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. Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/s09_where_does_the_time_go The Space Above …

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. OK, let’s go with “humanity’s Destiny is off the planet”. Yeah, that works! Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep191_sts-98 The Space Above Us website: https://thes…

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. Most of that will make sense once you listen. Also, please note that this episode has a couple of small audio clicks that I wasn’t able to remove. So it’s not…

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. Along the way we'll learn a bit about the folks on the ground who make this all possible, walk through four complicated EVAs, see something no one's seen since 1967, …

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. Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep188_sts-106 The Space Above Us website: https://t…

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. After some friendly chatting via email, Dr. Kim Broadwell was gracious enough to speak to me on the podcast. Let’s hear what he has to say! Show notes: https://t…

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. Let’s head back to the ISS! Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep186_sts-101 The Space Above Us website: https://thespaceabove.us Support the show: https://thespaceabove.us/do…

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! Show notes: http://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep185_sts-99 The Space Above Us website: https://thespaceabove.us Support the show: https://thespaceabove.us/donate T…

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? Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep184_sts-103 The Space Above Us website: https://t…

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. Buckle up, it’s a heck of a flight. Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep183_sts-…

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! Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep182_sts-96 The Space Above Us website: https://thespaceabove.us Support the show: https://thespaceabove.us/donate TSAU Patreon: https://patreon.co…

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. In this episode we'll wonder why it's too quiet, why the wires are on the outside, and which teams were playing down in South America! Show notes: http…

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. Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep180_sts-95 The Space Above Us website: https://thespaceabove.us Support the show: h…

We take a look back at the Shuttle-Mir program, including a whirlwind tour of all seven long duration missions and a glimpse into Mir's ultimate fate. Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep179_shuttle-mir_retrospective The Space Above Us website: https://thespaceabove.us Support the show: https://thespaceabove.us/donate TSAU Patreon: http…

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. Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep178_sts-91 The Space Above Us website: https://thespaceabove.us Support the s…

We take a brief break from space to consider some valuable life lessons. Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/special_update_02 The Space Above Us website: https://thespaceabove.us Support the show: https://thespaceabove.us/donate TSAU Patreon: https://patreon.com/thespaceabove.us

On STS-90 we've got a Spacelab full of nervous system experiments, we'll play a little catch, and we'll wonder where NASA got 2000 crickets. Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep177_sts-90 The Space Above Us website: https://thespaceabove.us Support the show: https://thespaceabove.us/donate TSAU Patreon: https://patreon.com/thespaceabove…

Andy Thomas is watching Space Shuttle Endeavour fade into the distance and is ready to get to work. His four month stay on Mir would 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" Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep176_nasa-7…

Dave Wolf is ready to come home, which is good because Andy Thomas is ready to become the last NASA astronaut to live on Mir. So put on some nice headphones, pull up a chair next to the aquarium window, and relax with some spaceflight history as we kick off 1998! Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep175_sts-89 The Space Above Us website:…

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. Here's the link to that AERCam video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtmQyAifHj0 Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep174_sts-87 The Spa…

Dave Wolf's stint on Mir is going pretty smoothly, but when he performs his first EVA we find cause to go on a mini deep dive into the history of the station's airlock. That's definitely not ominous, right? Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep173_nasa-6_pt2 The Space Above Us website: https://thespaceabove.us Support the show: https://t…

After much back and forth on the ground, it has been decided that Dave Wolf will remain on Mir for his full mission. So what does he do while he's up there? And who's that in the window?? Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep172_nasa-6_pt1 The Space Above Us website: https://thespaceabove.us Support the show: https://thespaceabove.us/don…

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. Also, "MEEP!" Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep171_sts-86 The Space Above Us website: https://thespaceab…

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. By the way, I did hit a BSOD while editing the episode, but luckily no data was lost! Show notes: ht…

The crew, payload, and orbiter of STS-94 all 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. Show notes: https://thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep169_sts-94 The Space Above Us website: https://thespaceabove.us Support the show:…