PODCAST

The Space Madness Podcast

spacemadness

A series of personal conversations about how we explore the universe and our place in it.

science astronomy

All Episodes

52:47

Space Madness Episode 16: From Cellos to the Cosmos

The Space Madness Podcast ·

2025/08/25

Today we talk with Jason Derleth, a recently retired NASA technologist with a diverse career. We discuss Jason's journey from aspiring fantasy author to a key player in NASA's innovative projects, including the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program and the Habitable Worlds Observatory. The conversation explores the importance and value of unusual career paths in space exploration, the philosophical implications of discovering life beyond Earth, and the impact of NASA's work on society and

52:16

Space Madness Episode 15: From Nebraska with Law

The Space Madness Podcast ·

2025/08/18

Today we talk with Elsbeth Magilton, former Executive Director of my alma mater, the University of Nebraska, Lincoln Space and Cyber Law LL.M. program. We talk about growing up in Nebraska, finding a pathway to a legal education through community programs and web design, and joining the UNL Law Space Law program and ultimately the faculty. We also discuss the Artemis Accords and how international legal agreements affect space exploration.

31:06

Space Madness Episode 14: The Life of Lou Friedman...

The Space Madness Podcast ·

2025/08/16

n our final episode with Lou we talk about different views on the future of space exploration in the USA, options for young people interested in the field, and thoughts about predicting the future.

52:33

Space Madness Episode 13: The Life of Lou Friedman...

The Space Madness Podcast ·

2025/08/04

In part 2 of our discussion with Lou Friedman, co-founder of The Planetary Society, we discuss his decades of advocacy work. We talk about early Direct Mail efforts that enabled the Society's explosive growth, the conflict between planetary science and the Space Shuttle, his visits to Washington, D.C. to give testimony, and more. Lou also shares charming stories of Carl Sagan's wit.

41:36

Space Madness Episode 12: The Life of Lou Friedman...

The Space Madness Podcast ·

2025/07/28

"I have been working on space as long as there has been a space age, since 1957."With a career spanning the entire space age, Lou shares his journey from the Bronx to the forefront of space exploration. He discusses his pivotal roles at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, co-founding the Planetary Society with Carl Sagan, and his insights into the evolving role of humans in space exploration. Dive into the history of space missions, the challenges of interplanetary navigation, and the future of human

38:21

Space Madness Episode 11: The Je ne sais quoi of Jupiter

The Space Madness Podcast ·

2025/07/21

Today we talk with a JPL colleague of mine, Olivia Dawson. Inspired by Voyager as a child (as was I) she began a long journey to JPL that took some unexpected turns. Now she moves on to an international opportunity for herself and her family.

38:21

Space Madness Episode 10: Sheila Xu, the First Deaf...

The Space Madness Podcast ·

2025/07/14

Today we chat with Sheila Xu, the first deaf asian female pilot. We discuss her hearing challenges as a child, the range of availability of accomodations throughout her education, and the events that led to her goal of becoming a pilot. We also talk about technologies and products available to help people hear, backpacking through Europe while deaf, and charting her path to advocacy.

50:20

Space Madness Episode 8: From Romania to the Stars

The Space Madness Podcast ·

2025/06/30

In this episode of the Space Madness Podcast, we host Andreea Mosila, who shares her remarkable journey from growing up in communist Romania to working at NASA and JPL. Andreea discusses her passion for space exploration, her experiences at various NASA centers, and her current research on climate security in the Danube Delta. The conversation highlights the importance of bridging science and governance, the challenges of communicating research findings, and the impact of personal passion on career

54:04

Space Madness Episode 7: Space Weather and Growing up...

The Space Madness Podcast ·

2025/06/23

In this episode we have a college buddy of mine, now Dr. Loren Chang, Professor and Chair of the Department of Space Science and Engineering at the National Central University in Taiwan. We discuss his fascinating journey growing up traveling back and forth to Taiwan throughout his education. That period happened to overlap with Taiwan's growth from post-martial law scenario to global dominance in technology - specifically semiconductors - and it's recent embrace of space and drone technologies.*

55:58

Space Madness Episode 6: Science Fiction, Faction,...

The Space Madness Podcast ·

2025/06/16

In today's episode we have director of the film Advanced Chemistry Etana Jacobson. Etana has an extensive career in film, television and video games bringing science to audiences in an engaging and personal way. Today we discuss those efforts and new ones in the modern digital environment.

42:19

Space Madness Episode 5: Deafness in Space? The first...

The Space Madness Podcast ·

2025/06/09

Today we "talk" with Eric Shear, a remarkable Ph.D. student with the unique distinction of being the first deaf person to experience microgravity since the Galludet 11, a group of deaf men who were instrumental in developing the Apollo program. View his writing here.Note: this episode has periods of silence as Eric signs to Justin. I have left them in to maintain the integrity of the experience of interviewing a deaf person.

53:56

Space Madness Episode 4: a War Reporter, the Book of...

The Space Madness Podcast ·

2025/06/02

Today we have a special guest with a deep connection to history. Peter Laitin joins me to talk about his father, Joe Laitin, a war correspondent turned trusted member of several administrations in the 1960s and 1970s. Notably, he and his wife Christine Laitin wrote the speech read by Apollo 8 astronauts on Christmas Eve, 1968 from Earth orbit after being the first human beings to see the whole Earth at once from space. See this short CNN clip from the 90s.

01:01:55

Space Madness Episode 3: Justin Kugler of Intuitive...

The Space Madness Podcast ·

2025/06/02

Justin Kugler shares his story of finding a pathway from a Texas neighborhood to the surface of the moon. Coincidentally also with the CIA in his background like Tim Chrisman of episode 2, Justin followed a winding path from a chance high school opportunity. He and I also share the challenge of building personally meaningful space careers while our wives built their own medical careers. We end the episode with a fascinating new perspective on human space exploration that I had not previously

01:01:22

Space Madness Episode 2: Tim Chrisman and WW2, the...

The Space Madness Podcast ·

2025/06/02

In episode 2, Investor and former CIA laser expert Tim Chrisman and I discuss the changes in capital markets since WW2 and the resulting impact on everything from war to planetary exploration.

35:31

Space Madness Episode 1: Daniel Leeb and the...

The Space Madness Podcast ·

2025/06/02

In our inaugural episode I talk with Daniel Leeb of the Icelandic Space Agency. We explore the lesser known relationship between Iceland and every human and nearly planetary surface space mission and think about what the near future of global space leadership looks like in a dynamic era.

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The Space Madness Podcast

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