuits. Join us for the enlightening episode. Headlines: • Ukraine Destroys Russian Military-Used Radio Telescope in Crimea • China's Surge in Spaceflight Triggers New Warnings About U.S. Competitiveness • Stunning New Black Hole Images Revealed by Event Horizon Telescope • Partial Solar Eclipse Coming, Visible Most Spectacularly to Penguins Main Topic: Interview with Colonel Terry Virts—Astronaut and Senate Candidate • Highlights of Terry Virts' Career: Air Force, Shuttle & Soyuz Missions, Space Station Command • Motivation Behind Virts' Run for U.S. Senate in Texas • Threats to American Democracy, Middle-Class Issues, and Human Rights Priorities • How Astronaut and Military Experience Prepares Him for Political Office • Views on the U.S. Space Program: Budget Cuts, Program Delays, and China's Lunar Ambitions • Specific Critiques of Artemis, SLS, and Lunar Lander Strategies • Advice for Aspiring Astronauts and Reflections on NASA's Challenges • The ISS at 25: Collaboration, Science Achievements, and Personal Lessons Learned • Space, Star Trek, and Geek Culture Moments from Virts' NASA Years Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Terry Virts Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

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• TWiS 177: Life on Mars? - With Dr. Michael Tice

  You've heard the news about a possible detection of ancient life on Mars... now get the inside scoop from one of the paper's key authors. Dr. Michael Tice is a research scientist and planetary geologist at Texas A&M, and has a lot to say about how the research was pulled from the year-old drill sampling, the incredible rigor that was applied to their findings, and what's next in this amazing story. It's the one we've all been waiting for--a possible indication of life beyond our own planet! Headlines: NASA's Interim Chief Declares Mission to Beat China Back to the Moon Starlink Satellite Photobombs Maxar Image of Secret Chinese Airbase James Webb Telescope Captures Stunning Interstellar Jet "Flatulence" Main Topic: Signs of Ancient Life Discovered on Mars by Perseverance Dr. Michael Tice Explains Potential Biosignatures in Jezero Crater Discovery of Unusual "Leopard Spots" Linked to Possible Microbial Activity Redox Reactions and Organics Suggest Favorable Conditions for Life Debate Between Biological and Abiotic Explanations for Findings Cutting-Edge Rover Instruments Push Detection Limits Challenges of Confirming Life Without Sample Return to Earth Future Work Needed: Sample Return Missions and Analogs on Earth Broader Reflections on Mars Science, Search for Life, and Technology Choices Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Dr. Michael Tice Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

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• TWiS 176: Beyond the Solar System - With Dr. Alan Stern, PI for New Horizons

  What's next in deep space exploration? Dr. Alan Stern, planetary scientist and the Principal Investigator for the New Horizons mission to Pluto, joins us to discuss what we learned about Pluto, the prospects for a future Pluto orbiter, the news from the Kuiper Belt, and to talk about his experiences as a commercial suborbital astronaut. Oh, and he might just mention that he was short-listed to fly on the space shuttle! Alan is one of those people that just has one adventure after another... did I mention that he dove on the Titanic? Yeah, that kind of guy. Join us for an hour of deep space adventure. Headlines: U.S. Faces Warnings of Losing Lunar Race to China NASA Selects a New Associate Administrator Third Interstellar Comet Spotted With Unusual CO2 Cloud Main Topic: Pluto, the New Horizons Mission, and the Future of Planetary Exploration Why Pluto Was Chosen as a Prime Target for Exploration Building and Launching New Horizons: Team Effort and Challenges Emotional Moments as Pluto Data Arrived on Earth Precise Navigation: Getting New Horizons Safely to Pluto Pluto's Surprising Geological Activity and Complexity Major Discoveries at Pluto's Moon Charon Exploring Arrokoth: Insights into Planetary Formation The Search for a Possible Third Flyby Target in the Kuiper Belt The Importance of Long-Term Funding for New Horizons NASA Budget Threats Could End Multiple Key Space Missions The Possible Role of Kuiper Belt Objects in Delivering Organics to Earth How Flybys at Pluto and Arrokoth Reshaped Theories of Planetary Systems Prospects for Future Pluto Orbiters and Human Spaceflight Advocacy for Continued U.S. Leadership in Deep Space Exploration Host: Rod Pyle Co-Host: Fredrick (Rick) Jenet Guest: Alan Stern Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

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