The Orbital Mechanics Podcast

It’s a slow news week in space. Super Strypi bites the dust, there’s a new 3D printed combustion chamber and more talk about Stratolaunch.

We talk to Alan Carey, listener of the show and space suit mechanism designer. Also, a crewed spy satellite, a fast ride to space slows down, and what the heck happened to Antares?

This week on the show, we talk more about an aggressive satellite, SpaceX’s new test platform, SLS’s new paint job and China’s new space station.

This week, David and Connor talk about orbital weapons throughout history from Starfish Prime to Soviet laser pistols. Also, rubber fuels, mini-sat launchers, F9 RTF, and Y2K hits Mars.

More info on the Discovery downselect, a quick discussion of the orbital mechanics in The Martian, hopes for Dream Chaser and odd behavior from a Russian satellite.

This week, we talk about HTV-5’s departure, the Discovery mission downselect, Jupiter/Exoliner, and 100 successful launches from ULA.

Lots of ULA, Orbital ATK and Aerojet news this week.

This week, we get to have a chat with NASA GN&C engineer Logan Kennedy. We covered a lot of topics, from SSMEs to Mighty Eagle to the future of SLS.

A quick Falcon update, progress from Firefly, big hopes from SLS, and a group of space nerds who are working on STEM outreach.

Lots of SpaceX talk this week as they prepare to return to flight… eventually. We also discuss SMAP’s name getting shorter, and CST-100’s getting longer.

Saturn I was the first big step towards the moon, and this week in 1958 the design was begun. Also, a 3D printed turbo, another Chinese engine destroys a house, we get a good look at an ASDS, and we have a White Stork mystery.

HTV-5 head uphill, a green fuel gets a green light, a rumor about an earlier than expected SpaceX return to flight, an even crazier rumor about Russian reusability and a quick conversation with IndySpace!

VASMIR contract extended, space crops and a Walloping big engine.

In our first weekly episode, we have a big announcement! 55 years later, we’re still safely bringing things back from space. Also, a contract extension from NASA, a spaceplane from DARPA, and an impressive recovery from JAXA!

There are lots of consumer products on the space station. In this show, we interview the creators of a brand new one: the Astro Pi! They’ll be sending student-written programs to Station on a small computer. Also, CRS-7 gets explained, SETI picks up a bundle, Intelsat gets grumpy, a solar panel needs a swift kick, SABRE secrets get revealed, NTSB releases their report on a fatal crash, and a big announcement about the show!