Episodes

  • Episode 104 - Megastructures!

    Episode 104 - Megastructures!
    Jun 25 2025
    In the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), scientists need to consider what technologies they should look for, including those used by a more advanced species. This has spawned the idea of Megastructures, which was first proposed in the 1960s by theoretical physicist and mathematician Freeman Dyson (who proposed the Dyson Sphere). Since then, many variations and other possible Megastructures have been proposed, all of which are fascinating and fun to think about!
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    28 mins
  • Episode 103 - Space Medicine (with Dr. Shawna Pandya)

    Episode 103 - Space Medicine (with Dr. Shawna Pandya)
    Jun 11 2025
    Dr. Shawna Pandya is an aeromedical transport physician, a neurosurgery and emergency medic, leader of the an aquanaut with NASA's NEEMO analog missions, director of the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences' (IIAS) Space Medicine Group, and will be Canada's first female commercial astronaut. She's also a black belt martial artist in Taekwon-Do, an analog astronaut, and an explorer. During our interview, we discussed the path that brought her to medicine, space, and what the future holds for humans living and working offworld.
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    47 mins
  • Episode 102 - My Interview with AADYA Geo Talks (Part II)

    Episode 102 - My Interview with AADYA Geo Talks (Part II)
    Jun 6 2025
    A few months ago, I had the honor of appearing on AADYA Geo Talks, the podcast series launched by Bharti Sharma and the organization she founded – AADYA, whose name means “origin” in Hindi. As a geologist and world-traveller, Sharma launched this organization to promote knowledge about planetary and geoscience and create opportunities for collaborative research to address critical global challenges. During the interview, we talked about how I got into science journalism, my podcast series, and my science fiction writing. The interview lasted for more than an hour because she asked great questions about a range of wonderful topics!
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    36 mins
  • Episode 101 - My Interview with AADYA Geo Talks

    Episode 101 - My Interview with AADYA Geo Talks
    Jun 2 2025
    A few months ago, I had the honor of appearing on AADYA Geo Talks, the podcast series launched by Bharti Sharma and the organization she founded – AADYA, whose name means “origin” in Hindi. As a geologist and world-traveller, Sharma launched this organization to promote knowledge about planetary and geoscience and create opportunities for collaborative research to address critical global challenges. During the interview, we talked about how I got into science journalism, my podcast series, and my science fiction writing. The interview lasted for more than an hour because she asked great questions about a range of wonderful topics!
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    34 mins
  • NASA's Budget for 2026: Tough Times Ahead

    NASA's Budget for 2026: Tough Times Ahead
    May 22 2025
    The White House recently released its budget for FY 2026, which has led to significant concerns at NASA as it recommends significant cuts to international programs, education, and research. In addition, many of these cuts call for the cancellation of key elements of NASA's Artemis Program and its plans for sending crewed missions to Mars. This includes the Space Launch System (SLS), the Orion spacecraft, and the Lunar Gateway.
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    18 mins
  • The Kerbal Space Program and Mission Design (feat. Dr. Rodrigo Schmitt)

    The Kerbal Space Program and Mission Design (feat. Dr. Rodrigo Schmitt)
    May 14 2025
    The Kerbal Space Program is currently used as an educational tool to teach about spacecraft and mission design. But as Dr. Schmitt tells us, it should be used as a method for designing whole mission architectures. For years, Schmitt has relied on KSP and its realism mods to design and simulate missions, including those that will take astronauts back to the Moon!
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    44 mins
  • The Growing Problem of Space Junk

    The Growing Problem of Space Junk
    May 8 2025
    In Earth's orbit, there are millions of debris objects that pose a collision risk for satellites and space stations. If left unchecked, the situation could lead to a cascading effect known as Kessler Syndrome. While space agencies worldwide track and monitor objects in orbit to prevent collisions, strategies for active debris removal are needed and many are being researched.
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    24 mins
  • Celestial Steward | A Conversation with Moriba Jah | Stories From Space Podcast With Matthew S Williams

    Celestial Steward | A Conversation with Moriba Jah | Stories From Space Podcast With Matthew S Williams
    Mar 25 2025

    Guest | Dr. Moriba Jah, Professor, The University of Texas at Austin [@UTAustin]

    On Twitter | https://x.com/moribajah

    On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahniverse/

    On Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/moribajah

    Website | https://www.moriba.com/

    Host | Matthew S Williams

    On ITSPmagazine 👉 https://itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/matthew-s-williams

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    This Episode’s Sponsors

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    Episode Notes

    Moriba Jah is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin. He's also a major advocate for the "stewardship" of Earth and space. Through his world traveling and extensive experience with NASA, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and academia, he has earned a wide following as a champion for the sustainable use of space.

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    Resources

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    For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast
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    35 mins